Reservation for women in law-making bodies at State and national levels is a long-pending demand, which is partly fulfilled and not in all the states, said Governor Rameshwar Thakur .

Speaking after inaugurating a workshop on ‘Family Court, Matrimonial laws and Gender Justice,’ in the City on Saturday, he said no society can progress, if the women are not empowered. 

“A culture in which women are progressing, has a natural overall development. Government agencies and voluntary organisations must spread awareness on women’s empowerment and legal rights, especially in rural areas,” said Mr Thakur.

He said women still do not enjoy the freedom to choose their profession. “The back breaking work of a home maker is rarely honoured and poorly remunerated,” he said adding that the institution of marriage is undergoing changes world over.

“The expectations in marriage have changed and unfortunately, incidents of domestic violence are on the rise. The judges presiding over family courts should have special powers to adopt procedures that are in the best interest of justice and values that India stood for all along,” added the Governor.

Family courts
Minister for Women and Child Development, H K Kumaraswamy released the report on the functioning of the family courts in Karnataka.

The workshop, the first ever in the State, was organised by the State Women’s Commission and Karnataka Judicial Academy, in association with Majilis — an NGO from Mumbai. Chief Justice of Karnataka Cyriac Joseph presided over the inaugural session. 

The participants including judges from family courts from other states attended the workshop. Towards the end, they moved a resolution to be placed before the Union and State governments.

The recommendations were made on legal representation; increasing the budgetary allocation to family courts; more additional courts; separate building for family courts; appointment of gender-sensitive judges and a longer tenure for them; appointment and training of counsellors; procedures and implementation of best practices.