Raise your voice against social maladies, urges ZP CEO

Officer wants women elected reps, SHGs to play active role

Chief executive officer of Zilla Panchayat G Satyavathy on Thursday appealed to the women to fight against child marriages, rampant in rural areas.

She was addressing the gathering of women at International Women’s Day celebration organised by the district administration, ZP and department of woman and child welfare at Kalamandira here.

Continuing the officer said when the district is recording progress in other fields, rise in such incidents is unhealthy development in the society. This has contributed to social backwardness.

She attributed the child marriage to the long standing myth in the rural folk that the girls will remain a burden to the family, if she is not married at the earliest. Eventually, the parents will force her into wedlock much before she completes 18 years of age, legal age for marriage.

She referred to the recent incidents in K R Nagar and Hunsur taluks in the district where the officers foiled the marriages from happening where the child bride was to embrace marital bliss.

Recalling her recent address at a training programme for women representatives of gram panchayats, organised at Abdul Nazeer Saab State Institute for Rural Development (ANSSIRD), Satyavathy said that the elected representatives especially women have to raise voice against social malady like girls discontinuing education. It would, in a way help in checking child marriages too, she said.

For women groups

Stree shakti sanghas and women self-help groups also have a role to play by campaiging against such burning issues. They should not restrict themselves to disbursing and collecting loans.

The inmates of girls balamandira on Lalitamahal road staged a cultural programme.

Director of centre for studies in women, University of Mysore S M Mangala and deputy director of woman and child welfare department N R Vijay were present.