Anganwadi workers protest against harassment of women

Members of the Karnataka State Anganwadi Workers’ Association protested on Monday outside the deputy commissioner’s office against harassment of women at workplace.

Led by the Trade Union Coordination Committee (TUCC), the protesters demanded stringent legal action to persons found guilty of such harassment.

TUCC president G R Shivashankar, who addressed the protesters, said, “Our social setup is denying women opportunities to become self-dependent and acquire a sense of self-confidence. There are frequent, repeated instances of mental and physical torture, preventing women from leading a peaceful life.”

Unhindered trouble

He added that very often, in private companies, the employees harass women ‘fearlessly’.

“If the women protest, the employers threaten to fire them, forcing the women to live and work under conditions similar to slavery. Such circumstances create a lot of pressure for women and only some manage to survive them. In other cases, strained by the employers’ harassment, women commit suicide,” he said.

“We have no facilities, however, to support and stand by women who dare to fight the harassment,” Shivashankar rued.

B Nagarathnamma, district-level secretary of the Association, said anganwadi centres had been functioning in the district for 37 years, but they were still deprived of several facilities.

“Some of the centres lack even buildings of their own. Upgradation of the centres is a plan only on the pages of the Union and State governments, it is never implemented,” she mocked.

‘Better centres’

The protesters demanded that the anganwadi centres be provided basic amenities. “The food supplied should be of excellent quality. The centres should also be given LPG facilities. All mini anganwadi centres should be converted into full scale centres.

The workers and assistants should come under the purview of the government schemes. Also, any problem faced by the workers and assistants should immediately be solved by the authorities,” they added.