Pranab stresses on women's safety issues

Women's Day: 'Perception of vulnerability constrains freedom'

President Pranab Mukherjee has stressed the need of better implementation of laws to ensure the safety and security of women.

“The pace of progress in providing the desired level of safety and security to our women needs to be hastened through better enforcement of legislation towards this end,” the President said on the occasion of International Women’s Day.

He gave away the Stree Shakit and Nari Shakti Awards during a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Sunday, where Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi was also present.

“Violence against women continues to threaten the safety, well being and potential of women and girls across our country. Even their perception of their respective vulnerabilities constrains their freedom of movement and access to education, work and essential services,” Mukherjee said.

The President said that we must make the required effort to remove the structural and institutional barriers that inhibit the economic and social transformation of women in India.

“Therefore, it is only appropriate that we should remind ourselves that the empowerment of women and their equality, liberty and dignity are not a distant goal or fond aspiration of the women of our country. It is one of their sacred rights,” asserted the President.

He suggested that an “engendering process has to be built into government schemes” and recommended the adoption of best practices. The prime minister called upon the Centre to build a wide network of NGOs. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in his message, said: “Our heads hang in shame when we hear of instances of crime against women.”

“We must walk shoulder-to-shoulder to end all forms of discrimination or injustice against women,” Modi said.

He referred to various schemes for women that are being implemented by his government, mentioning the setting up of one-stop-crisis centres and launch of mobile help number 181 for counselling and referral services for victims of violence or abuse.