The government cannot keep such crucial bodies non-functional for months and years. It's a question about delivering justice to women and mitigating their problems. There cannot be an issue of hand-picking favourites to suit personal agendas, and such a body cannot be grounded because of political meddling
The Goa government, after theintervention of the National Commission for Women, finally appointed a newChairperson of the Goa State Women's Commission, a post that was lying vacantsince November 13 last year. However, the nine-month delay is baffling,considering the fact that we are in the midst of an era where the discourse isabout women empowerment and zero-tolerance to the crime against women.
Goa has a poor track record in tackling crimesagainst women. Going by statistics, last year, there are around 250 cases thathave gone undetected against them. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had stated onthe floor of the House that there was, on average, one case daily related tocrime against women. Majority of the cases of rape, molestation, outraging themodesty of women have come to a dead-end because the system has failedsomewhere. Lest we forget, the sensational Betalbatim gang-rape and the manyothers have not been resolved yet. Goa has a history of crime against womenwith even Governor Goa Governor B V Wanchoo during his tenure in 2013highlighting it in his New Year message.
The current scenario doesn't lookbright, either. On the contrary, it's turned grim during the present Covid scenario.The financial crunch has hit families with core sectors like mining and tourismat a standstill. Family discords, domestic violence, spouse disputes andharassment against the fairer sex need urgent redressal. In the absence of achairperson, the women in distress had no recourse to their grievances.
The Goa State Women's Commission is astatutory body playing a crucial role in handling a critical aspect of crimesagainst women. It has the power to summon parties, and those aggrieved lookupon GSWC to intervene. Its objective is to improve the status and dignity ofwomen in society, and it takes the onus on themselves to investigate casesagainst women and propose remedial action. In a male-dominated society, a largesection of women looks up to the GSWC for guidance before seeking a legalremedy. When crimes against women are on the ascendency, it's a shame that thegovernment has completely ignored their plight.
The government cannot keep such crucialbodies non-functional for months and years. It's a question about deliveringjustice to women and mitigating their problems. There cannot be an issue ofhand-picking favourites to suit personal agendas, and such a body cannot begrounded because of political meddling. It is absurd to put forth an argumentthat the government was in the process of identifying a suitable person. It'slike the elusive Women's Reservation Bill introduced in the Parliament onSeptember 12, 1996, but is still pending in the Lok Sabha.
The Goa government has paid lip serviceto tackling crime against women and their empowerment and has done very littletowards their security. The apathy with which it handled the constitution ofthe commission says it all.
