Govt urged to enforce laws to protect women

By Express News Service
11 Sep 2009 03:16:00 AM IST

Govt urged to enforce laws to protect women

HYDERABAD: The AP Women Network, an organisation formed by women social activists working to end violence against women in the State, has urged the government to enforce the Domestic Violence Act 2005 and the Immoral Trafficking (Prevention) Act 1956 to protect the rights of women and prevent attacks on them.
Talking with reporters here today, APWN convener C Bhanuja said the government had failed to rehabilite women and help them reunite with their families. Several victims were rescued from flesh trade centres in Pune, Bhiwandi and Mumbai by APWN. Unless the government provided proper facilities to the rescued victims the APWN would not cooperate with the officials concerned in conducting rescue operations, she said.
The APWN has urged the government to provide counselling and skill development programmes to the victims at Swadhar Homes, to strengthen them mentally and make them employable, which can certainly prevent them from going back to the oldest profession. G Sucharitha, a member of APWN, said the government was to provide Rs 10,000 as rehabilitation fund as per rules but failed to release the money immediately.
They were taking long time _ six months to one year - in releasing the fund, she noted.
They appealed to the government to strengthen the rehabilitation and reintegration mechanism to successfully bring them to normal life from `hell-holes’.
They called for better coordination among the women development and child welfare department, police, NGOs and lawyers. They also urged the government to take stringent action against human traffickers.
Kota Sivakumari, another member, charged the government with failure to enforce the Domestic Violence Act effectively.
Though numerous attacks on women were being reported by the media every day, only 3,565 cases were booked under the Domestic Violence Act in the last four years, she wondered and urged the government to provide a special budget, protection officer and employees to the enforce the Act effectively