MAHARASHTRA: AIDWA’S Workshop on ‘Women and Health’

LAST month, the Maharashtra AIDWA organised a three-day statewide workshop on ‘Women and Health’ for its main activists. Held in Thane city, it was well attended by 75 leading activists from all over the state. The organisation has been consistently fighting on various issues faced by women like ration, price rise, employment, domestic violence and atrocities. But the health issue which is close to every woman’s heart is rarely addressed by women’s organisations. Considering this fact, the three-day workshop discussed only health issues.

AIDWA to Organise National Convention against Violence & Regressive Ideology

THE AIDWA central executive committee (CEC) meeting held on October 13-15, 2017 in Amritsar, Punjab, decided to organise nationwide campaigns and struggles on challenges arising from the economic attacks of the BJP government and the communal propaganda of the Sangh Parivar. President Malini Bhattacharya, along with vice-presidents Sudha Sundararaman, T N Seema, Rampari and Rama Devi chaired the various sessions of the CEC.

AIDWA Team Visits BHU Students

MADHU Garg, Malti Devi, Seema Rana (state president, general secretary and joint secretary of AIDWA Uttar Pradesh committee) and I visited Varanasi on October 4-5. After the tremendous agitation launched by the women students against the apathy of the Banaras Hindu University administration towards rampant sexual harassment on the campus and the brutal attack on them by the police on the night of September 23, the university had been abruptly shut. It re-opened on the 2nd and we went to meet students and faculty members.

AIDWA Burns Effigies of Babas who Violate Women

All India Democratic Women’s Association observed Dussehra on September 30, by burning the effigy of the so-called (religious) babas, who violate women behind the fig-leaf of religion and the anti-women vice-chancellor of BHU. These elements get the patronage of the BJP government which has also resulted in the exponential increase in the incidence of violence against women during the three-years of NDA rule.

DILUTION OF GSCASH: Women’s Organisations Express Concern

EXPRESSING strong protest against the attempts made by the administration of the Jawaharlal Nehru University to weaken the GSCASH (committee to look into complaints of sexual harassment), the AIDWA, AIPWA, ANHAD, Guild of Service, JWP and NFIW have written a letter to the vice chancellor of the university, on September 16.

RAPE CASE AGAINST DERA SACHA SAUDA CHIEF: AIDWA Congratulates Brave Women

THE special CBI court in Panchkula, Haryana, has convicted the Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh in the charge of rape of two sadhvis, in a case that was registered in 2002. This verdict has sparked off widespread violence and rioting in Haryana, Punjab, Delhi and parts of Uttar Pradesh, leading to the unfortunate death of over 30 people and injuries to hundreds. Both the centre and the Haryana government have failed miserably in anticipating the violence and in maintaining law and order.

‘Love Jihad’ Judgement and the Politics of the ‘Hindu’ Right

ON May 24, Kerala High Court had declared the marriage of Shafin Jahan and Akhila alias Hadiya as null and void on the petition of the bride’s father. The father claimed that his daughter was forced to convert to Islam and marry a Muslim under the influence of the Islamic State. The petition alleged that the girl would be forcibly sent to Syria in order to work for the extremist Islamic outfit. In response, the Court nullified the marriage and the husband of the girl petitioned the Supreme Court.

AIDWA Welcomes Triple Talaq Judgment

THE All India Democratic Women’s Association has welcomed the majority judgement in “Shayara Bano v. Union of India and Ors” WP (C) No. 118/2016, in which the Supreme Court has held that triple talaq is arbitrary and un-constitutional. AIDWA, in a statement issued on August 22, has said that it always opposed the unilateral, arbitrary, irrevocable and instantaneous triple talaq, which has always adversely affected the lives of millions of Muslim women.

Women Protest outside Supreme Court against Dilution of Section 498a

WOMEN’S anger erupted on July 31 at the gates of the Supreme Court of India against its recent judgement that would lead to the dilution of Section 498A. Several representatives of women's organisations assembled outside the Supreme Court to protest against the recent order of the Supreme Court on Section 498A and demanded its review. The demonstration was held within just three days of the Supreme Court order.

Government-Court Nexus will Embolden Patriarchs

ON July 27, 2017 the Supreme Court of India passed orders that dilute the spirit and the content of the anti-dowry laws. The provision of 498A (protecting women from cruelty by husbands and relatives) was enacted in 1983 after a long struggle by the democratic women’s movement. This victory ensured that the affected women could approach the police and courts without any fear and harassment from their in-laws family and also use the law to protect themselves.

Peoples Democracy

Gender Issues