On the International Women’s Day, the District Legal Service Authority (DLSA), Khordha in collaboration with ActionAid organised a one-day workshop on the issues related to single women.

CCWD, the local partner ActionAid facilitated more than 20 single women to join and share before Legal Service Authority about their issues related to land, housing, public education, social protection and basic service.

Action Aid regional manager Debabrat Patra said the single women have been demanding for access to land, housing, and other resources andthe Government should address the collective issues with priority.

Programme Officer, ActionAid BN Durga shared the experience of single women land rights work in Ganjam as the best practices. He said more than 4,000 single women have been ensured with land, housing and other entitlements of Government.

The State Government should take efforts to define the term single women mentioned in the Odisha State Women and Girls Policy and recognise the single women as an independent household, he opined.

District Judge-cum-Chairman, District Legal Services Authority, Khordha Satya Narayan Mishra inaugurated this programme. In all the public buildings there should be an exclusive space for women including the toilet. And, this would be of great use by the lactating women for breast feeding, said Mishra. While responding to the issues shared by the single, he said that the Legal Service Authority will put all the efforts to ensure justice for dignified living of the single women. Secretary, District Legal Services Authority, Manas Ranjan Ray welcomed the guests. Additional Secretary of the Revenue and Disaster

Management Department Shilendra Dwibedi, Deputy Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department Jasmin Pattnaik , Members, State Women Commission,  Sushmita Nanda and Kusum Rath, among others, spoke.