The Action Aid Odisha in association with its partner organisations Adivasi Ekta Sangathan, Koraput, Antaranga and Kandhamal, the CIRTD, Sundargarh, CCWD, Bhubaneswar, SAI, Nuapada, Patang, Sambalpur and Shehada, Jharsuguda, held a two-day State-level meeting of single women at Phulnakhara from Monday.
Around 50 single women from 10 districts took part in the capacity building programme on “Women’s share - A campaign for gender justice in property rights,’ which provided them to come together to share their issues and experiences as single women.
The main objective of the meeting was to build an understanding on the issue of property rights and land rights of single women, underscore a need for a national policy for social security for them and linking them with different livelihood options.
State Commission for Women Chairperson Dr Minati Behera inaugurating the meeting assured to conduct a survey for the single women in the State to provide them necessary support in linking to different schemes and entitlements.
The Commission would provide necessary support to the State-level forum to address the issues of single women, she added. Women rights activist Bisakha Bhanja said that the Odisha State Policy for Girls and Women 2014 needs to be reviewed for the benefits of single women and demanded 30 per cent reservation in job allocation under the MGNREGA at panchayat-level, especially for single women.
Action Aid programme manager Ghasiram Panda stressed on formulation of the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Branding Rules as single women always are branded as witches and face violence at large.
Though there is the Odisha Prevention of Witch-Branding Act 2013, but it needs to be implemented properly, he added.
