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Diocese helps Kashmiri women stand up for their rights

They can now access information from government departments and agencies
Diocese helps Kashmiri women stand up for their rights

Village women attending the Catholic Social Service Society program to create awareness about the rights of women at Nagrota village in Jammu and Kashmir state, in this file photo. (Photo by Umar Manzoor Shah)

Published: August 14, 2017 01:07 AM GMT
Updated: August 14, 2017 01:13 AM GMT

Darshana Devi, in India's northern state of Jammu and Kashmir, recalls the ordeal of trying to find out why her name disappeared from the records of a government scheme providing monthly pensions to destitute widows.

The 56-year-old, from isolated Dansal village, lost her husband 15 years ago, but her monthly pension of 1,500 rupees (US$23) kept the rice pot boiling. She was never told why she was removed from the beneficiary list in 2014. Repeated attempts to solve the riddle failed, she told ucanews.com

After suffering hardship, Devi came to know about a program run by Jammu-Srinagar Diocese's Catholic Social Service Society under which village women are trained to press for their rights and entitlements. The diocese covers the entire Jammu and Kashmir state.

Devi was told about the Right to Information Act (RTI), a federal law, which helps any Indian access information from government departments and agencies. The law stipulates requests should be responded to within 30 days. 

Devi filed an application under the provision. However, she was shocked to learn that even the names of unmarried girls had been included as pension recipients by some corrupt officials.

Following her complaints, officials cancelled the earlier list from which she had been omitted and prepared another one. "My name was there in the new list," Devi said with a smile. "Now I get the monthly pension on time."  

The Catholic Social Service Society programme also engages in capacity building for village groups and networking with locally elected bodies.

Father Preful Tigga, assistant director of the society, said an aim was to focus on marginalized women.

Hina Qadir, a research scholar in sociology at the University of Kashmir, said although women form 47 per cent of state's 13 million population, comparatively less had financial independence. She noted that of the state's 3.75 million workforce, just over a million were women.

However, Qadir told ucanews.com that many village women remained unaware of available support options.

Renuka Kumari, a member of the church-run program, felt proud to solve a "crisis" in her village. Last month, local women complained they were being cheated by a dealer at a government-run 'fair price' shop. As a result of representations, the women were given a full quota of wheat.

In another village, action was taken to rectify shortcomings in a program designed to make sure pregnant women, adolescents and children were not malnourished.

News of their success spread to nearby villagers who also succeeded in having grievances addressed.

The society's director, Father Saiju Chacko, said empowerment of women led to social change. "When a woman is empowered, she is aware of her rights and she can assert herself to demand her rights," he said. "She is no more a victim, but becomes a voice for the voiceless."

The priest expressed hope that the day would soon come when village women had collective leadership ensuring greater control of resources, with men as supportive and responsible partners.

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