Be wary of overseas job chances

*Chairperson of State Women’s Commission Tripurana Venkataratnam expresses distress over women being subjected to confinement in houses, sexual harassment and physical torture.
*Stresses the need for putting in place legal measures to prevent such exploitation

Kurnool: Chairperson of State Women’s Commission Tripurana Venkataratnam has advised women from the State not to go the Gulf countries to work as domestic helps, unless they have complete information about their employment, and not to get cheated by middlemen.

Poor women have been travelling to the Gulf countries like Kuwait and UAE, lured by high salaries. But they were facing hardships after landing there, she stated here on Saturday.

Speaking to the media, Tripurana threw light on the precautions to be taken by women in view of many women getting into trouble after taking up jobs in the Gulf, because brokers, after creating fake documents, were hiding information regarding the place of work or stay and even address.

She expressed distress that these women were being subjected to confinement in houses, sexual harassment and physical torture. Some of them were being used as surrogate mothers. Tripurana stressed the need for putting in place legal measures to prevent such exploitation.

Women from the State would do well to collect complete information from genuine agents before taking up employment in the Gulf countries, the women’s commission chief stressed.

Ramakrishna, DRDA project director, was among those present at the press meet. Know about laws, women told State Women’s Commission Chairperson Tripurana Venkataratnam has advised women to be aware of provisions of laws meant for their protection, enabling them to boldly face increasing cases of rapes, atrocities and violence.

Inaugurating an awareness programme here on Friday on laws pertaining to women, she stressed that simultaneously women should strive to become financially, socially and politically strong.

Tripurana pointed out that after the formation of the Self-Help Groups, women gained only financially, but remained backward in social and political spheres.

‘Despite many laws, women are unable to secure equal social status with men,’ she lamented. She expressed anguish that there were instances of attacks on women, right from foetus stage till their death, and over rising cases of child marriages.

The Women’s Commission Chief called upon Mahila Sanghams to strive for rooting out the Devadasi and Jogini traditions. She appealed to Collector Ch Vijaymohan to evolve a system of issuing certificates for every marriage, as prescribed by the law.

She advocated changes in the administrative set up to ensure that women sarpanches and members of ZPTCs and MPTCs assert their power as people’s representatives.

The Collector said ‘conspiracies by some forces’ were depriving women of the due financial benefits. ‘To overcome this, there is a need to increase awareness about laws and usher in changes in the thinking process’.

He pointed out that the 54 per cent women’s literacy rate in the district was because of their suppression. ‘To improve the rate they should increase awareness on literacy’.

During the recent Janmabhoomi programme, efforts have been launched to achieve total literacy. Vijaymohan observed that education would pave the way for boosting women’s power, leading to betterment of families and society.

Ramalakshmi, Adviser to State government, said Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was always thinking of steps to benefit women’s groups, including plans to provide Rs 10,000 as investment.

Women’s Commission member Feroze Begum called for steps to increase awareness on laws pertaining to women. Earlier, DRDA Project Director Ramakrishna and in-charge PD of Women and Child Welfare Arunakumari presented reports.