Home Dehradun Conference on ‘Women as agents of change in Democracy’ concludes

Conference on ‘Women as agents of change in Democracy’ concludes

1085
0
SHARE

By OUR STAFF REPORTER

DEHRADUN, 26 Feb: A two-day Conference on ‘Women as agents of change in democracy: Learning from experiences’, organised by Panchayati Rule and Gender Awareness Training Institute (PRAGATI) and Taiwan Foundation for Democracy at the RLEK Auditorium, here, which was attended by social workers, SHG Members, Pradhans, Parshads, Aanganwadi workers, teachers, students, etc., concluded today. Ajit Singh, Advisor and former Deputy Commissioner, State Election Commission, Uttarakhand, talked about Democracy and said, “Citizens of India are the most important people as they are the ones who form the Government. They are the ones who select their representatives, so they must use all their intelligence to choose the most suitable candidate.” He explained the importance of honesty in Politics. He also said, “For good governance there must be coordination between the Political Representatives and the bureaucrats.” Earlier, Dr Sushma Datta, former Additional Director, NRHM, Uttarakhand, addressed the participants on Gender and Nutrition. She talked about the importance of Women participation in the field of health, how the Committees in the Healthcare Department were formed and how Asha workers do their work in the slums of Dehradun. Rekha Pundir, Secretary, PRAGATI, addressed Women Centric Development Challenges. She talked about how the patriarchal mindset of the society was a hindrance in the development of the nation and how changes could be brought about by addressing this mindset. Akanksha Chauhan, Legal Advisor, spoke on the Women’s Reservation Bill pending in Parliament. Participants recommended an Honorarium for all the Parshads of Uttarakhand as well as 50% reservation for women in Urban Governance. They wanted tickets to be given only on the basis of ability and qualification of the candidates and not on dynastic basis. There had to be equality in Democracy and women ought not to be pushed back. They wanted the Government of Uttarakhand to take strict action against alcoholism, especially among the youth. Elected women leaders ought to perform their responsibilities on their own and not leave them to male members of their families.