Indu Agnihotri, National Director of Centre for Women’s Development Studies, addressing a women’s meet in Thrissur on Monday. —Photo: K.K. Najeeb
‘Govt. unconcerned about health issues of surrogate mothers’
The much tom-tommed Gujarat-model of development is mainly based on fertility tourism, which violates rights of surrogate mothers, Indu Agnihotri, National Director of Centre for Women’s Development Studies, has said.
She was addressing a National Women’s meet, organised by C. Bhaskaran Foundation at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi here on Monday.
“If Gujarat was once known for white revolution, the State has become the centre of fertility tourism. But even though the State and Union governments are cashing in on the poor surrogate mothers, they are least bothered about the rights and health issues of these women, who are forced to sell their womb due to poverty, ” Ms. Agnihotri said.
Though the country has many laws against dowry and sex identification of the foetus, the declining sex ratio even in a State like Kerala, which has high literacy rate, was a worrying sign, she noted.
“The leaders who express the country’s hopes and dreams at Silicon Valley, forgets these realities of the country, ” she said. There has been a collective effort to reverse the achievement gained by the women in the past. The digital world is actively indulged in anti-women campaign. Increasing trend of home-based work of women will snatch all labour rights from them, she added.
Citing that more than one crore ‘scheme workers’ (ICDS, Asha) are not been considered as government workers, Ms. Agnihotri said that the system was exploiting them by not even paying them basic pay.
Barring of woman translator from the book publishing function recently at the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Hall was the latest example of discrimination against women, said CPI(M) leader K.K. Shailaja. It was an attack on women’s rights by cultural fascists, she added.
Congress leader Shanimol Usman said all main political parties were reluctant to share power with women.
T.K. Rajalakshmi, journalist, noted that neo-liberal policies along with the so-called austerity measures of the government such as cutting of various subsidies and welfare schemes have encouraged intolerance against women and marginalised sessions in society.
Presentations and discussions on strengths and issues of women in socio-economic and cultural sectors were discussed at the meet.
Various socio-cultural activists including S. Saradakutty, R. Bindu, Mridul Eapen, T.N. Seema, Geetha Nazir, K.G. Thara, Seema Bhaskar, T.A. Ushakumari, P.S. Geethakutty, R. Ramya, T.K. Anandhi, Suja Susan George, K.M. Sheeba, and Nileena Atholi participated in the discussions.
The meet will conclude on Tuesday.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> National> Kerala / by Staff Reporter / Thrissur – September 29th, 2015
