Observing that women continue to face discrimination in office spaces, public places and in campuses, Maharashtra governor C. Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday stressed the need to have a multi-pronged strategy to provide safety and security to women through better enforcement of legislations. Remarking that domestic workers, especially women, are amongst the most vulnerable of workers in India, the governor called for serious introspection on the issue. Stating that films are the most powerful instruments of social change, he expressed the need for sensitising the people on the problems of women through films.
The governor was speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the three-day film destival on the theme Women Empowerment and Gender Equality organised by the FICCI’s Ladies Organisation at Films Division in Mumbai.
“One aspect that worries me immensely is the growing violence against women. A society that cannot respect women simply cannot be called a civilised society. Even today, dowry is practised in our society — not by illiterate persons — but by well-to-do, and so-called educated families. Secondly, women continue to face discrimination in office spaces, in public places like trains and buses and in campuses. It is sad to see men in higher places getting away without punishment in some cases. I think we need multi-pronged strategies to provide the desired level of safety and security to our women through better enforcement of legislations towards this end,” the governor said.
Mr Rao also spoke about the issue of female foeticide.
