In an on-going process to identify the issues to be incorporated in its Poll Manifesto, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today initiated Punjab Dialogue with women in which growing crime against women in the male-dominated society of Punjab, lack of employment and educational facilities emerged as key concerns of the women.Head of the Punjab Dialogue and Senior Journalist Kanwar Sandhu, Head of Women wing of the AAP, Professor Baljinder Kaur and senior party leader Chander Suta Dogra gave a patient hearing to grievances of massive gathering of women at UK Palace of the town.Opening the Dialogue with women, Professor Baljinder Kaur said “While all political parties ignore the concerns of women while making their poll document, AAP has taken an initiative to involve women as stakeholders in deciding the agenda of the forthcoming state government of AAP in Punjab”.
Be it social or home front, women always remained sufferer, Kaur said adding that it is perhaps first time when any political party is approaching women to know about their concerns as well as its solutions to be incorporated in its poll manifesto.It is true that if a girl of any family is imparted quality education, it changes the lives of entire future generation of family and ultimately contributes to the development of state as well as Nation, She said adding that at present women were fighting for their survival both before and after taking birth, especially in Punjab.Seriousness of the Akalis about plight of women could be gauged from the fact that State Women Commission has virtually become defunct in the state as they (Akalis) failed to appoint even a Chairperson of the Commission, Kanwar Sandhu said adding that AAP Government in Delhi has allocated an annual budget of Rs 1000 crore for women safety.
Chander Suta Dogra revealed that in Delhi Acid Attack Victim Watch Cell was constituted to provide not only financial help for treatment to the victims, but also to provide legal aid to take such cases to its logical conclusion.One of the rural based women participants, Manjit Kaur complained that either women are denied jobs under MNGREGA Scheme or if given, Akali leaders are engaging them for their household works, instead of deploying them for the work, for which they were given jobs.Kanwar Sandhu said mass-scale corruption in the current regime of Akalis has made all welfare schemes of both State and Centre as ‘flop’.Kartar Kaur, another rural based woman narrated how liquor vends was forcibly opened in her village against the wishes of womenfolk, which has made the majority of the male members of the village as chronic alcoholic.A young woman, Bhaavna revealed that how she had to leave her study after first year of graduation due to financial crunch in the family.
While concluding the session, Kanwar Sandhu said once voted to power, AAP Government would initiate a scholarship scheme for higher education for women and even the education loans would be provided at a very nominal rate of interest, which would be returned only after the student gets job.“Self-defence training to the girls will be imparted at school level, so that they can protect themselves in their entire life”, Sandhu said adding that especially women orientated Skill Development Centres would be opened at village level, so that women could manufacture small items at their housed, which would be procured by the government agencies for its further marketing.