Dr.Avnish Jolly ,7 Mar :The various legal and legislative measures aimed at emancipating and empowering women and protecting them from atrocities must be implemented through an institutional and responsive system, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator said.
In a message on the eve of International Women’s Day on Sunday, Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator General Rodrigues expressed his anguish over the growing incidences of brutality against women, dowry deaths, marital violence, oppression and female foeticides.
"There is a need for a mass movement for promoting the concept of gender equality through moral and social pressure," the general said.
He said that the UN Charter and the Indian Constitution provides a number of legal remedies and the Central and state governments have set up national and state level commissions and special protection officers, for ameliorating the lot of women, but the goals have not been achieved.
"The need of the hour is, therefore, to activate national and state level agencies and NGOs to ensure responsive implementation of the available legal framework through a more pragmatic and progressive approach so as to enhance the dignity, honour and respect of women in different spheres of activity," he said.
"There is also a need for launching a general awareness campaign about this issue of major societal concern and public-private partnership initiatives are a must, for giving equal status to our women", General Rodrigues said.
He said that women have a multi-dimensional role in our social system and make a significant contribution in the process of development in every field of endeavour.
"It is a matter of serious concern that all the development parameters, like health, education, employment, social security and governance, indicate an abysmally low social development status for women in most fields".
"It is, therefore, imperative for all of us to be more responsive to the issues concerning women and to tackle the problems faced by them on a priority basis in our day to day life," he said.