APSCW’s legal awareness campaign continues

BOMDILA, Sep 24: On the second day of the Arunachal Pradesh State Commission for Women’s (APSCW) ongoing legal awareness campaign in West Kameng district, APSCW Chairperson Radhilu Chai Techi reiterated that “justice delayed is justice denied.”
Addressing the programme here on Tuesday, Techi urged the administration, the police, the GBs, NGOs, women’s groups and others to make all-out efforts to ensure that prompt justice is delivered to adolescent girls and women who are victimized.
“But prior to any such unfortunate incidents, extensive awareness programmes should be carried out to thwart them,” she said.
Expressing discontent and discomfort over reported cases of domestic violence, rape, child marriage, divorce, maintenance issues, etc, she said “it is high time to introspect as to why such incidents are on the rise,” and called for fighting together for the cause of women.
Techi exhorted women and adolescent girls to “come out of their shells of timidity and age-old bindings and fight for their legal rights.”
The APSCW chairperson also appealed to intellectuals, civil society groups and other stakeholders to work diligently to create gender equality and make women equal partners in the society’s development.
She reiterated the demand for 33 percent reservation for women in jobs and in the state assembly, besides championing 50 percent reservation for women in the panchayati raj system.
She also requested the state government not to transfer investigating officers midway while investigating sensitive women- and child-related cases.
Deputy Commissioner Sonal Swaroop in her address expressed optimism that the commission would play a vital role in bringing women at par with their male counterparts “to create a healthy and meaningful society.”
Among others, APSCW Vice Chairperson Heyomai Towsik, member Techi Hunmai, District & Sessions Judge T Padoh, advocate K Chotton, District Planning Officer D Riba and Bomdila PS OC K Deb spoke on various issues pertaining to women.
A pledge to ensure a plastic-free environment was administered by ADC (HQ) Gombu Tsering, while the DC unveiled car stickers promoting plastic-free environment.
The programme was organised in collaboration with the Women Working Committee here and the National Commission for Women. (DIPRO)