District level Legal Awareness Conference Programme for Socially
Disorganized and Daily wage un organized working daily wage
women in Tamil Nadu.
About our organization
Sabarmathi Social Seva Sangam is a non-governmental
organization registered under the Tamil Nadu Societies Registration
Act of 1975 in 2003 . With the vision “empower the poor and
marginalized – Transform Society” it was initiated by a group of
committed social workers on seeing the injustice done to humanity
particularly to female children and women and begun to work
vigorously for the development and empowerment of needy, poor
and poverty stricken people. We are working in Tirupur District
and all it’s a backward districts of Tamil Nadu. Sabarmathi Social
Seva Sangam has established net-workers and legal awareness
clubs in a total of 5 blocks of Tirupur District in Tamil Nadu, who
have actively been involved in Legal Awareness programme at the
grassroots level. However, due to lack of adequate skills and
resources, net-workers are unable to perform as per the
expectations. In order for them to be able to work for the successful
consumer awareness campaign, they need relevant skills and
resources in their respective areas. In pursuit of this, Sabarmathi
Social Seva Sangam with the guidance of District Legal Aid Cell and
Legal Authorities and Women advocates of Government of Tamil
Nadu to raise awareness among the rural women towards their
rights and responsibilities.
Project Justification :
The primary mandate of the Sabarmathi Social Seva Sangam is to
seek justice for women, safeguard their rights, and promote
women’s empowerment. The Commission monitors the proper
implementation of all the legislations enacted to protect the rights of
women so as to enable them to achieve equality in all spheres of
life. Recognizing the need to impart legal awareness to women and
girls, regarding their rights, Sabarmathi Social Seva Sangam has
initiated a District wide Legal Awareness Programme for Women
and Girls. The awareness programme is implemented through
women self help groups and rural women and aims to empower
women and girls with the knowledge of their legal rights and duties,
ultimately to be able to share power equally, gain full access to the
means of development and to inspire a whole generation of women
to work together towards achieving equality and justice.
Objectives of the Programme
1. To impart practical knowledge about the basic legal rights and
remedies provided under various women related laws, thereby
making them fit to face the challenges in real life situations.
2. To make the women aware of:
a. The various machineries/organs of the Justice delivery
system available for redressal of problems/grievances.
b. The procedure of approaching and utilizing various
channels available for the redressal of grievances i.e. the
Police, the Executive and the Judiciary.
c. The role of Courts in achieving gender equality, most
importantly the concept of public interest litigation.
d. The role of District Legal Service Authority, Free Legal Aid
and Lok Adalats.
3. To sensitize Women and Girls about their Rights as provided
under the various laws including the Indian Penal Code, 1860;
the Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; the Prevention of Domestic
Violence to Women Act, 2005 etc.
Duration and Venue:
The programme is plan to organize for Two Days from December
1st 2014, at Sabarmathi Social Seva Sangam Training centre,
Tirupur District, Tamil Nadu
Profile of the Participants
There were 2000 Socially Disorganized and Daily wage un organized
working daily wage women from remote village in and around
Tirupur District in Tamil Nadu .
Format of the Programme
The programme was divided in three academic sessions and two
ceremonial sessions. First session of the first day was devoted to
the introduction of National Commission for Women and some basic
information on other Commissions e.g. National Human Rights
Commission, National Commission for SC/ST and District Women
Commissions.
Content and Syllabus for Legal Awareness Programme
With the aim to impart knowledge which may be useful in day to
day life, the programme was organized following the prescribed
guidelines of the NCW and the following syllabus and topics were
covered:
1. Introduction/Overview: The meaning of law, various social
security legislations, free legal aid to the poor, Indian Evidence
Act, various modes of dispute settlement mechanisms i.e. Lok
Adalats, Family Courts, Mahila Courts, Crime Against Women
Cells, NCW, NHRC, District Commissions etc.
2. Women and the Constitution: Apart from others, stress should
be laid on Fundamental Rights, Constitutional Remedies
(Writs), Electoral Law, Voting Rights for Women, participation
in Panchayats, etc.
3. Women & Family Laws: Marriage Law, Separation, Divorce,
Maintenance, Adoption, Family Laws, Right to Property and
Succession, Guardianship, unmarried mother and the
legitimacy of her children.
4. Women in Custody: Arrest, grounds of arrest, kinds of offences
(bailable and non-bailable), arrest warrant, powers of police,
rights of arrested persons including the right to bail, the
immediate procedure to be adopted in case of violation of
rights available etc. may be discussed with the help of case
law in a more practical manner.
5. Criminal Law and Women: Offences of dowry, rape,
molestation, child rape and child abuse etc. Some recently
decided cases may be discussed in detail.
6. Procedure in Action: Procedure for seeking redressal explained
along with visits to Police Station field studies etc.
7. Rights under different laws: (a) Rights at work place- Equal
Remuneration / Minimum Wages Act. (b) / Rights under
Factories Act, Maternity Benefit Act, Mines and Plantation Act,
(c) Rules of work - in such specific areas, Sexual harassment
at work place.
8. Reproductive Health Rights
- Foeticide, Infanticide,
Preconception
and
Prenatal
Diagnostic
Techniques
(Prohibition of Sex Selection) Act 1994, The Medical
Termination of Pregnancy Act.
9. Local issues: During the programme emphasis was laid on
discussing the local issues and the social practices prevalent
in the society like Muslim Marriages and procedures of Talaq.
Methodology
A mixture of theoretical lectures and knowledge imparted through
discussion, case study, case conference and field visits to Police
Stations, etc. was followed during the programme. Most of the
participants offered face-to-face interventions after lectures and
answers were provided by invited resource persons.
Thanking you,
N. Kumaraguru, Project Director