KOCHI: Recommendations of the State Women’s Commission to make Ernakulam a women-friendly district have not made much headway with plans to constitute complaint redressal committees in all government offices and private firms and revive Vanitha Jagrutha Samithis at the local body level still hobbling along.
A mobile app, ‘Help me on Mobile’, for safety of women, launched by CII Indian Women Network with the support of Kochi Corporation has failed to make any impact due to lack of awareness and technical complications.
“Though the application is still active in Kochi, it has failed to impress women mainly due to lack of awareness,” says a spokesperson of the Indian Women Network.
The mobile app helps users get assistance in tracking locations and sending panic alerts to family, friends and the police in emergencies.
Women’s Commission member, Dr. Lissy Jose, however, claims that awareness programmes are being conducted in various places to make the district women-friendly.
“Complaint redressal committees have been constituted in all government offices in Ernakulam.
A meeting of the district labour officer and officials of the labour department will be convened in the second week of January to discuss steps to constitute compliant redressal committees in private firms,” she said.
But women’s groups don’t agree with the claim that the complaint committees have been formed in all government offices. “Most government offices in the district still lack the facility.
Though authorities announce several projects for women’s safety and empowerment, they often fail to carry them out,” regretted Ms Jyothi Narayanan of Sthreevedi.
The Vanitha Jagratha Samithis are supposed to be set up in all divisions and wards of local bodies to provide legal assistance and support for women victims of violence,but they too have not made much headway, regret activists.
