State level seminar on `Women's Rights are Human Rights' conducted at Tuticorin

A two-day University Grants Commission-sponsored State level seminar on `Women's Rights are Human Rights,' organised by the V.O. Chidambaram College, concluded here on Saturday.

Inaugurating the seminar on Friday, V. Vasanathi Devi, former chairperson, Tamil Nadu State Commission for Women, said women should be well aware of their rights in the society and fight it bravely to attain status on a par with men.

She said that despite obtaining quality education from reputed institutions, many women were still found to be submissive when it comes to the problems they encounter in their personal lives.

"It's unfortunate that even academically well qualified women are ready to give dowry, little thinking about their rights mentioned under the Dowry Prohibition Act," she said adding that dowry was a social evil that needed to be eradicated with the help of womenfolks.

She expressed surprise that modernisation taken place over the last few decades in our country never put an end to the women harassment cases, rather it increased.

"Under these circumstances, women should `wake up' and study the Domestic Violence Act and Sexual Harassment Act, which was formulated to safeguard their rights as human beings," she said.

Students from 16 colleges situated in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts attended the seminar.

Source: The Hindu