Bhilwara admn hires mahila mates to help NREGA women workers fight for rights

Jaipur: Bhilwara administration has roped in mahila mates under MGNREGA in rural areas to join the Mahila Suraksha Sakhi (MSP) in a bid to train them to protect the rights of women.
The MSS is a volunteer force meant to aid women victims of domestic violence or any crime involving women. The administration has identified 1,000 such women help along with domestic maids in the textile town for the purpose.
Explaining the scope of the initiative, Bhilwara district magistrate Ashish Modi told TOI, “The whole idea is engaging these women who have been managing 30-40 labourers under MGNREGA to help other women in taking remedy from law enforcement agencies. The initiative is solving the problem of linking the victim and police in order to minimise crime against women.”
Under the programme, women are undergoing training from police on how to report the cases, how to collect evidence and how to provide immediate help and information on basic IPC and CrPC sections.
“These women will work in tandem with police and civil society. The scope of the programme also includes a consistent awareness campaign on legal rights to women,” said Modi.
The programme will also help in resolving the gender imbalance in police system. Often the absence of women constables or officers deter women victims from registering or filing a case. The campaign is not restricted to doctors, teachers and professionals. “The campaign did a great help especially for anganwadi workers who are in close touch with families. Often household women share their /problems with them and in case the issue is serious, we intervene,” said Subhash Nagar SHO Pushpa Kasotiya.