Will raise women commuters’ issues, says MSCW chairperson

Maharashtra State Commission for Woman (MSCW) chairperson Rupali Chakankar has said she will follow up with the suburban railway administration the issues faced by woman commuters and their various demands, including more seats and coaches for them in local trains.

During a programme in Thane on Tuesday, she also stressed on the need for setting up a women’s complaint redressal committee in every government/private office in the district within three months to stop the harassment of women at workplace. Chakankar presided over the ‘womens’ commission at your doorstep’ programme in Thane on Tuesday. A total of 174 complaints were received during the public hearing held here and action was taken by different panels set up for the purpose.

Later, speaking to mediapersons, she said a delegation of women railway passengers association met her and gave a memorandum of various demands, like increasing in the number of seats and coaches for them in local trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Kasara and Karjat. The delegation also demanded CCTVs in women’s coaches, deployment of more police personnel for their safety during travel, facilities like hirkani room (for lactating mothers to feed their minor kids) and toilets at all stations.

Chakankar said the commission will follow it up to ensure the railway administration looks positively at these demands of lakhs of women who travel for work every day in Mumbai and Thane districts. She also said that a number of girls/women going missing from the state was a matter of serious concern. If these women and girls are not traced, there is a fear they may fall prey to human trafficking. For this, there is a need to counsel the adolescent girls and their parents, she said.

The zilla parishad should start a drive for it from schools, she said. Chakankar also said that though cases of child marriage are less in the district, some people quietly indulge in it by showing wrong birth date (of girls). To stop such things, a mass awareness needs to be created with the help of anganwadi and ASHA (accredited social health activist) workers, she said.

Chakankar also asked various departments to work towards keeping a check on incidents of domestic violence, child marriage, superstitions, as well as mother and child deaths. She also directed that applicants under the Manodhairya Scheme be given its benefits on priority. Under the scheme, the state government gives compensation to victims of rape and other crimes against women.