After 9 months, women’s body to get new head

Panaji: Nine months after being headless and non-functional, the Goa State Commission for Women is set to get a new chairperson. Minister for women and child development Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday said that a formal notification is being moved to appoint Vidya Gaude to the post.
The announcement came hours after documents of the immediate appointment of the last chairperson Purti Patkar were made public.“Further a new board will be constituted to give impetus to the department,” Rane said.
Patkar tendered her resignation in November last year without citing any reason. Rane then proposed Lawanya Shetye’s name as chairperson, but later issued directions to keep her appointment on hold.
In the documents that were made public, Rane in his file noting for the immediate appointment of Purti Patkar last year asks the director of women and child to notify Patkar and the new board “immediately without routing the file to the Hon’ble chief minister”.
Social activist Aires Rodrigues, who received the documents under RTI, said the government was kept in the dark about Patkar’s appointment as chairperson, her biodata was not before the government and provisions of the Goa State Commission for Women Act, 1996, were not adhered to and women’s organisations were not consulted.
“As per the documents obtained under RTI, the notification was swiftly issued within 48 hours reconstituting the GSCW with Purti Patkar as chairperson,” he said.
TOI had reported that women in distress were desperately calling up and visiting the women’s commission since November to find out the progress on their complaints.
Bailancho Saad convener Sabina Martins said the commission is a very important statutory body that women activists fought for years to establish.
“When the public sees that action is taken on complaints, there is some restraint. If there’s no action, the acts of domestic violence and harassment proliferate,” she says.
Panaji: Nine months after being headless and non-functional, the Goa State Commission for Women is set to get a new chairperson. Minister for women and child development Vishwajit Rane on Tuesday said that a formal notification is being moved to appoint Vidya Gaude to the post.
The announcement came hours after documents of the immediate appointment of the last chairperson Purti Patkar were made public. “Further a new board of Goa State women’s commission will be constituted to give impetus to the department,” Rane said.
Patkar tendered her resignation in November last year without citing any reason and asked to be relieved with immediate effect. Rane then proposed Lawanya Shetye’s name as chairperson, but later issued directions to keep her appointment on hold.
In the documents that were made public, Rane in his file noting for the immediate appointment of Purti Patkar last year asks the director of women and child to notify Patkar and the new board “immediately without routing the file to the Hon’ble chief minister. The same may be notified with immediate effect. Director may kindly do the needful on priority”.
Social activist Aires Rodrigues, who received the documents under RTI, said the government was kept in the dark about Patkar’s appointment as chairperson, last year and her biodata was not before the government and provisions of the Goa State Commission for Women Act, 1996, were not adhered to and women’s organisations were not consulted.
“As per the documents obtained under RTI, the notification was swiftly issued within 48 hours reconstituting the GSCW with Purti Patkar as chairperson,” he said.
TOI had reported that women in distress were desperately calling up and visiting the women’s commission which has been non functional since November to find out the progress on their complaintsof domestic violence, harassment by in-laws, dowry harassment, lack of financial support among other complaints.
After Adv Shubhalaxmi Naik resigned last year the government dissolved the entire commission although they hadn’t completed their term and reconstituted it with Purti Patkar at the head.
Bailancho Saad convener Sabina Martins said the commission is a very important statutory body that women activists fought for years to establish.
“We first fought for the law to set up the commission and then for an office. We worked hard and made it work despite lack of an office, infrastructure, budget and a vehicle,” Martins says.
Although a recommendatory body, the commission can advise the government on policies and has the power to summon parties. “When the public sees that action is taken on complaints, there is some restraint. If there’s no action, the acts of domestic violence and harassment proliferate,” she says.