The Goa government, after the intervention of the National Commission for Women, finally appointed a new Chairperson of the Goa State Women's Commission, a post that was lying vacant since November 13 last year. However, the nine-month delay is baffling, considering the fact that we are in the midst of an era where the discourse is about women empowerment and zero-tolerance to the crime against women.
Goa has a poor track record in tackling crimes against women. Going by statistics, last year, there are around 250 cases that have gone undetected against them. Chief Minister Pramod Sawant had stated on the floor of the House that there was, on average, one case daily related to crime against women. Majority of the cases of rape, molestation, outraging the modesty of women have come to a dead-end because the system has failed somewhere. Lest we forget, the sensational Betalbatim gang-rape and the many others have not been resolved yet. Goa has a history of crime against women with even Governor Goa Governor B V Wanchoo during his tenure in 2013 highlighting it in his New Year message.
The current scenario doesn't look bright, either. On the contrary, it's turned grim during the present Covid scenario. The financial crunch has hit families with core sectors like mining and tourism at a standstill. Family discords, domestic violence, spouse disputes and harassment against the fairer sex need urgent redressal. In the absence of a chairperson, the women in distress had no recourse to their grievances.
The Goa State Women's Commission is a statutory body playing a crucial role in handling a critical aspect of crimes against women. It has the power to summon parties, and those aggrieved look upon GSWC to intervene. Its objective is to improve the status and dignity of women in society, and it takes the onus on themselves to investigate cases against women and propose remedial action. In a male-dominated society, a large section of women looks up to the GSWC for guidance before seeking a legal remedy. When crimes against women are on the ascendency, it's a shame that the government has completely ignored their plight.
The government cannot keep such crucial bodies non-functional for months and years. It's a question about delivering justice to women and mitigating their problems. There cannot be an issue of hand-picking favourites to suit personal agendas, and such a body cannot be grounded because of political meddling. It is absurd to put forth an argument that the government was in the process of identifying a suitable person. It's like the elusive Women's Reservation Bill introduced in the Parliament on September 12, 1996, but is still pending in the Lok Sabha.
The Goa government has paid lip service to tackling crime against women and their empowerment and has done very little towards their security. The apathy with which it handled the constitution of the commission says it all.
