The 5th AIPWA Ranchi district conference was held on 12 February 2017 at the Com. Srilata Swaminathan auditorium in Com. Mahendra Singh Bhawan, Ranchi with a resolution of struggle against patriarchal society and Sanghi ideology and a call to strengthen the movement for women’s equality, freedom, rights, and social change for women’s empowerment. The conference, presided over by a 5 member team, started with tributes paid to Com Srilata Swaminathan and all martyrs for the cause of the women’s movement.
Addressing the conference, observer Nita Vediya said that attacks and oppression on women are at a high in the Modi and Raghuvar governments. Poor and lower income working women are most affected by demonetization, skyrocketing prices, and unemployment. The irony of Jharkhand is that under all the governments since its inception women have borne the brunt of oppression and are still struggling on issues such as freedom from fear, safety, employment and migration. Inaugurating the conference, CPI(ML) district secretary Com. Bhuvaneshwar Kewat said that women are the most vulnerable section in Jharkhand. When even the women working in the Chief Minister’s Jan Samvad Centre are not safe, we can imagine the condition of women in the State. The State has become notorious for trafficking of women. Local leaders, police, and agents are in cahoots to exploit women, especially in adivasi areas. The ongoing global investment summit will serve to increase the atrocities on women.
The conference, attended by 50 representatives, elected a 13 member district committee.
Imminent plans: to expand the organization; increasing circulation of “Aadhi Zameen” and forming study circles; expand the work among working women; forming a legal aid cell to help in cases of human rights violation and domestic violence and increasing the outreach of AIPWA among (women) students.
