AAP endorses the WOMANIFESTO
Indian Elections
Womanifesto 2014
A freedom movement for women has caught fire. Citizens across the country are demanding an end to the generations-deep violence and suppression faced by hundreds of millions of Indian women and girls -- from rape and domestic abuse, to lower pay and property rights withheld. Voters are calling on elected officials to commit the resources and political will for change now. The following Indian Womanifesto is a 6-point plan critical to the freedom, safety, equality and flourishing of India's women and girls. All candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha should commit within one year to:
1. Educate for equality: We will establish comprehensive, well-funded and long-term public education programmes to end the culture of gender-based discrimination and violence including: SMS, radio and TV public service campaigns to transform the mindsets behind violence and mistreatment of women, accessible lesson plans for schools and modules for training teachers and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and allied professionals.
2. Make laws count: We will work to ensure each government agency produces a detailed action plan to implement the laws to end violence against women and foster enforcement. This will include infrastructure, personnel, training, monitoring and evaluation, with specified funds for each. We will support the amendment of provisions in existing laws that perpetuate violence against women such as removing the marital rape exception. We will pass laws to secure equal pay for equal work in all sectors, non-discrimination in employment, and provide creches and other critical support to NREGA workers. We will make sure that women achieve equal property rights in natal families and fair shares through marriage.
3. Put women in power: We will support the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, support the adoption of a Code of Conduct to end misogynist comments and behavior in the Lok Sabha and disqualify electoral candidates who have committed offences of gender-related violence.
4. Police for the people: We will establish and enforce a response protocol for crimes against women. We will work with state governments to change service rules and ensure police and prosecutorial recruitment, promotion and penalties take attitudes and performance on gender into account. We commit to implement police reforms and ensure that police personnel who breach the new procedures be investigated and disciplined accordingly. We will also establish rape crisis response teams, including rural and urban pilot projects.
5. Swift, certain justice: We will work with state governments to establish responsive and fair fast track courts for crimes of violence against women and raise the number of judges to 30 per 100,000 population. We will increase access to accountable legal aid, ensure swift financial damages and create robust witness protection programmes.
6. Support to survivors: We will work with state governments to provide comprehensive services to women who are victims of violent crimes, helping them to fund and set up one-stop, 24-hour crisis centres and shelters in each police district. We will implement the Central Government mandate under the sexual harassment law and amend the law to address the range of unfair discrimination at work so women have redress in all workplaces, including the unorganised sector."
Womanifesto 2014
A freedom movement for women has caught fire. Citizens across the country are demanding an end to the generations-deep violence and suppression faced by hundreds of millions of Indian women and girls -- from rape and domestic abuse, to lower pay and property rights withheld. Voters are calling on elected officials to commit the resources and political will for change now. The following Indian Womanifesto is a 6-point plan critical to the freedom, safety, equality and flourishing of India's women and girls. All candidates for the 2014 Lok Sabha should commit within one year to:
1. Educate for equality: We will establish comprehensive, well-funded and long-term public education programmes to end the culture of gender-based discrimination and violence including: SMS, radio and TV public service campaigns to transform the mindsets behind violence and mistreatment of women, accessible lesson plans for schools and modules for training teachers and professionals such as doctors, lawyers and allied professionals.
2. Make laws count: We will work to ensure each government agency produces a detailed action plan to implement the laws to end violence against women and foster enforcement. This will include infrastructure, personnel, training, monitoring and evaluation, with specified funds for each. We will support the amendment of provisions in existing laws that perpetuate violence against women such as removing the marital rape exception. We will pass laws to secure equal pay for equal work in all sectors, non-discrimination in employment, and provide creches and other critical support to NREGA workers. We will make sure that women achieve equal property rights in natal families and fair shares through marriage.
3. Put women in power: We will support the Women's Reservation Bill in the Lok Sabha, support the adoption of a Code of Conduct to end misogynist comments and behavior in the Lok Sabha and disqualify electoral candidates who have committed offences of gender-related violence.
4. Police for the people: We will establish and enforce a response protocol for crimes against women. We will work with state governments to change service rules and ensure police and prosecutorial recruitment, promotion and penalties take attitudes and performance on gender into account. We commit to implement police reforms and ensure that police personnel who breach the new procedures be investigated and disciplined accordingly. We will also establish rape crisis response teams, including rural and urban pilot projects.
5. Swift, certain justice: We will work with state governments to establish responsive and fair fast track courts for crimes of violence against women and raise the number of judges to 30 per 100,000 population. We will increase access to accountable legal aid, ensure swift financial damages and create robust witness protection programmes.
6. Support to survivors: We will work with state governments to provide comprehensive services to women who are victims of violent crimes, helping them to fund and set up one-stop, 24-hour crisis centres and shelters in each police district. We will implement the Central Government mandate under the sexual harassment law and amend the law to address the range of unfair discrimination at work so women have redress in all workplaces, including the unorganised sector."
