India’s good women rights’ laws need better execution: UN

Stressing on the need to have a strong women’s movement, United Nations’ top women’s rights official Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka said that while women have become more vocal about protesting against gender-based violence, men too have increasingly been voicing support for women especially after the Delhi gang rape in 2012.

“India has a robust judiciary and there are good laws that can protect rights of women and improve gender equality but it needs to be implemented better,” said United Nations’ top women’s rights official Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka on Tuesday. She signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Merchants Chamber (IMC) to accelerate efforts to empower women. While speaking with HT on gender equality in India, the UN Women Executive Director said that unless the existing laws are implemented properly, creating more laws for women would be of little benefit. Talking about the laws that are already being implemented, Mlambo-Ngcuka said that the “introduction of Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 is a move in the right direction”.

Actor Katrina Kaif, UN’s Women Executive Director Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka and IMC president Deepak Premnarayen at the Taj hotel in Mumbai on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Stressing on the need to have a strong women’s movement, Mlambo-Ngcuka said that while women have become more vocal about protesting against gender-based violence, men too have increasingly been voicing support for women especially after the Delhi gang rape in 2012. “After the Nirbhaya incident, the number of people who stand up for women’s rights is greater, their voices louder and they show better commitment to the cause,” said Mlambo-Ngcuka.

The incident seemed to awaken the collective consciousness of the people against gender-based violence, she said. The top UN women’s rights official also said that the commitment of women leaders in India and their achievements in their respective fields is commendable. “Many of us have learnt a lot from the women leaders in this country but we need more role models from diverse fields whom the younger generation can look up to and be inspired” she said.

Gateway, CST, MU turns orange for a day

During this year’s 16 Days, the UN Women-led UNiTE campaign’s ‘Orange the World’ initiative urges raising money to end violence against women and girls. Iconic Mumbai monuments such as the Gateway of India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, the Western Railway building, and the University of Mumbai will be illuminated in orange on December 6 to mark the occasion.

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