Separate scheme for single mothers:Sailo

File pix: National Commission for Women (NCW) member Laldiangliani Sailo
File pix: National Commission for Women (NCW) member Laldiangliani Sailo

SHILLONG, APR 20: National Commission for Women (NCW) member Laldiangliani Sailo said that single mothers deserve a separate set of scheme and programme as the Rs 1000 given by the government even as she informed that the problem of single mothers is the biggest in the society and the government needs to do much more for them.

Speaking during the inauguration of the national consultation organised by the Meghalaya State Commission for Women (MSCW), Sailo the government must commit itself in a much bigger way even if it entails additional resources.

The national consultation was inaugurated by the Meghalaya assembly speaker Abu Taher Mondal.

Sailo said the need for a separate set of scheme is not just for the sake of the single mother but because of the ramifications that this has for society. She was of the opinion that the government must take a holistic look and adopt an ‘integrated approach’ as this is not just about woman but also about society.

According to Sailo few years ago the government did not even recognize single mothers as a category that needed special schemes. But she felt  the pensions given to the “single mother is low at Rs 1000 per month and felt there is a need to increase the pension so that she can look after herself and her children.

Sailo also felt that the most critical effort in is battle against the problem of single mothers is their ‘skill development’ and ‘vocational training’. She said, “These women need to go through skill development to enable them to achieve economic empowerment – be it for jobs in the organized sector or for running micro in the entrepreneur sector.”

Sailo also said police must be sensitive to single mothers, as they are often victims of crimes against women, especially sex related violence.

In address, Mondal said Meghalaya which is pre-dominantly a matrilineal societ, is lucky as atrocities against women found in mainland India is very limited here. He said daughter here inherits all and, therefore, the other social problem faced in other parts of the mainland India is limited.- By Our Reporter

 

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