Ahead of next year's Lok Sabha election, a forum campaigning for the rights of single women stressed on the need to build political will to take up the issues faced by single women.
The National Forum for Single Women's Rights organised a meeting in Delhi, where over a 100 single women from 11 states gathered to discuss issues faced by them. They also discussed their concerns with Women and Child Development Secretary Rakesh Srivastava. The forum said they had prepared a charter of demands that would be presented to politicians, said a representative from the forum.
All low-income single women in India should be assured of a monthly pension, at least no less than half of the minimum wage. In 2018, this amount is Rs 3,000 per month, said the charter.
The charter added that the government should have schemes and programmes in place for children of single women and other vulnerable children. In Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh, there are such schemes in place.
All women, regardless of their caste, religion, class or community should have equal rights to property, as men, both in their natal and marital homes, the charter said.
Parul Chaudhary speaking on behalf of the forum said the WCD Ministry should study the Rajasthan government's Palanhar scheme, which provides direct benefit transfer (DBT) to households with children growing in vulnerable circumstances -- including children of single women; and launch a similar scheme for the entire nation.
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