Recommendation to repeal AFSPA hailed
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, April 30 2014 :
Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and UN has lauded the UN Special Rapporteur, Rashida Manjoo's recommendation to the Govt of India for repeal of Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 .
Addressing media persons today at Manipur Press Club, member of Civil Society Coalition on Human Rights in Manipur and UN, Phulindro Konsam said that the repeal of AFSPA was included among the recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo after taking due cognizance of the atrocities against the citizens particularly women under the shadow of the Act.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women: Its causes and consequences was in the country from April 22 to May 1 last year.
She had also visited the State during her trip to the country.
The UN Rapporteur submitted a report of her findings�including testimonials of victim's families, documents submitted by NGOs and deposition of the resource persons during a consultative meet to the UN General Assembly on Human Rights on April 1 this year.
Manjoo examined violence against women in the country, including root causes and consequences, and the implications of such violence on the effective exercise of human rights by women.
She also discussed the State's responses.
Besides recommending the repeal of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the Armed Forces (Jammu and Kashmir) Special Powers Act as a matter of urgency, and ensure that criminal prosecution of members of the Armed Forces is free from legal barriers, Rashida Manjoo also recommended that the Government ratifies all outstanding international human rights instruments.
On societal transformation, including awareness-raising, addressing gender stereotypes and women's empowerment, the Special Rapporteur Rapporteur recommended the Government to design and launch a comprehensive training and awareness-raising programme for police officers charged with the responsibility of filing complaints of violence against women, including FIR and domestic incident reports.
The persistence of harmful practices, pervasive gender stereotypes and deeply entrenched patriarchal social and cultural norms is of serious concern.
Based on the idea of superiority of men over women, those manifestations exacerbate women's position of dependence and subordination and significantly obstruct effective implementation of relevant legislative and policy measures.
Without a comprehensive effort to address them, in schools or university, at work, in the family, in the community and in printed and electronic media, the elimination of violence against women remains a challenge.
It is essential that the authorities do not underestimate the negative effects of this challenge in their efforts to eliminate all forms of violence against women.
To adopt the Indecent Representation of Women (Prohibition) Bill, 2012, to ensure that gender stereotypes are also banned in electronic media; to ensure women's participation in elected parliamentary bodies, through the adoption of legislation, including the Women's Reservation Bill; ensure a rights-based approach in the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2012, in line with international standards; to strengthen the implementation of the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005, by allocating sufficient resources to ensure that an adequate proportion of protection officers are employed are among other recommendations of the UN Special Rapporteur, Phulindro said.
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