Legal aid for women in India

A program ‘Women’s rights are human rights’ was held on December 10,2006 in Kurnool. It was a two-hour program wherein issues regarding gender and child labor were addressed.150 women from the various self-help groups, 50 students, representatives from 5 NGOs in the area and 4 media representatives had gathered for the meeting. Smt. V. Nagalaksmi Devi, Advocate explained in detail the Fundamental and Civil Rights enshrined in the Indian Constitution and that the violation of every right comes under the purview of the Human Rights Act. She conducted an interactive session with the participants. She answered and clarified questions and doubts related to Human Rights raised by the participants. Participants sought practical solutions to some of their issues. Other government officials were present at the meeting.

A member from each of the 5 self-help groups was selected as paralegal workers. A resolution to this effect was passed on November 20,2006.These paralegal workers were sent for a weeklong training at CDS Meeting Hall, Municipal Corporation, Kurnool by APUSP on Awareness on Health, Promotion of SHGs, Bookkeeping, and Women’s Issues for the week December 4- 9.2006. The paralegal workers imparted training on Book keeping to self-help groups of Telugu Veedhi so that they are able to efficiently maintain accounts of their daily income / expenditure, profit margin and scale possibility of their micor credit ventures which have been extended by the local banks as well as Nirnaya. this knwoledge helps the women with extermely low education levels to ensure that they are not exploited by vested interests. The para legal training has impressed upon these women the need to have documentary evidence for proving their point and making their case.