Shri K. V. Thomas, Member of Parliament,
Shri Hibi Eden, Member of Legislative Assembly,
Smt. Soumini Jain, Mayor, Cochin Corporation,
Smt. Aswathi Thirunal Gouri Lakshmi Bai,
Smt. Daya Bai, Social Activist,
Smt. Sreekumari Menon, President,
Smt. Rohini Prasad, Secretary,
Sahodaree Sahodaranmare
Ellaavarkkum Ente Namaskaaram.
I am very happy to address you all at the Centenary celebration of Ernakulam Women's Association, which is the oldest organization of its kind in Kerala and rooted in the faith that an enlightened woman is an ornament to the world.
Let me at the outset, convey my best wishes to all the members of this organization and share their happiness as the Association completes a century of service. I compliment the office bearers for deciding to celebrate the centenary in a befitting way.
As a women's organization which came into being on 15th January, 1919, the Ernakulam Women's Association is known to maintain its position as a truly cosmopolitan body that works for the uplift of women. I am informed that it was founded by a group of progressive minded women in the erstwhile princely state of Cochin under the leadership of Smt. Parukutty Nethiyaramma and that the Association building was inaugurated by Lady Mountbatten in 1947.
The progress of women had been a central point in Kerala's efforts to attain progress in the early part of the last century. Today, while we discuss the Renaissance values which shaped our contemporary society, we are reminded of hundreds of women and men who worked hard to instill the spirit of equality and to popularize independent thinking among people. These efforts ensured our women's progress from the kitchen to the centre-stage of life.
The rise of Kerala as an advanced society was made possible only through the phenomenal increase in women's literacy. The old adage that ‘when we educate a woman, we educate a whole family,’ worked very well in Kerala, thanks to the efforts of women's organizations like the Ernakulam Women's Association, which could think of a library as its prestigious project. Today, it is an “A” grade recognized library, which is second only to the Government Public Library in Kochi.
I understand that the Association provides recreational facilities for members and conducts inter-school competitions for students on a regular basis. However, the decision to start ‘Sradha,’ a school for children in need of special care, deserves praise. With learning difficulties and other problems hampering the progress of our children, we need to tackle such issues through concerted efforts. While training such children to come to the mainstream, women's associations could also think of sensitizing and emboldening these children's parents with moral support.
In this context, I would cite the example of Smt Daya Bai, social activist who is here with us today. We have seen her coming out to support people in distress, the most recent instance being the case of the victims of Endosulphan. Her presence had instilled in the families of the victims, a courage and confidence which finally resulted in convincing the government about their problems. It is such support that women need in facing the challenges.
I am happy that Ernakulam Women's Associationis active in the consumer awareness and guidance movement in this district. In fact, those in sales and marketing would agree that their concept of the consumer relates more to women than men. Their belief is that a woman's choice lies behind many of the purchase decisions of families. Therefore, the empowerment of women as informed consumers is one way of empowering society.
However, as a person hailing from the Judiciary, I feel that the legal awareness programmes should also be conducted by the Association, which is an institutional member of the People’s Council for Social Justice. In a culture that celebrates the ‘Ardha-Nareeshwara’ concept, it is the equality of genders that should register as most important in the society's collective mind. In fact, our Constitution echoes this sentiment in its Preamble which promises social justice and in Articles 14, 15(3), 16, 39 and 51A which have been specially incorporated to empower women with equal status and opportunity. Besides, the Constitution imposes a fundamental duty on every citizen through Article 51A (e) to renounce the practices derogatory to the dignity of women. However, when it comes to gender equality, we have a long way to go and any effort to bring gender equality has to start from the family and spread to the world through our children.
As an Association affiliated to All India Women's Conference, this organization could also take up campaigns to highlight the legal rights of women in our society. This is because, even today, in a literate State like Kerala, many women would prefer to avoid seeking legal aid or Police help, due to several fears and doubts. Associations like this should interact with the Police officers to ensure a more sympathetic and just approach towards issues faced by women. Encouraging women in the legal profession to be active in the Association's work could also be helpful in women empowerment in the long run.
The Centenary celebration is certainly a time for rejoicing on our achievements. At the same time, when we consider the times we are living in, we need also a futuristic approach to our activities. The rising number of elderly people and health issues like dementia must make us think of structured actions for the future. I sincerely hope that the Association's desire to open a Day Home for the elderly materializes soon.
I also wish you success in ensuring the participation of more young women especially students in your activities.
Once again, I wish the association all the best and compliment the organizers for conducting this function in a befitting manner.
Ellavarkkum Ente Aashamsakal
Nanni
Jai Hind
