PANJIM: Bailancho Saad has supported the women who spoke for inclusivity of women at the Comunidade convention and strongly condemned the intimidation and assault on the freedom of women to speak during the convention.
Speaking to reporters at Azad Maidan, Panjim on Thursday, Bailancho Saad convenor Sabina Martins said, “We support the women who spoke for inclusivity of women in the Code of Comunidade. We salute them for trying to empower other women and the decision to give membership to women should be time-bound.”
As per the agenda of the convention, Verna Comunidade attorney Maria Lina Gama Martins had pointed out that women are prevented entry at the membership stage of the Comunidade as per para 1, Article 20 of Code of Comunidade and proposed that all descendants of Gaonkars, irrespective of gender receive the Zonn from their respective Comunidades. Comunidade of Chinchinim treasurer Saadia had supported the resolution.
According to Sabina Martins, while women can be shareholders in some Comunidades, daughters of Gaonkars cannot be members in some Comunidades as sons can.
This, while women toil on the land and in the fields along with men. She supported the women who spoke for inclusivity of women during the convention held last week.
“However there were some male delegates, who used the platform of the convention to ridicule, demean and insult the women. They were heckled by some male delegates. The male delegates digressed outside the scope of the Code of Comunidade, talking instead about cooking, cleaning and bearing children, martins said, condemning the intimidation and assault on the freedom of women to speak,” she said.
Women of Goa have played a stellar role in protecting land and natural resources in various movements. Women have held important financial and administrative responsibilities in public offices as Collectors, administrators, headed high political offices of the President, Prime Minister, Chief Minister, Sarpanchas to list but a few.
“Discriminatory attitudes, laws and social practices have already resulted in the declining sex ratio of girls in Goa. It is matter of concern that Goa has a skewed sex ratio of 838 girls to 1000 boys,” the convener of Bailancho Saad said.
