Karmajibi Mahila Parishad would like to invite you/your
organization to join a convention on 28th September 2013 at the University
Institute Hall, College Square, Kolkata. The objective of the convention is to
strengthen the movement of working women and raise their voices against the violence
perpetrated against women workers. Karmajibi Mahila Parishad demands the
safety and security of working women in their work place and in public places,
especially when they commute to their work place. We will use the convention to
share the findings of a study the women members of our unions have conducted on
sexual harassment, working conditions and public safety of working
women and to plan our future strategy on these issues.
Karmajibi Mahila Parishad has emerged from the firm resolve
of New Trade Union Initiative (NTUI) to make gender concerns an integral part
of the trade union movement. As a central trade union centre, NTUI unionises
women in different professions. NTUI works with working women and raises their
collective voices through active participation of individuals engaged in
various occupations. Since the last three decades, NTUI and many of its
affiliates are active in unionising workers in the unorganized labour sector,
who constitute 93% of the workforce in the country. NTUI believes that every
worker has a right to get organized and to raise their demands be it economic,
social, or political. We also support the fight of neglected and marginalised
women workers in society who are demanding social security, protection, equity,
recognition, respect, equal remuneration for equal work, protection from sexual
harassment in the work place, and last but not the least the right to form
unions.
On 8th March, 2013 to celebrate the
International Women’s Day and also to accomplish the objective of the New Trade
Union, NTUI organized a rally where 6,000 working women representing 13
different professions (such as agricultural workers, brick kiln workers,
bidi workers, sex workers, construction workers, domestic workers, hosiery
workers, NREGA workers, midday meal cooks etc.) joined together and raised
their demands. Women from other walks of life joined them. NTUI organized this procession with the understanding that
working women and women in general must come together to focus public attention
on their issues and to get demands fulfilled. The other objective was to
constitute a State level working women's council, through active participation
of women belonging to different occupations and walks of life, which we have
named the Karmajibi Mahila Parishad.
To
raise these issues on 28th September 2013, the Karmajibi Mahila
Parishad has decided to organise a convention to strengthen its movement against
violence, sexual harassment and the recent spate of rapes and murders of women
with the view to apprise the State Government of appropriate steps to address
this issue.
We wish your active
presence in the convention and to support our movement.
Roma Debnath
Astabala
Maity
Joint Conveners
Karmajibi
Mahila Parishad (Working Women’s Council)