Call for gender justice marks LIC women's conference in Madurai

The Hindu

a day ago

Enactment of strict laws to curb sexual violence and provision of menopausal leave for women employees were among the issues pressed through separate resolutions which were passed during the 39th conference of Madurai Division LIC Working Women's Sub-Committee held here on Saturday.
The conference highlighted the concerns around gender justice, rights of transgender persons and the need for inclusive policies for women employees.
Speaking at the event, sub-committee convenor T. Chitra highlighted their ongoing efforts towards gender sensitisation, fostering a gender inclusive perspective and actively intervening against gender-based discrimination.
More than joining together as workers, uniting as workers with a broader understanding of gender and equality was more important, she said.
Transgender activist and managing trustee of Transgender Resource Center C. Priya Babu, who was the chief guest, termed the event a 'gender equality conference' as it sought to have the presence of transgenders and honour them.
'When a child is born, the first question we ask is 'Is it a boy or a girl?'. The way we frame that question shows our deep-rooted biases, often placing more value on one over the other,' she said.
Asking why courage was associated with men and kitchen with women, she invoked classical Tamil works such as Tholkappiyam, Silapathikaram and Seevaga Sindhamani to illustrate how Tamil society once held the transgender community in high regard, a recognition that had since diminished.
The conference felicitated seven-year-old Guinness World Record holder and taekwondo trainer N. Samyuktha. 'I dream of winning an Olympic gold,' she said, noting that she could make 136 hits in a minute.
Kavi Sundar, a transgender doctor, was also honoured.
The conference passed several resolutions urging concrete actions on various issues, including condemnation of the ongoing targeting of women and children in the Israeli war against Palestine, enactment of strict laws to curb sexual violence, establishment of childcare centres, legal safeguards for transgender persons and enactment of a special law to prevent caste-based honour killings.
General secretary of the employees union N.P. Rameshkannan summarised the proceedings.