Thane: The State Commission for Women chairperson Rupali Chakankar on Wednesday said that the rate of disappearance of girls in Maharashtra is a matter of concern. In 2022, 2,462 women were reported missing in Thane, and 1,972 were traced. However, 535 are missing. If the missing females are not traced, there is a fear they may fall prey to human trafficking. For this, there is a need to counsel the adolescent girls and their parents, she said.
She also stressed the need for setting up a women’s complaint redressal committee in every government/private office in the district within three months to stop the harassment of women in the workplace. Chakankar presided over the ‘womens’ commission at your doorstep’ programme on Tuesday.
174 complaints received
A total of 174 complaints were received during the public hearing and action was taken by different panels set up for the purpose. Out of 174 complaints, 116 complaints were related to marital/family problems. While 18 complaints were filed regarding social problems, 9 related to property, 5 related to workplace harassment and 26 complaints related to other issues.
Speaking with the reporters Chakankar said, “A delegation of women railway passengers association met her and gave a memorandum of various demands, like increasing the number of seats and coaches for them in local trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Kasara and Karjat. The delegation also demanded CCTVs in women’s coaches, deployment of more police personnel for their safety during travel, facilities like Hirkani Room (for lactating mothers to feed their minor kids) and toilets at all stations.”
Chakankar said the commission will follow up with the suburban railway administration on the issues faced by woman commuters.
“Even though cases of child marriage are less in the district, some people quietly indulge in it by showing the wrong birth date of girls. To stop such things, a mass awareness needs to be created with the help of Anganwadi and ASHA workers,” said Chakankar.
Chakankar also asked various departments to work towards keeping a check on incidents of domestic violence, child marriage, superstitions, and mother and child deaths.
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