SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir will strengthen the existing laws for providing protection to women in the state.
Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Mir Saifullah Wednesday said a bill was introduced recently in the state legislature seeking amendments to the Criminal Law for providing more protection to the women.
He said the bill is likely to be passed during the next session of the legislature.
Mr Mir said the Criminal Law Amendment Act-2013 is a comprehensive piece of legislation and once passed will further strengthen the existing laws for protection of rights and justice to women in the state.
The Minister was speaking at the inaugural session of the 2-day International Seminar on ‘ Gender Justice, A way forward’ organised by School of Legal Studies, Central University of Kashmir (CUK) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Public Administration (J&K Branch) at Gandhi Bhawan, University of Kashmir here.
He said the concept of gender justice was in the minds of the framers of Naya Kashmir Vision Document, which laid down the foundation for economic, social, educational and political rights of women in the state, following which the State Legislature adopted these principles in the Constitution of Jammu and Kashmir.
Mr Mir said the state government has over the years enacted several laws and initiated important measures to empower women and address under-representation of women in various fields. He said besides enjoying equal rights at par with men, special provisions against abuse, violence, hooliganism and other forms of misconduct against women have already been enacted.
He said women, who are unable to approach the court due to financial constraints, are entitled for free legal aid and support in any court of the state.
Mr Mir said women under the Panchayat Raj Act have been provided reservation in the Panchayats besides two women members were nominated in the State Legislative Assembly through reservation quota for women making J&K legislature the only in the entire country to have such reservation quota.
