1,000
complaints from women against NRIs
NRI women tell torture
tales
Hyderabad, January 11, 2006
Ashok Das
Hindustantime
The increasing incidence of harassment and crime against
NRI women was a cause of concern for the National
Commission for Women.
Chairing a session on Gender Issues of the Diaspora,
NCW chairperson Girija Vyas has said that the commission
has received over 1,000 complaints from women against
NRIs with regard to marriage-related violence and
other offences.
There was also a spurt in the number of “marriage
frauds” where women were the victims. Similarly,
Indian maids and those employed in other jobs in the
Persian Gulf nations were exposed to sexual abuse,
she added.
Expressing satisfaction that “gender issues”
were being taken up for discussion for the first time
at the Pravasi Bharatiya Divas, Vyas said a comprehensive
Bill against sexual assault on women, including rape
and harassment, was likely to come up before Parliament
in the coming session.
She said the NCW had already submitted a report to
the Union home ministry on the need for giving more
teeth to the laws relating to rape and suggested amendments
to the CrPC.
Ranjana Kumari, national general secretary of the
Mahila Dakshata Samithi, expressed concern over harassment
cases against NRI women. While some women were dumped
by their NRI husbands after marriage, demanding more
dowry, others were subjected to harassment after being
taken abroad, she said.
She suggested setting up of a gender cell in the
ministry of overseas Indian affairs to deal with gender
issues of NRIs.
