The National Association of Street Vendors of India (NASVI), a national federation of street vendors across India, today held a women vendors’ meet to create a common platform to raise their voice against harassment by the police and demand basic rights that protect their livelihoods and their lives.
The meet assumes even greater significance ahead of Women’s Day on March 8 and brought together around 500 women vendors from Delhi and nearby states at the LTG auditorium on Copernicus Marg near Mandi House, Delhi.
Shri. Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Labour and Employment was the chief guest at the meeting, which have also seen; CPI (M) Politburo Member Brinda Karat; Sandhya Bajaj, Member-NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights); and Barkha Singh (MLA), Chairperson of Delhi Women’s Commission.
Shri. Harish Rawat, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, said, “I congratulate and salute all of you for coming together for this cause. Your work is very important for the country since it is associated with common people. You provide everyone with affordable goods at their doorsteps and there isn’t a corner in the country that does not have your services.”
Acknowledging the fact that women vendors faced a much bigger challenge, Rawat said the government is trying to provide a mechanism for social safeguards like insurance and institutional credit, apart from registering street vendors. “I would like to thank NASVI and we would like to work more closely with NGOs like them, increase interaction and work on the implementation of schemes that are beneficial for all street vendors, especially women vendors and their children,” Rawat added.
Brinda Karat, CPI (M) Politburo Member, said, “When we cannot provide livelihoods we should not snatch it. Street vendors constitute around 2.5% of the country’s population and a huge proportion of this includes women vendors who face harassment and threats to their livelihoods and their children on the streets. The national street vendors’ policy must be implemented immediately, starting in the Capital, to provide adequate safeguards for women street vendors and to put a stop to harassment by the police and others.”
Arbind Singh, Coordinator NASVI, said, “There is a need for collective action against the atrocities suffered by women vendors. Most women vendors are migrants and subjected to harassment from different quarters, their male counterparts, police and municipal authorities. Their vulnerability is further exploited by loan sharks as there is a lack of institutional credit. NASVI’s National Women Cell is putting in place the necessary safeguards to overcome hurdles and protect women vendors on the street.”
NASVI has created the National Women Cell to promote and protect the rights of women vendors. The women cell has put forward the following specific demands from the government:
Allow separate vending space or markets for women vendors: In the name of the Urban Renewal Process women vendors were being removed from vending sites
Ensure the basic needs in the work place such as drinking water, toilet and crèche
Create Social Security Schemes for Women Vendors
Stop illegal extortion of money from Vendors by issuing licenses and creating vending zones as per the National Policy 2004 and 2009 and accommodate all existing hawkers
Stop Police Harassment of Vendors: We are not Criminals; we are self employed. Set up mechanism to address grievances against the police and anti social elements, including on issues like sexual harassment
Smt.Burka Singh,Chairperson,Delhi Women Commission addresses in the meet.CPI (M) Politburo Member Brinda Karat and Sandhya Bajaj, Member-NCPCR (National Commission for Protection of Child Rights) also seen.
Women vendors in the meet
Source:Dainik Jagran,New Delhi,5 March 2005
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