Urban News

The Hindu 18.08.2009

A healthy effort to help rural and semi urban women

L. Renganathan

KARUR: When it comes to health awareness, women have always suffered for lack of access to a better way of living through proper medicare and preventive measures. The plight of the rural women and those in semi urban towns is all the more disconcerting. A long way has come since the days of yore when women could never dream of discussing their problems with any medical practitioner and the efforts put in the pioneering individuals, institutions, governmental agencies and voluntary organisations needed to be recognized for bringing about the change.

Here in Karur is a medical practitioner who goes about the task of sensitising women on maintaining good health and educating them on various health aspects. Vani Sundarapandian, Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and who runs Jananam, an assisted conception unit addresses groups of women enlightening them on the various ailments that could afflict them as they age.

“Health education of women has to be taken forward in right earnest and I’m just playing out my part as a socially inclined medical practitioner. While several media have their role, a distinctive contribution could be made through personal interaction for an amalgamated group of women and that’s why we conduct our awareness programmes for specific target groups,” Dr. Vani says of her camps that are conducted absolutely free of cost to participants and the total number of camps have now crossed 50. The camps have been conducted in Karur and neighbouring districts.

“Initially the target audience at the ‘women only meets’ was teachers in schools and colleges, and we expanded to self-help groups and we followed it up reaching out to police officers and women employed in big industries. My focus is primarily on self-breast examination, prevention of cervical cancer and nutrition. The presentation is followed by an interactive sessions wherein the participants are encouraged to ask questions. When the initial blues vanish a torrent of questions on various issues follow and the participants return with sense of betterment,” observes Dr. Vani. The interactive session helps dispel many myths and fallacies that have got entrenched in the minds of the women, she adds.

The Hindu 17.08.2009

Stalin hints at 50 % quota for women in local bodies

Staff Reporter

BARGUR: The State government is contemplating increasing the reservation for women in local bodies from 33 per cent to 50 per cent, M.K. Stalin hinted at a campaign meeting at Majithkothapalli in the Bargur Assembly constituency on Sunday.

He said the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam government was implementing various welfare measures for women. It was this government which introduced the Rs.6,000 maternity assistance scheme for the maintenance of pregnant woman and foetus, free education for girls and marriage assistance of Rs.20,000 for poor girls. Mr. Stalin said the DMK could pride itself on the fact that the concept of women self-help groups was started in Thali, a backward area in Krishnagiri District, in 1989 by Mr. Karunanidhi in his earlier stint as Chief Minister. The scheme was started with a view to capacitate women in society to improve their standard of living through various self-employment opportunities.

The ruling DMK is on a winning spree since the 2006 Assembly elections because of its good governance and welfare schemes for the poor and downtrodden. He also cited that the State government’s recently launched ‘Kalaignar Kappeethu Thittam’ for the poor and middle-income people.

Referring to the boycott of the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam in the by-elections in the State, he said people will boycott in future those political parties which are boycotting elections. He said some parties in the AIADMK front were vanishing faster than was expected after the Parliament elections because of their attitudes.

On the third day of his campaigning, he started his tour in Anjur village on the Krishnagiri-Puducherry National Highway. His tour van was followed by convoy of hundreds of vehicles along Naikanur, Nakkalpatti, I. Kothapalli, Majitgollahalli, Ikontham, Thattkkal, Sandhur, Veppalampatti, Valasagoundanur, Pullampatti, Attiyanur, Pandaseemanur, Chakkilnatham and the campaign culminated at Bargur with a public meeting.