Itanagar, Jan 20: The Arunachal Pradesh Women’s Welfare Society (APWWS) has thanked Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for inviting the body for a discussion during the latter’s visit to Itanagar as part of the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. We appreciated the opportunity to voice their concerns and engage in a dialogue on matters crucial to the well-being of women in our state, it said.
APWWS president Kani Nada Maling in a letter addressed to Rahul Gandhi, expressed deep concern about the alarming rise in polygamous practices in Arunachal Pradesh and the resulting impact on the state's social fabric. These practices not only lead to the exploitation of women but also contribute to the degradation of gender equality. It is disheartening to note that the use of women as mere tools for vote banks has become a troubling trend, a matter against which we have steadfastly advocated since our inception in 1979.
The recent setback in the form of the withdrawal of the Arunachal Pradesh Monogamy Election Bill 2023 on September 6, 2023, is a matter of great disappointment for us. This bill, introduced by Ninong Ering, MLA (INC), aimed to make individuals with only one spouse eligible to run for elections. It was intended to bring about crucial amendments to the Representation of People's Act, 1951, and the inclusion of the Panchayat Act, 1997, and the Municipal Act, 2007. The fact that the bill was not even placed for debate and discussion in the floor of the house is deeply troubling, and it marks a curtailment of the voice of half of the women population in our state, she said. 
I sincerely hope that addressing polygamy-related issues under your leadership within the Congress party is considered crucial for promoting gender equality in Arunachal Pradesh. Actively supporting the eligibility of individuals with one spouse to run for elections would be a significant step towards the empowerment and betterment of women in our state, Maling said.

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
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