Nest less birds and homeless women

Dear

You know that wigs less birds could not fly and birds with free wings could fly more distance and hence some bird even fly hours and miles together and reach the place and migrate for reproduction around the world. We have number places for bird sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, India and every year birds from various countries even come here and shelter for their reproductive activities and stay here till the children are also able to fly with them such a long distance and reach their place of origin. See sisters birds too feel for a safer and comfortable place for their reproductive activity and see the poor women are driven out of their homes and houses even at the time of pregnancy and natal periods. The reproductive nature is a such a blessing for women and we need a peaceful and a joyful period of love and affection during this period of pregnancy and natal and how many women are happy during their period of pregnancy and natal?

Human mind such a fragile property and it is comprised of emotions and intelligence. Human beings expect love affection, safety, security and sense of humor. Women are not exceptions to these feelings and emotions. But at the same time exploitation over women at the cost of their emotions, sorry we can not allow the same.

Women become nest less or shelter less because of their emotional weakness and tolerance for any type of atrocities and violence on them due to the reasons of emotional dependency on others especially on husband, children and the kith and kins. At this point of vulnerability the women are deceived and sent out of home or house and made to live in crisis. Women are facing such homelessness at the following circumstances.

• Change in marital status - when they become widows or on divorce.
• Status of women as single women e.g. unmarried daughters.
• Old age is often insecure and troublesome for women who have to depend solely on their children or survive at the mercy of the State.
• Customs and traditions that outcast women from the social system e.g. a woman declared as a witch will be forced to leave or be thrown out of family and be regarded as an outcast, thereby depriving her of her basic right to life, which includes housing.
• Customs and traditions that do not recognise women's contribution as productive.
• Absence of laws, policies and programmes that are sensitive towards women and the aged.
• Lack or absence of institutional support in times of distress and homelessness.
• Laws that deny women legal security of tenure.
• Lack of gender-sensitive laws and policies on rehabilitation and resettlement.
• Credit facilities that discriminate against women.

While these circumstances apply to some or more women the first and foremost condition they face is the homelessness. Women in most of the countries arround the world are facing similar situations and only few women are not able to resotre to the normal life or live in permanent trauma till the end. The social arrangements for helping the women in distress is the timely help and the legal help is the permanent help for the homeless women and she needs a safe place for her shelter and further lilfe. We need to voice for strengthening the law and the social supports to these women. We are human beings the higher animal and stand better than the birds. Is it not?

Bagirathi Ramanathan