Celebrating Solidarity and Strength

WE, the delegates at the Tamil Nadu State Convention of Single Women 2023,

AFFIRM that all single women have a right to life with dignity and it is the duty of the state and society to ensure an enabling environment in which they can be self-reliant, thrive, and realise the full potential of their genius.

RECALL that the Constitution of India recognises women as equal citizens regardless of their caste, class, religion, and status, before law (Article 14), guarantees the right to equality and non-discrimination (Article 15), equal opportunity in public employment (Article 16), and a life with dignity (Article 21).

AND that India has ratified the UN Convention on the Elimination of All forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), 1993 which commits to securing equal rights of all women, to address not just discriminatory legislation but also practises, customs, and societal discrimination against women by private citizens and shall take all appropriate measures: To modify the social and cultural patterns of conduct of men and women, with a view to achieving the elimination of prejudices and customary and all other practices which are based on the idea
of the inferiority or the superiority of either of the sexes or on stereotyped roles for men and women (Article 5(a)).

NOTE that the social, economic, and cultural challenges of the estimated 73 million single women in India in 2021, are still unrecognised and neglected, though single women are mentioned in the draft National Policy for Women in 2016, and the Women’s Policy of the Government of Tamil Nadu in 2021.

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