[Reader-list] RTF (Right to Food) Articles - 16

[Rakesh Iyer]

Source: The Hindu

Date: Saturday, Mar 15, 2008

Link: http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/15/stories/2008031554390500.htm

Article:

*HIV-positive women seek a better deal * Special Correspondent

JAIPUR: HIV-positive women have sought job cards under the National Rural
Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGA) and subsidized grain through the Public
Distribution System and Antyodaya Anna Yogna. The Government has to ensure
the right to food and work of the afflicted persons, most of whom are widows
with young children, they have said.

A two-day meeting of HIV-positive women organised here by the Positive
Women’s Network, PUCL (Rajasthan), Lawyers’ Collective and Office of
Commissioners to the Supreme Court on Right to Food found most of the
affected women in heavy debt due to treatment costs and loss of livelihood.
Many of them are facing the double burden of widowhood and positive status
but get very little support in terms of employment opportunities and
pension.

More than 70 HIV-positive women from Barmer, Jhunjhunu, Ajmer, Jaipur,
Karauli, Dholpur, Jalore, Churu and Hanumangarh districts took part in the
meeting.
 Delicate situation

“The situation in Rajasthan is more delicate as 30 per cent of the total
affected persons are women against 26 at the national level,” observed
Sudhir Verma, Director of the Social Policy Research Institute. “Another
aspect about the State is that the cases are reported more from the rural
districts than the urban centres,” he noted.

“Very few of HIV-positive women get pension. Although they are given drugs
for free, they need to spend a lot of money on transport to collect them,”
observed Sushila of PWN. Rajasthan has drug centres only in Jaipur and
Jodhpur and there is a need to locate one centre in each of the districts,
she pointed out.

In a declaration titled “Jaipur Declaration by Positive Women”, the groups
sought at least 35 kg of wheat at Rs.2 per kg every month under the
Antyodaya Anna Yogna to HIV-positive member households. The widows should be
given separate AAY cards even if they stayed with an extended family. The
State Government on its part could put in another 35 kg at Rs.2 per kg to
double the entitlement, it said.

The declaration demanded pension for all HIV-positive widows without any
eligibility restrictions.