Media Release 

Panaji, Dec 21: The Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005, is one of the strongest laws, the country has adopted to give relief to the women in distress, said Beena S Naik, member of Goa State Womens’ Commission at Ponda here on Monday December 20.

Beena who was inaugurating the four –day awakening seminar organized by Workers Training Centre, Ponda, further said that every women in her family would like to be a free person educationally, socially or politically and nurses an ardent desire to be treated with dignity and without fear, which is in fact, her basic human right.

Beena said that the new law have special provisions to give appropriate relief to women against physical violence, sexual abuse, verbal or emotional abuse and economic violence among others. She said that under the Act, Goa government has appointed block development officers as protection officers and women in need of relief can approach these officers who will then put forth their cases before magistrate in prescribed form.

She said that the law gives vast powers to magistrates to issue various types of protection orders including orders restraining the concerned person or persons from evicting her from residential house, interim financial relief, custody of children and orders for stopping harassment at work place among others. Failure to obey Magistrate's orders will invite imprisonment as also fine, she said.

Jyoti Gaoncar gave welcome speech on behalf of the organization. Education Officer G M Gadge was also present on the occation. The four-day seminar proposes to train women workers in various fields.