Mysuru: Senior Civil Judge B.P. Devamane said that Dr. B.R. Ambedkar has incorporated special provisions for the girl child in the Constitution.

He was speaking after inaugurating the International Save Girl Child Day programme, organised jointly by the District Administration, ZP, District Legal Services Authority (DLSA), Mysore Bar Association and Women and Child Welfare Department at Maharani’s Commerce and Management College for Women, Paduvarahalli, here on Friday.

Maintaining that Dr. Ambedkar has upheld the rights of women by including Education for Women, Marriage Act-1955, Livelihood Act etc. in the Constitution, Devamane said that the DLSA was always ready to provide legal assistance to women.

Pointing out that Anti-Dowry laws were strong in nature, he regretted that despite the laws, the dowry menace is very much in existence.

Noting that the Governments have been taking necessary measures to end child marriage, he observed that more stringent measures were needed to curb dowry menace.

Stressing on the need for creating widespread awareness on the ill-effects of child marriage, Devamane said that women were deprived of education in the past, which had badly affected their empowerment.

Emphasising that the society must work for gender equality, he said that it was important to carry out awareness campaigns on ensuring the safety of girl child and protection of women rights.

College Principal Mahadevaswamy, Women and Child Welfare Department Deputy Director K. Padma, Senior Advocate M.S. Savithri, College faculty Dr. S. Manju, Child Development Officers Geetha Lakshmi, Manjula Patil and others were present.