The chairperson of the National Commission for Women Rekha Sharma on Wednesday asserted that children born out of non-marital relationships could not be termed illegitimate. She was speaking at a seminar in Mumbai that focused on legal, health, occupational, and educational challenges faced by sex workers and their children.
She said, “Children cannot be called illegitimate, even if they are born out of non-marital relationships.”
In 2019, the NCW recommended amendments to the Hindu Minority Guardianship Act of 1956. They sought the removal of the word ‘illegitimate’ for children and demanded that mothers be labelled as natural guardians and equal rights as a father.
The seminar witnessed stories of sex workers and their children and threw light on first-hand experiences of adversities they face on a regular day-to-day basis.
The initiative taken by the NCW was appreciated by the Maharashtra Minister of Women and Child Development Mangal Prabhat Lodha. Several NGOs, including PARI (People Against Rape in India), VAMP, Kranti, PRERNA, and Aastha Pariwar, participated in the seminar.
