All India General Secretary of AIPWA Meena Tiwari, in her special address, stated that we need to advance the struggle for women’s equality, freedom and justice. She highlighted the significant role women have played in the nationwide struggles in the recent past and stated that women should emerge as a major force against the anti-women BJP government at the centre.
The
convention honoured the brave women leaders who led the sanitation
workers struggle against the Greater Chennai Corporation for 167 days
and won the battle against privatisation. Comrade Meena Tiwari honoured
Chennai Comrades Jyothi, Ashraf Begum, Kuttiyamma, Velankkani,
Periyanayagi, Vasanthi, Lakshmi and Valli (Coimbatore) with shawl,
plaque and Periyar’s book on women’s enslavement. She congratulated the
fighting spirit of vanguard fighters for their significant victory on
behalf of all members of the AIPWA. She further highlighted how working
women, ASHA, Anganwadi scheme workers are in the forefront for struggles
to secure their livelihoods, security, dignity and democracy. This
successful struggle by women sanitation workers has strengthened the
fighting spirit and unity of AIPWA, she added.
Comrades Kuttiyamma
and Asraf spoke about the determination with which they fought the
government and the corporate company RAMCO against the takeover. They
urged that women should stay united and fight for justice.
At the outset veteran AIPWA leader Santhanamary rendered women's rights songs. Comrades Jacintha, Vijaya, Manimekalai, Carmel, Madhavi, Philomina, Saroja, Manonmani and others presented the report of AIPWA work in their districts.
CPIML Polit Bureau Member V Shankar, State Secretary Pazha Asaithambi and Central Committee Member Balasundaram addressed the convention. Comrade Shankar called for the defeat of the anti-women Manuvadi BJP alliance in the coming state elections.
In the concluding speech, comrade Ranjani emphasized the necessity to mobilize women on issues like waiver of microfinance loans and interest, against the implementation of VB-GRAM-G and against violence on women and children.
The convention congratulated the sanitation workers of
Chennai for their 167-day long militant struggle and adopted the
following resolutions:
1. Tamil Nadu Government should abolish the
contractual employment of all sanitation workers in the state,
regularise their service and withdraw all the cases slapped on the
protesting sanitation workers. Increase the wages of rural sanitation
workers (Thooimai Kavalar) as per G O 62.
2. The state government
should disburse a one-time payment of Rs. 25,000 per ration card to
alleviate the debt crisis of women. The central government should
abolish all the microfinance institutions, waive all the loans in MFCs
and provide interest-free loans in nationalised banks. The convention
resolved to launch a statewide campaign "Freedom from Debt, Freedom from
Unemployment.
3. The convention condemns the move to change MNREGA
to VB-GRAM-G and demands the extension of employment under the scheme to
200 days a year and wage at Rs. 700 per day.
4. The convention
condemns the misogynistic politics of BJP and passes a resolution to
launch an intensive campaign for equality, dignity and safety of women,
and demands a strong legislation to prevent honour killings.
5. The
convention demands equal wages for equal work for Aanganwadi workers,
mid-day meal workers, village health nurses, guest faculty and teachers,
and regularisation of their services before the next Assembly
elections.
6. The union and state government should fulfil women's
demands for basic housing and must pass legislation for housing as a
basic right.
7. The state government should immediately close all the
government run TASMAC wine shops and guarantee alternative employment
to 23000 workers of TASMAC establishments.
8. The convention appeals
to women, women's rights organisations, progressive, leftist, Periyarist
and Ambedkarite forces to ensure an astounding defeat for BJP- AIADMK
combine which is posing a grave danger to the legacy of feminist,
Periyarist, secular, federal and egalitarian Tamil Nadu.
(With inputs from Ranjini)
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AIPWA Convention at Andhra Pradesh
AIPWA held a convention on "The attacks on women and the tasks of the women’s movement” was held at Tenali in Andhra Pradesh on 20th February 2026. Comrade Meena Tiwari, the General Secretary of AIPWA delivered an inaugural address following the hoisting of AIPWA flag.
Com Ramdev, the district secretary of CPIML, Guntur, addressed the convention. Comrade Meena Tiwari condemned the growing atrocities on women and elaborated the shrinking of women’s space and rights sine since the BJP assumed power at the centre in 2014. She underlined the frontline role of women in the freedom struggle along with Dalits, Adivasi and other oppressed people. She also emphasised the struggles of women for right to education, health, Safety, freedom, financial independence and employment with dignity in the post-independence period. The fascist forces are reinforcing the Brahmanical manuwadi values and the culture of misogyny across the country. She called upon the women to strengthen the women's movement of Andhra which has inherited a great legacy of women’s struggles.
Comrade Nagamani, the state convener of AIPWA,
spoke about the promises and failures of the Chandra Babu Naidu led NDA
government in Andhra and against the brutal assault of rural and urban
women by the Micro finance companies. Comrade Aruna, a leader of AICCTU
in the state, elaborated on the impact of the Labour Codes on the life
and the livelihood of women.
(With inputs from Nagamani)
