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Our first workshop as a state level women's commission took place in Navi Mumbai at Kharghar to decide our approach. After my conversation with Justice Sujata Manohar and her speech at the workshop gave me the feeling that we are on the right path. If you check out the history of the law for the marginalised section of the community, you'll realise that no law got passed without an intense struggle for it by the community. No government has taken decisions for women, labourers, minorities, backwards on their own, no decision has been made without a fight. Labour and other unions, their movements have always forced the governments to take decisions and form laws. It's even more important for the state machinery to be efficient and strong for proper implementation of the law and for that too social organisations and groups like us have to perform the role of watchdogs continuously. It's not sufficient to only stop the doctors who are killing the female foetuses, we have to eradicate the mindset of the people who don't want a give child. It is of immense importance to educate female children, to make them self-sufficient and to ensure that no girl child is left behind in terms of education and healthcare. Our thought behind the above-mentioned approach is that it will create a generation of people who will respect women rights and their independence. This thought of ours only got strengthen after Justice Sujata's impactful speech at the workshop. In her speech, she mentioned the need of women organisations and their strict stance on women-related issues, she also talked about the need of these organisations to stand up and fight for women rights and to constantly remind the government of their duties. She mentioned laws which were based on particular caste or religion and the need to abolish them to truly implement the constitution and to establish a common law for everyone. While mentioning the importance of various laws related to women, she described how some provisions can create problems while implementing the law by giving the example of 'Vishakha guidelines'. She explained how vishakha guidelines, despite not having a formal law, helped women to get protection at their workplace. To ensure that the newly formed laws are appropriate, she advised women organisations
