Leena Fathima, the wife of the late R. Balaiah has two sons
..... She is illiterate. Balaiah was previously married but they separated with the agreement of the caste elders in the community. He thereafter married Leena Fathima, a Christian. When Balaiah suffered a stroke, he wrote a will giving Leena Fathima and her sons the benefits which would accrue from his service with the military. When he went to get the will notarised, Balaiah was told that he needed to get a legal divorce from his first wife. He filed a petition for divorce but died before it was granted. Leena Fathima and her two sons conducted his funeral and then approached his employers with his will. But his first wife had also claimed his service benefits. Leena Fathima needed to get the divorce recognised as well as a probate of Balaiah’s will. This is when ASHISH got involved. The case has been filed, with the first wife and the military authorities as parties and Leena Fathima as the petitioner. The trial is in progress.
Ashish
Is a small group of women who support widows to claim their legal rights in Hyderabad / Secunderabad and try to provide them with a means of livelihood in an environment which is very hostile to women who live on their own.
ASHISH works in the twin cities of Secunderabad and Hyderabad and also in the District of Ranga Reddy situated in Andhra Pradesh, India.
ASHISH is a small group of women whose aim is to empower women, living in
cities. They work through contacts with police stations and various government
departments, together with trades unions. They provide legal representation
and working on self help employment schemes for women.
ASHISH also conducts legal workshops to make women aware of their rights including their rights as workers. The workshops are attended by college and school students, working women and even housewives because women of all ages need to be educated as to their rights.
How ASHISH selects cases:
Widows are referred to us by the police stations. The main clientele come
from the lower middle class and upper middle class. Our major criterion
is to help women in times of crisis.
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