Government Schemes Towards Empowering Women
यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवता:।
यत्रैतास्तु न पूज्यन्ते सर्वास्तत्राफला: क्रिया:।
Yatra naryastu pujyante ramante tatra Devata,
yatraitaastu na pujyante sarvaastatrafalaah kriyaah
Where Women are honoured, divinity blossoms there, and where ever women are dishonoured, all action no matter how noble it may be, remains unfruitful.
India has been a society where womanhood has been celebrated for ages. In Indian culture, we worship Navratri in which people invite small daughters and worship them, greet them and seek their blessings. It is believed that by doing so, everything around will streamline easily. Things became easier for people and this is how from a very early age, daughters and sisters are celebrated.
But
There’s another part of the story as well. Women and crime are associated. The Crime bureau’s records are still talking about those who do not believe in the same philosophy and tend to behave abnormally against women. Despite a large number of such people, some NGOs like Vatsalyagram as well as government machinery are working hard to uplift the lifestyle of women. Vatsalyagram and other NGOs are highly appreciated for their selfless service to women but it is equally important to make people aware of the administrative reforms/schemes available for women.
The ideas of gender equality are, in fact, incorporated in our Constitution. The Indian Constitution guarantees women’s equality and authorises the government to implement affirmative discrimination measures in their favour.
Furthermore, women faced several challenges in the past, including domestic violence, acid assaults, rapes, early marriage, domestic work, and many others.
The government and the public sector are playing a vital role in ensuring women’s empowerment by enabling their wellbeing in numerous areas. There is no denying the importance of women’s empowerment in the empowerment of the nation.
A number of programs have been brought out in recent years to empower women to be independent in their life, whether it’s delivering a free cooking gas cylinder and education programs or enabling women to utilize technology.
For the welfare of children and women, the union government has set up a separate and dedicated ministry for the welfare and protection of constitutional rights of women and various plans and schemes are running for their upliftment.
Let us have a look at the policies:
1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana
On January 22, 2015, this initiative was introduced. The major goal of this initiative is to raise awareness and improve the effectiveness of female child protection services. The original goal of this yojana was to address the falling Child Sex Ratio (CSR), but it has now expanded to encompass gender-biased sex-selective eliminations, as well as the promotion of girl child education, survival, and protection.
2. Mahila Shakti Kendra
In 2017, the government established the Mahila Shakti Kendra to provide rural women with opportunities for employment, skill development, digital literacy, health, and nutrition. In the 115 most underserved districts, this will be accomplished through community participation and student volunteers.
Through training and capacity building, each Kendra would create a platform for rural women to reach out to the government and claim their rights. It is effective at the Block, State, District, and National levels.
3. Mahila-E-Haat
The government launched Mahila-E-Haat in 2016 within the Ministry of Women and Child Development’s jurisdiction. It is a monolingual internet marketing platform that uses technology to help ambitious female entrepreneurs, self-help groups, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) promote their goods and services.
This stage is open to any Indian woman over the age of 18 and has a quick sign-in process and accessible payment options. Everything may be done on a mobile device without the need for any additional intermediaries.
4. Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana
The Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, which is run by the government, works on saving initiatives for female children and falls under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme. You may open an account at any Indian Post office or authorized commercial bank branch.
A parent or guardian, on the other hand, can open the account at any point between the birth of the female child and the age of ten.
5. Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shakti Kendra scheme
One of the major goals of this program is to encourage community engagement by involving Student Volunteers in rural women’s empowerment. In addition, to improve women’s quality of life. Starting with the rescuing and survival of a female child, this strategy will improve her elementary and secondary education, as well as her general quality of life.
6. Working Women’s Hostel (WWH)
This program offers women a secure and cheap hostel. The scheme’s primary goal is to increase the availability of safe and convenient housing for working women. It also provides childcare services for their children in rural, urban, semi-urban, and even metropolitan locations where women may find work.
7. Women helpline scheme
This is the major strategy for women’s universalization, which was announced in 2015. The hotline is designed to give quick and emergency assistance to women who have been victims of violence 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
This organization provides a toll-free, 24-hour-a-day, seven-day-a-week telephone service to women who are victims of domestic abuse and are looking for help and information. Furthermore, it gives information on suitable support services and government programs for women who have been victims of abuse.
8. Pradhan Mantri Matri Vandana Yojana
This program was created in 2017 to provide women with partial pay replacement throughout their pregnancy. It also gives moms a financial prize of Rs 6,000 for the birth of their first child. The program offers monetary rewards to pregnant and nursing moms who improve their health and nutrition.
9. One-Stop Centre Scheme
This program assists women who have been victims of domestic abuse in both public and private settings. It also provides rapid access to a variety of institutions, including medical, legal, psychiatric, and counseling help, in the event of an emergency or non-emergency.
10. She-Box Portal
This project attempts to give a rapid answer for women who have been sexually harassed at work. You can make a complaint about Sexual Harassment at Workplace on SHe-Box, and your case will be sent straight to the state body with jurisdiction to act quickly on the issue.
