The term “Women Empowerment” refers to the process of empowering women and under this various programs are introduced to preserve the rights and dignity of women. The process may additionally include periodic awareness campaigns of the governments at different-different levels.
To achieve the objectives of women’s empowerment, the government works to formulate and implement welfare schemes for the development of women.
The concept of women’s empowerment indirectly originated from Article 15 of the Indian constitution which mandates the prohibition of discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex, or place of birth.
Various efforts are also being made to implement those schemes under women empowerment, viz – schemes through which women can be empowered and their rights, justice, security, and schemes can be easily accessible to them.
Presently, various such schemes are being implemented with the collective approach of the Center and State Governments to solve all the problems like increasing crimes against women such as domestic violence, discrimination, sexual harassment, feticide, atrocities and poverty.
These schemes and welfare programs are intended to develop a sense of gender equality in women and to empower them to get proper justice, rights, and security.
State-funded schemes in women’s empowerment
- Nanda Gaura Scheme
- Force Welfare Fund
- Sanitary Napkin Arrangement for Adolescent Girls
- Uttarakhand Women Integrated Development Scheme
- Chief Minister Women Sustainable Livelihood Scheme
- Nirbhaya Scheme
- Anganwadi Workers Welfare Fund
- Pt. Deendayal Social Security Fund
- Leelu Rauteli Award
Centrally funded schemes in women’s empowerment
- Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP)
- Prime Minister’s Mother Vandana Yojana
- National Nutrition Mission
- Integrated Child Development Services
- National Women Helpline 181
- One Stop Center (OSC)
- Nirbhaya Fund
- Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK)
Details of main schemes
1. Nanda Gaura Yojana – “Nanda Gaura Yojana” was formed by integrating the welfare schemes run by the Ministry of Women Empowerment and Child Development (WCD).
Under this, a total amount of 62,000 in 2 installments is given to the girls of those families through the bank whose annual income is as per the norms of this scheme.
Under this scheme, Rs 11,000 at the time of birth (within 5 months from birth) and Rs 51,000 after passing the intermediate examination are given to girls.
To get the benefit of this scheme, you will need the following documents –
- Permanent residence certificate
- income certificate
- certificate of institutional hospital
- ration card
- bank account etc.
2. Pt. Deendayal Social Security Fund – Women of Uttarakhand state who are socially weak are benefited through this fund. Women victims of domestic violence, divorced, widows, and transgenders are provided assistance from this fund by the state.
3. Tilu Rauteli Award – This award is named after the heroine of Uttarakhand “Tilu Rautela”. Under this award, up to 21,000 INR assistance is provided to male-aged women and adolescent girls. The women get these awards, who have done some outstanding work in the field of – social, education, literature, or culture.
4. Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana – This is an ambitious scheme of the Government of India, which was implemented on January 1, 2017 in all the districts of India.
The purpose of this scheme is to provide financial assistance to pregnant women for their health check-ups. So that a pregnant woman can give birth to a healthy baby. Under this scheme, an amount of Rs 5000 is provided in three installments.
5. National Nutrition Mission – This scheme was organized by the Government of India on 8 March 2008. The objective of this scheme was to remove the problems of malnutrition prevailing in India and to bring down the national level of malnutrition from 38.41% to 25% by 2022.
6. Nirbhaya Fund – Under this fund, the work of emphasizing the safety of women has been done.
The biggest shameful incident in the nation of India happened on 16 December 2012 in Delhi. In protest, the whole country came into the streets. It was a heartbreaking crime. In this shameful incident, a 25-year-old girl named Nirbhaya was brutely raped and murdered by a group of 4 people.
After which, keeping in mind the safety of women, the power was brought into the laws and justice system, and “Nirbhaya Fund” is a part of that. The aim of which was to make women strong and powerful. Under this, knowledge related to education, training, awareness of laws, and self-defense was expanded to women.
Keeping this in mind, the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 was enacted by the Government of India to make a safe workplace for women free from sexual harassment.
Apart from this, shebox portal was also arranged by the Government of India for the registration of online complaints of sexual harassment in the workplace.
National Commission on Women
The National Commission for Women was established in 1987 to achieve the objective of self-employed women empowerment by the Department of Women and Child Development, Government of India.
This commission was formed to know the status of women and to improve their condition. The reports of this commission were submitted to the Government of India by mentioning the full details of the then condition of women under the “Shram-Shakti” scheme. In furtherance of this many efforts were made to improve the condition of women in the country.
Conclusion
Various works are being done continuously to stop the deteriorating condition of women like – exploitation, and atrocities in the nation, but even today there is not much improvement in the condition of women.
Every day we hear, about domestic violence, and sexual harassment through the news. Many laws are made to stop these incidents but the situation is still poor due to the inefficient implementation of the law and order.
It seems a big challenge to control the criminals. To solve all these problems, it is very important for women to be skilled and educated in the art of self-defense and there is a need to be alert and remain active all the time.
