Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

POLICIES, PROGRAMMES AND SCHEMES FOR WOMEN

INTRODUCTION
Women empowerment is very necessary to make the bright future of the family, society
and country. Women need fresh and more capable environment so that they can take their own
right decisions in every area whether for themselves, family, society or country. In order to make
the country fully developed, women empowerment is an essential tool to get the goal of
development. The Department of Women and Child Development in India sees all the issues
related to the women and children. The Department came into existence as a separate Ministry
with effect from 30th January, 2006, with the aim of “Empowered women living with dignity and
contributing as equal partners in development in an environment free from violence and
discrimination and well nurtured children with full opportunities for growth and development in
a safe and protective environment”.
The Ministry of women and child development, as the nodal agency for all matters
pertaining to welfare, development and empowerment of women, has evolved policies, schemes
and programmes for their benefit. These schemes are spread across a broader spectrum such as
women’s need for shelter, security, safety, legal aid, justice, information, maternal health, food,
nutrition etc., as well as their need for economic sustenance through skill development, education
and access to credit and marketing to improve their status equal to men.
Now I will be concentrating on policies, programmes and schemes intended for the
development and empowerment of women.
NATIONAL POLICY FOR WOMEN, 2016
Union Women and Child Development Minister Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi released
the draft National Policy for Women on May 17, 2016 for stakeholder comments and
consultations. The policy envisions a society in which, women attain their full potential and are
able to participate as equal partners in all spheres of life. It also emphasises the role of an
effective framework to enable the process of developing policies, programmes and practices
which will ensure equal rights and opportunities for women.The broad objective of the policy is
to create a conducive socio-cultural, economic and political environment to enable women enjoy
de jure and de facto Fundamental Rights and realize their full potential.
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

MAHILA E-HAAT
The Ministry of Women & Child Development launched “Mahila E-Haat” a bilingual
portal on 7th March, 2016. This is a unique direct online marketing platform leveraging
technology for supporting women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs for showcasing the
products/services which are made/manufactured/ undertaken by them. This was done keeping in
mind that technology is a critical component for business efficiency and to make it available to
the majority of Indian women entrepreneurs/SHGs/NGOs. This exclusive portal is the first in the
country to provide a special, focused marketing platform for women.

MAHILA SAMRIDDHI YOJANA

The scheme is to be implemented through SCAs in rural and urban areas by way of
financing the women beneficiaries either directly or through Self-Help-Groups (SHGs). To
provide Micro Finance to women Self Help Groups (SHGs) belonging to the target group i.e
Women belonging to the Backward Classes as notified by Central / State Govt. from time to time
and living below double the poverty line (i.e. annual family income of the beneficiary should be
less than Rs.1,20,000/- p.a. in urban areas and Rs.98, 000/- p.a. in rural areas.

JANANI SHISHU SURAKSHA KARYAKRAM (JSSK)

The initiative entitles all pregnant women delivering in public health institutions to
absolutely free and no expense delivery, including caesarean section. The entitlements include
free drugs and consumables, free diet up to 3 days during normal delivery and up to 7 days for C-
section, free diagnostics and free blood wherever required. This initiative also provides for free
transport from home to institution, between facilities in case of a referral and drop back home.
Similar entitlements have been put in place for all sick newborns accessing public health
institutions for treatment till 30 days after birth. This has now been expanded to cover sick
infants. The scheme aims to eliminate out of pocket expenses incurred by the pregnant women
and sick new borns while accessing services at Government health facilities.
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

BETI BACHAO BETI PADHAO (BBBP)

It was launched by the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on 22ndJanuary, 2015 at
Panipat, Haryana. It addresses the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) and related issues of women
empowerment over a life-cycle continuum. It is a tri-ministerial effort of Ministries of Women
and Child Development, Health & Family Welfare and Human Resource Development. The
Overall Goal of the Scheme is to celebrate the Girl Child and enable her Education.

NAND-GHAR YOJANA
The Centre on 24th June, 2015 launched the country’s first modernized Anganwadi
Centre at Hasanpur village in Sonepat, which will be replicated at 4,000 other places and is likely
to change the face of government’s 40-year-old children and women-oriented scheme. The
Sonepat facility, built in partnership with private mining firm Vedanta at a cost of Rs. 12 lakh, is
part of Central government’s Nand-Ghar Yojana that aims at transforming the Anganwadi
Centers, which accommodate around 50 children in day time every day, by making them
equipped with latest facilities. The aim is to make Anganwadis as a community center for
children and mothers, to provide solar-power system to make them stand-alone and television for
teaching purpose and to provide supplementary nutrition to children in the age group of 0-6 years
and to pregnant/lactating mothers with main objective to fight the problem of malnutrition.

NAI ROSHNI
Ministry of Women and Child Development started Nai Roshni, a Leadership
Development Programme for Minority Women in 2012-13. The Programme is run with the help
of NGOs, Civil Societies and Government Institutions all over the country. It includes various
training modules like Leadership of women, Educational Programmes, Health and Hygiene,
Swachch Bharat, Financial Literacy, Life Skills, Legal Rights of Women, Digital Literacy and
Advocacy for Social and behavioural change.
RAJIV GANDHI SCHEME FOR EMPOWERMENT OF ADOLESCENT GIRLS
(RGSEAG) – ‘SABLA’
The Sabla Scheme was launched in the year 2011. It aims at covering all out-of-school
Adolescent Girls in the age group of 11 to 18 years who would assemble at the Anganwadi
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

Centre (AWC) on a fixed day at regular interval. The others, i.e., school-going girls, meet at the
Anganwadi Centre at least twice a month and more frequently (once a week) during
vacations/holidays. Here they receive life skills education, nutrition and health education,
awareness about socio-legal issues, etc. This Scheme mainly aims at reducing the dropout rate of
Adolescent Girls by increasing their literacy rate and work participation.
The Scheme has two major components namely nutrition and non-nutrition component.
Nutrition is being given in the form of Take Home Ration or Hot Cooked Meal for 11 to14 years
out of school girls and 14 to18 years to all adolescent girls, out of school and in school girls. In
the Non Nutrition component, the out of school Adolescent Girls 11 to18 years are being
provided IFA supplementation, Health check-up and Referral services, Nutrition and Health
Education, Counselling and guidance on family welfare, Adolescent Reproductive Sexual
Health, child care practices and Life Skill Education and accessing public services and 16 to 18
year old adolescent girls are also being given vocational training, Anganwadi centre in the
village is the focal point for the implementation of the scheme Sabla, where the school going
girls and out of school girls would meet.

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT AND LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMME IN MID-GANGETIC

PLAINS (PRIYADARSHINI)

From the year 2011, the Ministry is administering IFAD assisted pilot project namely
Women’s Empowerment and Livelihoods Programme in the Mid-Gangetic Plains (Priyadarshini)
in 13 blocks spread over five districts in Uttar Pradesh and two districts in Bihar. The
Programme aims at holistic empowerment (economic and social) of vulnerable groups of women
and adolescent girls in the project area through formation of women’s Self Help Groups (SHGs)
and promotion of improved livelihood opportunities. Over one lakh households are to be covered
under the project and 7,200 SHGs will be formed during the project period ending 2016–17.
Though the focus of project is on livelihood enhancement, the beneficiaries will be empowered
to address their political, legal and health problem issues through rigorous capacity building.
National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) is the lead programme
agency for the implementation through engagement of Resource NGOs and Field NGOs
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

(FNGOs). The programme envisages giving training to the SHG members on topics such as
income generation and allied activities, marketing of products and social issues, etc.

THE INDIRA GANDHI MATRITVA SAHYOG YOJANA (IGMSY)

It was introduced in the year 2010 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for
pregnant and lactating women, aiming to partly compensate them for wage-loss during childbirth
and childcare and also provide conditions for ensuring safe delivery and promote good nutrition
and feeding practices for infants and young children. It also provides cash maternity benefit to
the women. The pregnant women of 19 years of age and above are entitled to a cash incentive of
Rs. 4000/- in three installments for first two live births.

KISHORI SHAKTI YOJANA (2001-2002)

Kishori Shakti Yojana under the ambit of ICDS aims at the empowerment and holistic
development of adolescent girls by improving their self-perception and creating opportunities for
realizing their full potential through Balika Mandals. The scheme primarily aims at breaking the
intergenerational life cycle of nutritional & gender disadvantage and providing a supportive
environment for self-development. The target group Adolescent Girls between 11-18 years - both
school going and out of school girls. It covers in all the 21 districts of the State except in the
districts where the SABLA scheme is implemented.

SWADHAR
This is a Central sector scheme for providing holistic and integrated services to women in
difficult circumstances such as destitute widows, women prisoners released from jail and without
family support, women survivors of natural disasters; trafficked women/girls rescued from
brothels or other places or victims of sexual crime, mentally challenged women who are without
any support etc. The package of services made available include provision for food, clothing,
shelter, health care, counselling and legal support, social and economic rehabilitation through
education, awareness generation , skill upgradation. The scheme is implemented in the year
2001-2002 through voluntary organisations including Department of Women and Child
Development and Social Welfare Boards, State Women’s Development Corporation, urban
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

bodies etc., provided they have the required experience and expertise in the rehabilitation of such
women.

RASHTRIYA MAHILA KOSH (RMK)

It was set up in 1993 under the Ministry of Women and Child Development, with an aim
to fulfill credit needs of poor and women with no financial assistance specifically in the formal
sector.The micro finance services under RMK is provided through a client friendly and hassle-
free loaning mechanism for livelihood activities, housing needs, family needs etc., with a motive
to uplift the economic status of poor women. It is also known as National Credit Fund for
Women as it provides financial assistance to poor women to meet their needs.

FAMILY COUNSELLING CENTERS (FCCS)

The Family Counselling Centre programme was introduced in 1983 due to increasing
violence against women specially dowry related cases. The centres provide counseling, referral
and rehabilitative services to women and girls who are victims of atrocities, family
maladjustments and social isolation. Through the centres, crisis intervention and trauma
counselling is also provided in case of natural or manmade disasters. Public opinion on social
issues affecting status of women is mobilised through this programme and awareness is created
on welfare and development schemes being implemented by the Government. The Counselling
Centres work in close collaboration with the local administration, police, courts, free legal aids
cells, medical and psychiatric institutions, vocational training centers, short stay homes etc.

SWADHAR GREH
The scheme envisions a supportive institutional framework for women victims of
difficult circumstances so that they could lead their life with dignity and conviction. It envisages
that shelter, food, clothing and health as well as economic and social security are assured for
such women. It also envisions that the special needs of these women are properly taken care of
and under no circumstances they should be left unattended or abandoned which could lead to
their exploitation and desolation.
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

SUPPORT TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAMME FOR WOMEN

(STEP)
It was launched by the Government of India in 1969 in the Central Sector called the
Short Stay Homes for Women & Girls to protect and rehabilitate those women and girls who are
facing social and moral danger due to family problems mental strains, social isolation,
exploitation or other causes. The services extended in these Homes include medical care, case
work services, occupational therapy, education-cum-vocational training and recreational
facilities. The Scheme is intended to benefit women who are in the age group of 16 years and
above across the country.

INDIRA MAHILA YOJANA (IMY)

Indira Mahila Yojana is another women development programme intiated by the
Government, which was launched in August 1995 in more than 200 blocks of the country. The
main objective of this programme is to give a forward thrust to the women education, awareness
income-generation capacities and the empowerment of women. The platforms for the forward
thrust are to be the self-help groups at the gross-root level.
Under this scheme women are to be constituted into Mahila Block Societies (MBS) at
the Anganwadi level. At the grass-root level under every Anganwadi there should be women’s
self-help groups. The Mahila Groups will be encouraged to take up some thrift activity also. The
fund so collected over a period can be revolved amongst the members for financial support to the
expansion of their income generation activities or also for starting of a new activity. The groups
can also avail credit facilities from State and National level lending institutions like Rashtriya
Mahila Kosh (RMk), Social board, etc. the government of India affords a group with financial
support to a tune of Rs. 5,000/-.

ONE STOP CENTRES (OSC)

The One Stop Centres are intended to support women affected by violence, in private and
public spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. The OSC will support all
women including girls below 18 years of age affected by violence, irrespective of caste, class,
religion, region, sexual orientation or marital status. For girls below 18 years of age, institutions
Paper Code and Title: H14WD Women’s Development and Empowerment

Module Code and Name: H14WD26 - Policies, Programmes & Schemes for Women

Name of the Content Writer: Dr. Malarvizhi. V

and authorities established under Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act, 2000
and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act, 2012 will be linked with the OSC.

CONCLUSION
To be conclude development has been considered to be the most effective way of solving
the numerous problems come in the way of eradicating poverty, reducing imbalances and
preventing discriminations among vast number of poor people living in rural areas, especially of
rural poor women folk. In this process various policies, programmes and schemes are intended
for empowerment of women have been implemented to uplift socio-economic status of rural
poor women and paving a path for their empowerment. Thus the government has been making
sincere efforts to empower women in socio-economic and politico-cultural aspects, so that a
welfare state and a prosperous nation can be built. The government should take renewed interest
in the execution of all these programmes and should ensure that the benefits reach the women at
the lowest ebb. When women are empowered it leads to an overall and impressive growth of the
whole economy.