Target 40+ in General awareness : Schemes for Women

To make India a gender inclusive country. Indian government have started multiple schemes and acts to safeguard the rights of women in India . To learn them in a fun way let’s begin the journey of a women

When a girl is born, it has the danger of female feticide. To prevent this , India has formulated Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act, 1994.

To maintain the health of the baby and mother, Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandhana Yojna which gives cash incentive of Rs5000 in three installments are paid directly to Pregnant Women and Lactating Mothers (PW&LM) for first living child of the family subject to their fulfilling specific conditions relating to Maternal and Child Health.The Scheme has been implemented w.e.f 1.1.2017.

Surakshit Matritva Aswasan( SUMAN ) is the next holistic scheme to deal with the health facilities, delivery and post delivery. It integrates schemes like

1. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) provides pregnant women a fixed day, free of cost assured and quality Antenatal Care on the 9^th day of every month.
2. Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram (JSSK) entitles every pregnant woman to free delivery, including for caesarean section, in public health institutions along with the provision of free transport, diagnostics, medicines, other consumables, diet and blood.
3. Functionalization of First Referral Units (FRUs) by ensuring manpower, blood storage units, referral linkages etc
4. LaQshya (Labour room Quality improvement Initiative) to improve the quality of care in Labour room and Maternity operation theatres to ensure that pregnant women receive respectful and quality care during delivery and immediate post-partum.

Then a girl child is born, the basic necessity is nutritious food for her development.

The Adolescent Girls (AG) Scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development under Umbrella Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS), primarily aims at breaking the inter-generational life-cycle of nutritional and gender disadvantage and providing a supportive environment for self-development.

The target group for the scheme covers out of school adolescent girls (AGs) in the age group of 11 to 14 years.

Scheme for Adolescent Girls was sanctioned in the year 2010  in 205 districts across the country. Later, the expansion and universalisation of the Scheme for Adolescent Girls was done in additional 303 districts in 2017-18 and the remaining districts in 2018-19 with the simultaneous phasing out of Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY). Thus at present, all districts in the country are covered under Scheme for Adolescent Girls.

During this age, the dangers faced by the girl child are child marriage and sexual assault. To safeguard them, Prohibition of Child Marriage act 2006 and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012 . These acts are not gender specific. These laws safeguard the rights of all the children.

Moving forward with journey of women. Women needs to have proper education. To encourage women in education there are the following schemes:

Beti Bachao Beti Padhao 

It was launched in January 2015 with the aim to address sex selective abortion and the declining child sex ratio which was at 918 girls for every 1,000 boys in 2011.Ensuring education and participation of the girl child.

This is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and Ministry of Human Resource Development.

The programme is being implemented across 405 districts in the country. 

Kanya Shiksha Pravesh Utsav : It is the Special campaign launched on 7th March, 2022 to re-enroll out of school adolescent girls (OoS AG) in the age group of 11-14 years.

Sukanya Samridhi Yojana: is a small deposit scheme for girl child, launched as a part of the ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ campaign, which would fetch an attractive interest rate and provide income tax rebate. It is launched in 2015.

Eligibility:

• Parents or legal guardians can open deposits on behalf of a girl children (including adopted girl child) for up to 2 daughters aged below 10.
• Three girl children, in case of twin girls as second birth or the first birth itself results in three girl children.
• Only one account can be opened in the name of a girl child.
• Minimum of Rs 250 of initial deposit with multiple of Rs 150 thereafter with annual ceiling of Rs.150000 in a financial year.
• Maximum period upto which deposits can be made 15 years from the date of opening of the account.

To protect women from violence and in difficult circumstances. There are schemes like

Women Helpline (WHL) Scheme: Women can dial 181 short code to avail services from Women Helpline. It provides 24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services, etc. WHL also supports women in distress with rescue van and counselling services in addition to providing information about women welfare schemes and programs across the country. 

SwadharGreh Scheme: It was launched in 2001. The Scheme caters to primary needs of women in difficult circumstances – women and girls rendered homeless due to family discord, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism or are being forced into prostitution and are in moral danger. The scheme through the provisions of shelter, food, clothing, counselling, training, clinical and legal aid aims to rehabilitate such women in difficult circumstance economically and emotionally. Under SwadharGreh Scheme vocational and skill upgradation training is provided for economic rehabilitation of women.

One Stop Centres (OSCs), popularly known as SakhiCentres, aim to facilitate women affected by violence (including domestic violence) with a range of integrated services under one roof such as Police facilitation, medical aid, legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling, temporary shelter, etc.

With an age of marriage, women face the danger of dowry. There is an act called Prohibition of Dowry Act 1961 and supporting IPC sections.

To empower women financially and encourage their entrepreneurial skills. These are the schemes

Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW): For increasing awareness about schemes of the Ministry and other measures undertaken by the Government for welfare and development of women, National, State and District Level Hubs for Empowerment of Women (HEW) have been approved under the new Mission Shakti, with the aim to facilitate inter-sectoral convergence of schemes and programs meant for women at different levels with the mandate to create an environment in which women realize their full potential. The support under the HEW component is available for guiding, linking and hand holding women to various institutional and schematic set-up for their empowerment and development including equal access to healthcare, quality education, career and vocational counselling/training, financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, backward and forward linkages, health and safety for workers, social security and digital literacy at various levels across the country.

Government of India launched the Stand Up India scheme on 5^th April 2016 to promote entrepreneurship amongst women, SC and ST categories, i.e., those sections of the population understood to be facing significant hurdles due to lack of advice/ mentorship as well as inadequate and delayed credit. The Scheme facilitates bank loans between Rs. 10 lakh to Rs. 1 crore to at least one scheduled Caste/ Scheduled Tribe borrower and at least one woman borrower per bank branch of Scheduled Commercial Banks for setting up Greenfield enterprises in trading, manufacturing and services sector.

The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) seeks to ensure employment in rural households, mandating that at least one third of the jobs generated should be given to women

Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMVY) has been initiated by Government in 2015, inter alia, for facilitation self-employment. Under PMMVY, collateral free loans upto Rs. 10 lakh are extended to micro/small business enterprises and to individuals to enable them to setup or expand their business activities. Majority of the beneficiaries under this yojna are women.

There are many schemes like:

1. UJJAWALA: launched in 2016, to prevent the trafficking of women and children for commercial sexual exploitation.
2. Mahila E-Haat: launched in 2016, To facilitate entrepreneurship opportunities online for women.

There are many other schemes which are related to women. Write their names in the Comment Section and revise. 

Expected questions :

1. What is the full form of SUMAN scheme?
2. Which law prevents female feticide?
3. What is the target group age for Scheme for Adolescent Girls?
4. Which ministry implements SUMAN, JSSK schemes?
5. Stand up India scheme is under which ministry?
6. If a women candidate wants to avail a loan of 5 Lakh, then under which scheme she  will get the loan ?
7. When SwadharGreh scheme is launched?

Recent Posts