|
The
several women-oriented initiatives
undertaken by the State Government aim
to save the girl child, promote gender
equality, change negative family and
community attitudes towards the girl
child, promote health, education,
training and self reliance among the
women folk |
|
Development through Empowerment may be what the Government of Gujarat envisaged
when it announced special incentives for women under its Samras Scheme.
According to Shri Narendra Modi, “This is an era of quantum leaps in
development. This is an era of ensuring and securing active participation of the
Woman Power in Development”. Empowered women can contribute significantly
towards the overall development of women in the State. Under this scheme the
State Government gives rewards to villages where panchayat members are elected
with consent so that elections can be avoided. The objective of Samras is to
avoid inter-village enmities which the election politics create. The reward
amount is Rs.3 lakh for all women panchayats in villages with a population below
5000 and Rs. 5 lakh for those with more than 5000 people. Out of 2147 villages
that opted for the Samras scheme, 254 have elected only women as panchayat
members, including the Sarpanch. “The number of such all-women panchayats has
risen from 20 in the last elections to 254 this time,” said Deputy Rural
Development Commissioner, M.S. Vyas. (Source PTI)
Siswa, a small village in central Gujarat, in Anand district has appointed 12
college girls as members to run the village panchayat for one term. According to
rural development and panchayat minister, Narottam Patel, “Although financial
incentive must be a reason for the villagers to empower women in this way, this
is a development as women will get training in running the administration. In
the long run, they will be ready to handle bigger responsibilities”.
The constitution of India resolves to constitute India into a ‘Sovereign
Socialist Secular Democratic Republic’ and secure to all citizens its
Fundamental Rights. The Principle of Gender equality grants equality to women
and empowers the State to adopt measures of positive discrimination in favour of
women.
Gujarat Government transforms lives and follows the Gandhian Principles. Gandhi
ji said, “If one boy is educated, a child becomes literate but if a girl is
educated, the whole family gets literacy”. The Government believes in reforming
lives and bringing revolutionary change in the mindsets of people for edu-socio-economical
growth.
Women’s inequality manifests itself in many forms such as gender discrimination
in terms of declining male-female sex ratio, social stereotyping, gender based
violence at home and at work, low level of education, health and nutritional
status, and limited access to resources, etc. The State Policy for Gender Equity
(GEP) is formulated with a vision to safeguard women and create awareness,
fostering well being and security of women in Gujarat. The Women and Child
Department (WCD) is sensitive in eliminating gender based discrimination from
society through gender-sensitization and gender-just development in Gujarat. It
mainstreams women in programs, plans, development and implementations by
bridging the gap of gender bias. It has fringed policies that ensure gender
equality. For the family welfare, the department functions for activities in
coordination with other departments and organizations in connection with this
subject. It plays a significant role for socio-economic-educational welfare of
women and children and imparts empowerment guidelines and awareness. WCD,
Gujarat has been able to achieve the following towards women empowerment in the
state:
• Start Help lines at Dist. Head Quarters;
• Establish Multi Purpose Women Welfare Centres (MPWWC’s) at more than 50
percent of the Taluka Places;
• Start 17 Multipurpose Women Welfare Centres;
• Start 117 Taluka level MPWWC’s;
• Impart training and livelihood means to needy and destitute women; and,
• Formation of 114 Self Help Groups.
The several women-oriented initiatives undertaken by the State Government aim to
save the girl child, promote gender equality, change negative family and
community attitudes towards the girl child, promote health, education, training
and self reliance among the women folk. The Nari Adalats set up in over 19
regions of Gujarat based on the concept of ‘By Women for Women’ enable women to
seek justice. These courts are not recognized by the State as a legal forum,
however, the autonomous hybrid institutions are para legal authorities who solve
women cases faster than judicial courts.
Introduced first in Gujarat, the Saraswati Sadhna Yojana is a ‘Go Green’
initiative of the WCD. Provision of Rs. 1 crore has been made by the Gujarat
Government under the scheme to provide bicycles to Scheduled Castes students. A
sum of Rs.1500/- is provided to girls below 8th Grade to buy a bicycle. Apart
from this, provisions are made for students in elementary and high school
education to get food and lodging free of cost. In Gujarat, during school hours
groups of adolescent girls can be seen happily cycling to school; it seems they
really cherish the gift they got from the State Government – a vehicle they
believe will take them on the road to self dependence and true empowerment.
|