Government Prioritizes Women’s Empowerment and Child Nutrition
The government has reaffirmed its commitment to the safety, security, health, education, nutrition, and empowerment of women and children through a comprehensive multi-faceted strategy. This initiative encompasses collective efforts aimed at enhancing educational, social, and economic opportunities for these vulnerable groups.
Nutritious Future with Mission Poshan 2.0
Launched in March 2018, the Poshan Abhiyaan, formerly known as the National Nutrition Mission, is a critical component of this strategy. Under the framework of the 15th Finance Commission, various initiatives including Anganwadi services, Poshan Abhiyaan, and the Scheme for Adolescent Girls, particularly in Aspirational Districts and the Northeastern region, have been integrated into a unified plan known as Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 (Mission Poshan 2.0). The aim of this initiative is to combat malnutrition, ensuring that all beneficiaries can easily access free services without any barriers.
Support Systems for Women in Distress
The One Stop Centre (OSC), operating under the Sambal vertical of Mission Shakti, plays a vital role in providing immediate assistance to women affected by violence. This service facilitates an array of support, including medical aid, legal guidance, temporary housing, police support, and psychosocial counseling, all within a single accessible location.
Empowering Girls with Beti Bachao Beti Padhao
In addition, the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) Scheme, initiated on January 22, 2015, aims to improve the declining Child Sex Ratio (CSR) while promoting the empowerment of girls and women. The program seeks to instill a positive mindset regarding the girl child by engaging and motivating various stakeholders to advocate for her rights and welfare.
Implementation and Oversight
Both Mission Saksham Anganwadi and Poshan 2.0 and Mission Shakti are centrally sponsored initiatives, with their implementation responsibilities lying with State Governments and Union Territory (UT) Administrations. Funding for these initiatives is disbursed following the guidelines issued by the Department of Expenditure, which manages the Public Financial Management System.
To ensure effective execution, the Annual Programme Implementation Plan (APIP) and Programme Approval Board (PAB) conduct yearly reviews to monitor progress in delivering essential services to women and children, particularly in rural and marginalized communities. Additionally, Ministry officials regularly evaluate these programs through meetings, video conferences, and field visits across states and UTs.
Positive Evaluations and Impact
The NITI Aayog has recently evaluated the schemes under the Ministry of Women and Child Development for the financial years 2019-2024, finding that the One Stop Centre and the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme effectively tackle significant gender issues through integrated and data-driven approaches. The evaluation highlighted the initiatives’ focus on vulnerable groups and their role in fostering positive behavioral changes, thus enhancing women’s safety and empowerment throughout the country. The relevance of the Poshan Abhiyaan in addressing malnutrition was also affirmed as satisfactory.
This critical information was presented by the Minister of State for Women and Child Development, Smt. Savitri Thakur, in a recent Lok Sabha session.
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