Traditionally, an Indian woman had four fold status-role sequences. These were her role as a daughter, wife, housewife (homemaker), and mother.
Today Indian women work in demanding settings with long work hours, tight deadlines and professional pressures in competitive environments.
The natural tendency for anyone dealing with a busy day would be to turn home to relax. But for women, parenting duties and household work make it difficult to find this space at home.
The woman in modern times is entering into certain new fields that were unknown to the woman’s sphere of role-sets. They are activating participating in social, economic, and political activities.
Besides the lack of time faced by women after care giving activities to pursue income generating skills and active careers, they also find themselves often subjected to a family imposed ideal of priority skill sets to work on which in turn shapes them to cater to the requirements of a chauvinistic marriage market rather than a job market.
Under Article 15(3), the Constitution of India allows for positive discrimination in favor of women. The article, under right to equality, states that: “Nothing in this article shall prevent the State from making any special provision for women and children.” In addition, the Directive Principles of State Policy 39(A) states that: “The State shall, in particular, direct its policy towards securing that the citizens, men and women equally, have the right to an adequate means of livelihood.”
The Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (National Credit Fund for Women) was set up in 1993 to make credit available for lower income women in India. More recent programs initiated by the Government of India include the Mother and Child Tracking System (MCTS), the Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana Conditional Maternity Benefit plan (CMB), as well as the Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empowerment of Adolescent Girls – Sabla.
WELFARE SCHEMES FOR WOMEN IN INDIA :
Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao Scheme
To empower the women section of society which counts for around half of the population in the country, the government of India has launched the scheme of “Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao” Yojna. In this scheme, the objective of the Indian government is to save the girl child and empower them by providing a good education. Leaving aside metro cities and towns, in many villages of India, people are reluctant towards the good education of females. This scheme fights against the orthodox mentality of such Indians.
The government follows the mantra of “Beta Beti Ek Samaan”. This scheme was launched on 22nd January 2015. The beneficiaries under this scheme are all the female children. The aim of this scheme is –
- To eliminate sex discrimination on the basis of gender.
- To ensure that every girl child survives.
- The government makes sure that every girl child in the country gets at least basic education.
One Stop Centre
The beneficiaries under this scheme are, of course, all women and girls in the country. We Indians have reached Mars and Moon but still, women are taken for granted in our country and are not even equally respected as men at several places. To eradicate this mentality and punish such people who think that women are good to be beaten by men, this scheme of “One Stop Centre” has been launched by the government of India. The Objective of the scheme is –
- To provide and ensure support and protection in public and private places against violence. Public and private places include home, workplace, gym, mall, or any other place in the country.
- To offer spontaneous help in an emergency and non-emergency situations. This help can be anything like medical, legal, counseling, services.
Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY)
Women are treated like goddesses in our country. And being a mother is a great blessing for a woman. To ensure safe delivery and proper lactation in women, the government of India has come up with this scheme. The beneficiaries under this scheme include Pregnant and lactating Women and the objective of this scheme is –
- During pregnancy, the government under this scheme ensures that pregnant ladies get appropriate care, attention, and institutional service for the safe delivery of a child.
- Sometimes due to lack of awareness, women do not do breastfeeding of their newborn babies. The government through this scheme has ensured that young ones get proper mother’s milk for at least 6 months since they were born.
- Under this scheme, beneficiary ladies also get financial assistance.
Swadhr Greh
This scheme is framed for providing basic amenities to women. Not just that, it also aims to provide moral and emotional support to women in the country. The objective of the scheme is –
- The government is concerned about providing support to underprivileged women in the form of food, clothing, medical care.
- Give them emotional and financial support.
- Give them legal direction and guidance to exercise their lawful rights.
- To act as their moral support and provide all means to restart their life after emotional and financial damage.
Rajiv Gandhi National Creche Scheme for the Children of Working Mothers
This scheme is specially developed for working mothers. The beneficiaries under this scheme are both women and their children. The objective of the scheme is –
- Provide day-care services to children of working women.
- To ensure that children are not deprived of any well-being
- Impart physical, social, and intellectual education to the children.
Ujjawala Yojna
This scheme is framed to protect crime against women and human trafficking in the country. Looking at the increasing sexual exploitation in the country, the government of India has taken the initiative to protect and empower the women population of the country. The objective of the scheme is –
- To prevent the trafficking of women and children and protect them from commercial sexual exploitation and begging activity.
- To provide recovery services to unfortunate women and children who are suffering from such trauma.
- To encourage rehabilitation of the women who are detached from the family.
- Also, provide cross border help to victims.
Women’s Vocational Training Programme
The Women’s Vocational Training Programme was introduced in 1977 by the Ministry of Labour and Employment. The programme attempts to promote the employment of women in industries (mainly the organised sector). As part of this programme, women are trained under the Craftsmen Training Scheme and Craft Instructors Training Scheme.
Start Up and Stand Up India
Both the Start Up and Stand Up India initiatives empower women entrepreneurs and provide financial assistance to those who are setting up their businesses. The programmes also aid those who have already established their business but fall under the startup category.
Swayamsidha
Swayamsidha scheme was launched in the year 2001 dedicated to Women’s Empowerment. It is a Self Help Groups based programme with emphasis on convergence activities. The objective is to ensure that Self Help Groups members avail the benefit of all schemes and services in an integrated and holistic manner.
Source : Wikipedia, Google, Internet , The Hindu , The Indian Express , PIB, PRS
Disclaimer : Notes are free for students