16-Nov-2022: NCW launches Digital Shakti 4.0 focusing on making women digitally skilled and aware

The National Commission for Women (NCW) launched the fourth phase of Digital Shakti Campaign, a pan-India project on digitally empowering and skilling women and girls in the cyberspace, yesterday.  In line with its commitment to create safe spaces for women and girls online, Digital Shakti 4.0 is focused on making women digitally skilled and aware to stand up against any illegal/inappropriate activity online. NCW launched it in collaboration with CyberPeace Foundation and Meta.

While addressing the audience Smt Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW mentioned the continuous efforts of the Commission for empowering women in every sphere across the  nation. She said, “This new phase will prove to be a milestone in ensuring safe cyber spaces for women. Digital Shakti has been accelerating the digital participation of women and girls by training them to use technology to their advantage and to keep themselves safe online. I believe the project will continue to contribute towards the larger goal of fighting cyber violence against women and girls and make internet a safer space for them."

The launch was followed by an interactive panel discussion on “Safe Spaces Online Combatting Cyber-enabled Human Trafficking & Combatting Other forms of Online Violence” in order to provide keen opinions from experts from the Industry, Government, and Academia to address the issue of online women safety from all tangents and provide whole approach to ensure better women safety online.

Padma Shri Sunitha Krishnan, General Secretary, Prajwala, Mr. Ashutosh Pande, Senior Research Officer, NCW, Pavan Duggal, Advocate Supreme Court of India and Advisor, CPF, Veerendra Mishra, AIG, SISF,  Madhya Pradesh Police and Advisor, NCW, Preeti Chauhan, Director-Operations, CPF participated in the discussion.

Digital Shakti started in June 2018 to help women across the nation to raise the awareness level on the digital front, to build resilience, and fight cyber-crime in the most effective ways. Through this project, over 3 Lakh women across India have been made aware of cyber safety tips and tricks, reporting & redressal mechanisms, data privacy and usage of technology for their benefits.

The third phase of the program was started  in March 2021 with the Launch at Leh by  NCW Chairperson in the presence of Lieutenant Governor Shri Radha Krishna Mathur & Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, MP, Ladakh. In the third phase, a Resource Center was also developed under the project to provide information on all the avenues of reporting in case a woman faces any cybercrime.

21-Sep-2022: NCW organizes Workshop on Gender Responsive Governance for Women MLAs from 6 States

The National Commission for Women organized a Workshop on Gender Responsive Governance for elected women representatives (MLAs) from six States under ‘She Is A Changemaker’ project, a pan-India capacity building programme of the Commission for improving leadership skills of women representatives at all levels. 

Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan, Governor of Telangana and Lt. Governor of Puducherry participated as Chief Guest in the inaugural ceremony. Chairperson, National Commission for Women Ms. Rekha Sharma and Disha Pannu, Deputy Director Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) also graced the occasion.

In her inaugural address, Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan motivated the women MLAs with her valuable experiences and appreciated their efforts towards the nation and the public. She said that women have come a long way from being a homemaker to becoming a changemaker and though it is not an easy task but women have dedicated their lives to serve the country and humanity. She also said that it was not an easy job to be a people’s representative and no matter the number of challenges but women must be confident and consistent in their hardwork and they will achieve their goals. She also said that there is a need to prepare men to live with strong women.

While delivering her inaugural address, Chairperson, NCW, Ms. Rekha Sharma said that the workshop has been conceptualised and developed with an aim to promote capacity-building for women leaders. She said that every woman is a leader and all that they need to do is polish their skills.

The three-day workshop has been organised in Udaipur, Rajasthan in collaboration with National Gender and Child centre, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA). During the workshop, the women MLAs will be trained on gender-responsive governance in different sessions such as ‘Effective Leadership’, ‘Inclusive Governance’, ‘Understanding Gender-Based Violence, ‘Gender Sensitive and Inclusive Communication’, ‘Strengthening Legislative Traditions’ and ‘Digital Literacy & Social Media Training, etc. The workshop is being attended by 25 participants from the states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Odisha.

The primary objective of the workshop is to sensitize and assist the Elected Women Representatives to build on their identified strengths and increase the levels of self- awareness in a manner that would help them in managing different and challenging paths ahead, in line with the overall ‘She is a Change maker’ programme.

Under 'She Is A Changemaker' project, the Commission has organised capacity building programme for women representatives in association with region-wise training institutes with an aim to improve their decision making, communication skills, effective management, etc.

5-Jul-2022: National Commission for Women organises Capacity Building Training Programme for Women Traders of Manipur

National Commission for Women organized a one-day ‘Capacity Building Training Programme’ for Women Traders of Manipur in collaboration with the State Commission for Women for holistic development of women traders and to create more entrepreneurial opportunities for them.  Shri N Biren Singh, Chief Minister, Manipur, Shri Heikham Dingo Singh, Minister, Social Welfare, Manipur and Chairperson, NCW, Ms. Rekha Sharma graced the occasion.

Ima Keithel of Manipur is said to be the largest all-women market in Asia with large number of women manning the stalls in these markets. In pursuance to the Commission’s programmes in North-eastern states, NCW conducted this one-day training programme for women traders of three Ima Keithels to improve their livelihood, social security and overall quality of life.

Shri N Biren Singh, CM Manipur participated as the Chief Guest in the programme and encouraged women participants. He appreciated the NCW programme for empowerment of women. He said that seven Ima markets have been constructed and one more will be constructed soon.

In her address, Chairperson, NCW, Ms. Rekha Sharma said that women are present in all the sectors of Manipur and have proven that they can handle everything and anything. “We want women of Manipur to sell their products in the e-market as well. Women here must not limit themselves to Manipur. The world is changing and women must be aware of the technology so that their products can reach anywhere in the world. We will give them wings to fly and train them in e-commerce and other technology so that the world comes to know about these products,” said Ms. Sharma.

The Commission invited eminent people from different government departments and the banking sector as resource persons to inform and educate the women on important topics such as e-commerce, banking, tax laws etc.  The training programme was divided into three technical sessions. The first session was on 'Knowledge of Relevant Banking Schemes and How to Use Online Banking'. The second session was on the topic 'Knowledge of Tax Laws/GST Laws and Tax Compliances and the third session was on 'E-Commerce Demonstration'.

25-Jun-2022: NCW Organizes Seminar on Anti-Human Trafficking Awareness

The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) organized a one-day seminar on Anti Human Trafficking Awareness. The one-day awareness session discussed introduction, concept, patterns and existing response systems of human trafficking and the psycho sociological impact of trafficking as well as the role of civil society organizations in its prevention.

Chairperson, NCW, Ms. Rekha Sharma and Shri Balaji Srivastava, Director General, BPR&D presided over the seminar. The Commission invited Shri PM Nair, EX-DG, NDRF and Ex-Chair Professor, TISS, Shri Veerendra Mishra, AIG, SISF, Madhya Pradesh Police, Dr Shekhar P. Seshadri, Former Dean, Behavioural Sciences Division & Former Director, NIMHANS and Hasina Kharbhih, Founder, Impulse NGO Network as resource persons.

Chairperson Rekha Sharma stressed on the importance of preventing human trafficking at source for effective combat. “We have to focus on prevention of trafficking. NCW has set up its own Anti-Human Trafficking Cell and this is just the beginning. Through today’s seminar, we all have to find the way forward in promoting awareness around human trafficking and its effective combat,” she said.

Shri Balaji Srivastava said that BPR&D has been organizing many seminars and capacity building workshops on different topics such as cybercrime, women security and this collaborative effort with NCW would go a long way in promoting awareness around human trafficking.

The seminar was divided into four technical sessions; ‘Introduction: Concept, Patterns and Existing Response Systems of Human Trafficking’, ‘Different Dimensions of Human Trafficking’, ‘Psycho Sociological Impact of Trafficking’ and ‘Role of NGOs in Rescue, Post Rescue Care and Rehabilitation’.

In the technical session on ‘‘Introduction: Concept, Patterns and Existing Response Systems of Human Trafficking’, Shri PM Nair stressed on creating a synergy between enforcement agencies, Police and NGOs for combating human trafficking and to take forward the movement to youth and panchayat level for effective prevention. “Setting up AHTC is easy but handholding is necessary. Empowering the youth, panchayats, NGOs against human trafficking will help in making a difference. Spot it, speak it, do it, stop it,” said Shri Nair.

Shri Veerendra Mishra focused on 4Ps for combating human trafficking; Prevention, Protection, Prosecution and Participation and the role of criminal justice system and social justice system in trafficking. “Trafficking is exploitation of vulnerability and addressing the causes of vulnerability is important to prevent human trafficking,” in the session on ‘Different Dimensions of Human Trafficking’.

Dr Seshadri, while speaking in the session on ‘Psycho Sociological Impact of Trafficking’, highlighted that many a times family is not the best place for a victim and it is unjust and cruel to send back a person to the same place she was trafficked from. Stressing on the importance of identifying the right kind of counseling for survivors, he said, “we must understand that instruction, advice, counseling and therapy are not the same”.

In the last technical session on ‘Role of NGOs in Rescue, Post Rescue Care and Rehabilitation’, Ms. Hasina Kharbih spoke on the reintegration of rescued survivors of trafficking back into the society. “Everyone does not want to do stitching or sewing. That is not rehabilitation. We have to understand the aspirations of rescued survivors and take these aspirations into consideration. A PPP model in collaboration with government, NGOs and CSR participation can help in successful rehabilitation and empowerment of these women”, Ms. Kharbhih said.

The technical sessions were followed by a detailed Open House discussions and the resource persons suggested the way forward for combating human trafficking. Some of the important suggestions made by the experts were that every State Commission for Women must have an Anti-Human Trafficking Cell of its own, a template/SOP for all the organizations to follow in cases of human trafficking, joint training of all the stakeholders, setting up Anti-human trafficking cells in colleges and educational institutes. provisions available in legal system including schemes and compensation should be known to everyone in the panchayat level, among other suggestions.

The participants comprised of State Women Commissions, WCD departments of States/UTs, senior police officials, senior officials from para military forces, government organizations, National Commissions, Administrative, Judiciary and Police Training Institutes, Non-Governmental Organizations, Directors of Medical Institutions, and Universities/Colleges, among others.

The National Commission for Women has established an Anti-Human Trafficking Cell (AHTC) on 2nd April, 2022 to improve effectiveness in tackling cases of human trafficking, raising awareness among women and girls, capacity building and training of Anti Trafficking Units and to strengthen & sensitize law enforcement machineries.

22-Jun-2022: NCW organizes Workshop on Gender Responsive Governance for Elected Women Representatives 

The National Commission for Women (NCW) organized a Workshop on Gender Responsive Governance for elected women representatives (MLAs) under ‘She Is A Changemaker’ project, a pan-India capacity building programme of the Commission for improving leadership skills of women representatives at all levels.

The three-day workshop has been organised in Dharamshala, Himachal Pradesh in collaboration with Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA) and the National Gender and Child centre of LBSNAA from 22nd to 24th June, 2022. During the workshop, the women MLAs will be trained on gender-responsive governance in different sessions such as ‘Effective Leadership’, ‘Inclusive Governance’, ‘Overview on Gender-Based Violence with a Special Focus on Trafficking of Women & Adolescents’, ‘Gender Sensitive and Inclusive Communication’, ‘Emotional Intelligence’, etc. The workshop is being attended by 29 participants from the states of Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The Governor of Uttar Pradesh Anandiben Patel participated as Chief Guest in the inaugural ceremony, today. In her inaugural address, she motivated the women MLAs with her valuable experiences and real-life examples. She stressed on the importance of discipline in the life of a public representative and said that better coordination with officials at the grassroot level especially the gram panchayat was extremely important to promote effective development to every person of the society. She reiterated the commitment of the government and told the participants to strive towards, ‘Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas, Sabka Vishwas and Sabka Prayas’.

While delivering her keynote address, Chairperson, NCW, Ms. Rekha Sharma said that the workshop has been organised with the thought of ‘Empowered Women Leadership, Empowered Democracy’. This program was conceptualised and developed with an aim to promote capacity-building of women leaders, she said.

Under 'She Is A Changemaker' project, the Commission has organised capacity building programme for women representatives in association with region-wise training institutes with an aim to improve their decision making, communication skills, effective management, etc. The Commission has organised 49 training batches in eight states under which around 1700 women representatives of Panchayati Raj Institutions/Urban Local Bodies have been given training so far.

18-May-2022: NCW Organizes Media Workshop on Capacity Building & Sensitization

The National Commission for Women (NCW) organized a workshop on ‘Capacity Building and Sensitization Program for Media Personnel’ to carry out a focused attention on women-related issues and the portrayal of women in the media. The Chairperson, National Commission for Women Ms. Rekha Sharma, and Chairman and Editor-in-Chief of India TV Shri Rajat Sharma graced the occasion.

In order to get diverse views, the Commission invited experts from different media fields. In the workshop. Shri Samir Kumar, Head, Prasar Bharti News Services & Digital Platform, Aditya Raj Kaul, Executive Editor, TV9 Network, Nisha Narayanan, CEO & Director Red FM & Magic FM, Kavita Devi, Founder Khabar Lahariya, and Vartika Nanda, Head, Department of Journalism, Lady Shri Ram College participated as Speakers/Resource persons. The speakers shared their vast experiences in journalism and focused on the portrayal of women in media. Media professionals from different organisations shared their experiences in the open house discussion.

Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma reflected on the need for qualitative progression in media, a more sensitive approach towards reporting and an equal representation of men and women in the field. She reflected on the challenges women journalists face while reporting and the need for more women to take up managerial positions in media houses.

Special Guest, Mr. Rajat Sharma applauded women in media and said despite the negative mindset of the society, women of the country have reached heights, not only in journalism but across every field. He also said that there is a need to change mindset of the society and media has been playing a crucial role in this regard.

The workshop was divided into three technical sessions; 'Gender-Sensitive Indicators for media in Media Operations and Content', 'Challenges Faced By Women Media Professionals' and 'Role of Media in Empowerment of Women'. The workshop aimed at encouraging media stakeholders to dedicate more platforms for addressing women issues and stories of women empowerment and leadership and to conduct programs informing the public about women's rights and their available recourse in case such rights are violated.

2-Apr-2022: NCW Launches Anti-Human Trafficking Cell

The National Commission for Women launched an Anti-Human Trafficking Cell today to improve effectiveness in tackling cases of human trafficking, raising awareness among women and girls, capacity building and training of Anti Trafficking Units and to increase responsiveness of law enforcement agencies.

The Cell has been set up with an aim of increasing awareness among law enforcement officials and to facilitate their capacity building. The Cell will conduct Gender Sensitization Trainings and Workshops in combating human trafficking for police officers and for prosecutors at regional, state and district level. The complaints related to human trafficking received by the Commission will be addressed by this cell.

The Commission has observed that some of the major issues faced in combating trafficking include lack of rehabilitation for victims and insensitive attitude towards trafficked survivors and their families. Therefore, the Cell will improve monitoring mechanism and encourage government agencies regarding measures being adopted for prevention of trafficking and rehabilitation of victims.

The Cell will also help survivors of trafficking in rebuilding their lives by providing them with need-based training and by organizing capacity building programs for them to prevent re-traumatization of victims.

29-Mar-2022: National Commission for Women Launches Legal Services Clinic in Collaboration with DSLSA

In a move to make legal aid more accessible for women, the National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA) has launched a legal aid clinic which will act as a single-window facility for resolving grievances of women by offering them free legal assistance.

NCW is also planning to set up similar legal services clinics in other State Commissions for Women. The legal aid clinic will operate out of the Commission’s office in New Delhi. Any woman will be able to walk-in to the facility for accessing free legal advice and counseling where legal services advocates in the panel of DSLSA will help women.

The launch ceremony of the legal aid clinic was held today at the Commission’s office in Delhi. Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma, Additional Sessions Judge Shri Sushant Changotra, Additional Secretary, DSLSA, Ms. Namita Aggarwal, Special Secretary, DSLSA and Shri Kanwal Jeet Arora, Member Secretary, DSLSA graced the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma said that the legal aid centre aims to provide free advice and legal services to women. “Today is the day that opens up a new chapter in NCW’s continuous efforts to help women. The legal aid clinic will focus on protecting women’s rights and providing them with a one-stop centre for seeking legal counseling and help. Women will now be able to obtain legal aid without running from pillar-to-post,” she said.

Under the new legal aid clinic, counseling will be provided for walk-in complainants, women in distress will be given legal assistance, advice and information on various schemes of the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA)/ DSLSA, assistance in Mahila jansunwai, free legal aid, hearings in matrimonial cases and other complaints registered with the Commission will be provided among other services.

26-Mar-2022: National Commission for Women organizes Seminar on Racial Diversity Sensitization

National Commission for Women (NCW) organized a seminar, here today, on 'Racial Diversity Sensitization' in collaboration with Bureau of Police Research & Development, National Commission for Minorities and Special Police Unit for North-Eastern Region (SPUNER) of Delhi Police to spread awareness towards different cultures in India and to recommend strategies for strengthening mutual understanding among diverse customs.

The Minister of State for External Affairs and Education Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh, Chairperson, National Commission for Women Ms. Rekha Sharma, Officiating Chairperson, National Commission for Minorities Ms. Syed Shahezadi, Director General, BPR&D Shri Balaji Srivastava, and Shri Hibu Tamang, Joint Commissioner of Police, SPUNER graced the occasion.

MoS External Affairs and Education Shri Rajkumar Ranjan Singh  attended the program as Chief Guest and said that today's seminar aims at promoting the spirit of national integration and unity and such sensitization events will definitely contribute towards bringing empathy in our action towards each other.

Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma stressed upon the moto of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' and said that the need of the hour is to disseminate information and exchange of culture and sensitization. Mutual understanding and trust are the foundations of India's strength and all citizens should feel culturally integrated in all the corners of India, said Ms. Sharma. She also stressed on the importance of sensitization of police and shared information on the programs being run by the Commission for sensitizing police personnel.

In order to get diverse views, the Commission invited experts from different fields; Baichung Bhutia, Former Indian Football Captain, Sonam Wangchuk, Indian Engineer /Innovator/Education Reformist from Ladakh, Hibu Tamang, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Police for North East Region Aditya Raj Kaul, Executive Editor, TV9/ National Security & Strategic Affairs, Robin Hibu, IPS, Special Commissioner for Police, Armed Police Division, Delhi Police & President, Helping Hands, NGO, Tajender Singh Luthra, Director, National Police Mission, Rinchen Lhamo, Member, National Commission for Minorities, Soso Shaiza, Ex-Member, NCW, Pooja Elangbam, IAS, SDO, Porompat, Imphal East and Professor Ajailiu Niumai, Head, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy, University of Hyderabad.

The seminar was aimed at celebrating unity in diversity of our nation and to maintain and strengthen the fabric of traditionally existing emotional bonds between the people of our country. The deliberation touched upon topics such as sensitizing the frontline workers towards the diverse races and cultures and spreading awareness among the representatives from various minority communities residing in Delhi on dealing with issues arising from racial conflicts.

Following are some excerpts from the address of our panelists:

Baichung Bhutia, Former Indian Football Captain: Sports is a medium where you are not discriminated based on your background. Sportspersons have played an important role in bringing more representation for northeast.

Sonam Wangchuk,  Engineer /Innovator/Education Reformist from Ladakh: This is a country that talks about unity in diversity and not all nations do. Media needs to play a more important role in integration. All kinds of media including films, digital and electronic media can play an important role in bringing people together.

Hibu Tamang, Joint Commissioner of Police, Special Police for North East Region: Delhi Police has taken several initiatives to address the problems faced by people of Northeast. I have witnessed in the past 5 years of my service that racial comments against the people of Northeast have reduced and people have become more aware.

Rinchen Lhamo, Member, National Commission for Minorities: The Modi government has been working for the development of Ladakh and we thank the government for opening medical colleges and universities in the region and for the ongoing development in Ladakh.

Ajailiu Niumai, Head, Centre for the Study of Social Exclusion & Inclusive Policy, University of Hyderabad: Women from northeast are considered an easy prey. Racial approach towards people from northeast stems from ignorance. Many racial incidents have happened which are quite unfortunate although things are very much improved now.

Pooja Elangbam, IAS, SDO, Porompat, Imphal East: Race is a social construct just the way gender is a social construct. This is an important forum for people from different departments and organizations to come together and education is one of the foremost areas through which we can address the problem. If our education system and curriculum reflects the diversity that is India and instills the sensitization required from an early age, it would play a very important role.

Soso Shaiza, Ex-Member, NCW: The most important thing is acceptance of our differences. As citizens of India, if we can accept and respect other communities, then we will not feel alienated. Therefore, acceptance is the most important tool.

Tajender Singh Luthra, Director, National Police Mission: Nature has made us all unique and though we have different colours and we speak different languages, we are all incredible, unique and special.

25-Mar-2022: Nari Adalat

The National Commission for Women (NCW) used to provide financial assistance to Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) for organising Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats (PMLAs) till the year 2014-2015. Thereafter, the scheme has been discontinued by the NCW.

The matters redressed through these Lok Adalats related to family affairs, matrimonial disputes, bigamy, succession, and motor vehicle accident disputes related to labour. The NGOs in association with District Legal Aid and Advisory Boards, activists, advocates and other stakeholders, used to organize PMLAs. Till discontinuation of the scheme in 2014-15, a total of 298 such Adalats were held.

The Government has now approved ‘Mission Shakti’, an integrated women empowerment programme. The program is carefully designed to touch upon and address all concerns and issues of women, responsively, in a comprehensive manner, and during their entire lifecycle continuum. One of the components included in Mission Shakti is 'Nari Adalat'. Initially, it is being started on a pilot basis, for providing women with an alternate Grievance Redressal Mechanism for resolving cases of petty nature (harassment, subversion, curtailment of rights or entitlements) faced by them at local level.

31-Jan-2022: PM addresses 30th National Commission for Women Foundation Day programme

Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi addressed 30th National Commission for Women Foundation Day programme today via video conference. The theme of the programme ‘She The Change Maker’ is aimed at celebrating the achievements of women in different fields. The State Commissions for Women, Department of Women and Child Development in State Governments, University and College teaching faculty and students, voluntary organisations, women entrepreneurs and business associations were present. The Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smt Smriti Zubin Irani; Ministers of State Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai and Smt Darshana Jardosh; Chairperson, National Commission for Women Ms. Rekha Sharma were among those present on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister greeted on the 30th Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women. “The milestone of 30 years, whether in the life of an individual or of an organization, is very important. This is the time for new responsibilities and for moving forward with new energy”, he said.

The Prime Minister remarked that today, in changing India, the role of women is continuously expanding. Therefore, he said, the expansion of the role of the National Commission for Women is also the need of the hour. All the women's commissions of the country will also have to increase their scope and give a new direction to the women of their states.

The Prime Minister noted that for centuries, India's strength has been the small local industries or the MSMEs. In these industries, women have the same role as men. The Prime Minister said that the old thinking had restricted women and their skills to domestic work. It is necessary to change this old thinking in order to advance the economy of the country. Make in India is doing this today. AatmaNirbhar Bharat campaign is linking the ability of women with the development of the country, he said. This change is visible as about 70 per cent beneficiaries of Mudra Yojna are women. The country has seen a three-fold increase in the number of women self-help groups in the last 6-7 years. Similarly, in more than 60 thousand startups that have emerged after 2016, 45 percent have at least one woman director.

The Prime Minister said the participation of women in the growth cycle of new India is increasing relentlessly. Women's Commissions should work to promote and give maximum recognition to this role of women in the entrepreneurship of the society. The Prime Minister informed that since 2015 185 women have been honoured with Padma Awards. This year too, 34 women figured among the awardees in different categories. This is a record as this many awards to women are unprecedented, said the Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister said in the last 7 years, the policies of the country have become more sensitive towards women. Today India is among the countries with provision of maximum maternity leave. Marriage at an early age does not hinder the education and career of daughters so the age of marriage of daughters is being attempted to be raised to 21 years.

The Prime Minister also talked about the historical distance of rural women from empowerment. He listed the steps such as 9 crore gas connections and toilets. Pucca houses of PM Awaas Yojna in the name of women of the house, support during pregnancy, Jan Dhan accounts, that make these women the face of changing India and women empowerment.

The Prime Minister said when women make a resolution, they only set the direction of that. That is why whenever a government does not prioritise women safety, women have ensured their departure from power.  Shri Modi stressed that the government is working with a policy of zero tolerance for crime against women. There are strict laws in this regard including capital punishment for heinous cases of rape. There are fast track courts and steps like  more women help desks in police stations, 24 hour helplines, portal to deal with cybercrimes are being taken.

24-Jan-2022: National Commission for Women organizes webinar on ‘Save The Girl Child’

The National Commission for Women (NCW) organized a webinar on ‘Save The Girl Child’ on the National Girl Child Day today to promote rights of girl child and to increase awareness on various topics concerning girls including their education, health and nutrition. The discussion aimed at promoting a new perspective towards girl child by changing the society’s attitude towards girls and creating awareness on decreasing the discrimination faced by them.

The Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma, Shri O.P. Dhankar, Former Cabinet Minister, Haryana Govt and Pragya Vats, Head of Campaign, Save The Children attended the webinar as panelists. The Chairperson touched upon various issues concerning girls’ education, health, freedom of choice and right to make decisions. She said that girls stand on equal footing to boys in all spheres of life and that the government has been initiating women-centric policies to promote girl’s education.

“Girls have proven their mettle in every field and the National Commission for Women, through its programs has been ensuring safety and empowerment of girls in every sphere. Our government has been giving girls opportunities to demonstrate their leadership quality but there still is a need for the society to let go of its regressive mindset so that girls can come forward and be agents of change,” said Ms. Sharma.

Shri Dhankar said that the government has been actively coming up with initiatives to drive change in the society. “The change is now visible in the society; however, there is need for a larger change. Our Prime Minister and the government have been dedicated towards saving and promoting girl children which is now being reflected in the society,” said Shri Dhankar.

Ms. Vats stressed on the three Ps, Poverty, Patriarchy and Perception that deprive women of their possibilities and potential. She said that it was important to make collective efforts through cooperation and collaboration across the board so as to achieve empowerment and development of girls.

The National Commission for Women, working under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt of India, with its programs and initiatives has been dedicatedly working to eradicate deep seated discrimination against girls and this discussion was a step to further raise awareness on the subject. 

The National Girl Child Day was first initiated in 2008 by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. It is celebrated on January 24 every year with an objective to provide support and opportunities to girls of India. It aims towards promoting awareness about the rights of the girl child, to increase awareness on the importance of girl education, their health and nutrition.

16-Jul-2021: NCW signs MoU with BPR&D for Nation-Wide Gender Sensitization Training Programme for Police Personnel

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has signed an MoU with Bureau of Police Research and Development (BPR&D) for gender sensitization of police personnel across the country. The programme was launched by NCW Chairperson Ms. Rekha Sharma, Director General, BPR&D Shri VSK Kaumudi, ADG Shri Neeraj Sinha and DIG Training Vandan Saxena in the BPR&D Headquarters, Mahipalpur Delhi. The MoU between the two organisations was signed in the presence of Members and officials of the Commission.

The objective of the programme is to ensure gender sensitization of police personnel with respect to legislation and policies concerning women and bringing attitudinal and behavioural changes in police officers while dealing with crimes against women. The Commission has been regularly organising gender sensitization programs for police officers to achieve the objective of building trust of women complainants in police. It is with this objective that NCW has decided to launch a programme across the country to sensitize officials on gender related issues and empower them to perform their duties effectively, without prejudice and bias especially in cases of gender-based crimes.

In her address, NCW Chairperson said women victims are differently placed than their male counterparts due to several socioeconomic factors and therefore there is need for police to act in a gender sensitive manner in all cases relating to violence against women. “In order to develop the required skills and attitude in police officers for dealing with cases of violence against women more effectively, it is imperative that all State police organizations undertake suitable initiatives, including organizing training programmes to sensitize the police personnel at all levels,” said Ms. Sharma.

Speaking on the occasion Director General, BPR&D, VSK Kaumudi, said that signing of MoU between NCW and BPR&D marks the beginning of a new phase of collaboration for sensitization of police personnel towards women safety. The programme which aims to sensitize police personnel on gender issues will be fully sponsored by the Commission and facilitated by BPR&D with a special module in coordination with its units and other stakeholders.

The training will be conducted for a duration of three-five days, preferably in residential mode as a short intense course with an expected training of 18-24 hours in total. It will have special focus on gender issues, women related laws, role of implementing agencies along with sharing of best practices.

National Commission for Women is the apex national level organization with the mandate of protecting and promoting the interests of women under the aegis of Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India.

25-May-2017: National Commission for Women holds Interactive Meeting with State Commissions for Women

The National Commission for Women organised an Interactive Meeting of the State Commissions for Women in New Delhi with a view to strengthening the process of NCW’s networking with State Commissions for Women and to gain from each other’s experience. The primary mandate of the National Commission for Women and State Commissions for Women Commission is to safeguard and protect the interests of women. It has wide responsibility covering almost all aspects of women development.

The meeting reiterated on; the need for strengthening the process of NCW’s networking with State Commissions and to gain from each other’s experiences, the need of setting up of women’s hostels in the States, the issue of Acid Attack and implementation of Supreme Court guidelines on ban of unregulated sale of acid, the problems and issues of women and girls from the North east who migrate to cities for employment and studies.

The meeting was attended by Chairpersons, Members and Member secretaries of various State Commissions for Women.

After the day long deliberations, Dr. Satbir Bedi, Member Secretary, NCW summed up the recommendations as below:-

1. State Commissions for Women should take up with their respective State Government for setting up of Hostels for girls and women.
2. State Commission should pro-actively coordinate and send feedback on the complaint matters forwarded to them by NCW in the last six months.
3. SCWs may pursue with the state Government on the implementation of the Supreme Court judgment on ban of un-regulated sale of acids with a view to prevent horrific crimes against women specifically acid attacks.

Initiatives by Maharashtra State Commission for Women were applauded by all and it was decided by other members to initiate similar ones in their states. Other States, especially from the North East, raised the need for providing vocational guidance to women. Suggestions about setting up “Women’s courts” and premarital counselling were also discussed.