14-Jul-2022: Ministry of Women and Child Development issues Detailed Guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti’ aimed at Strengthening Interventions for Women Safety, Security and Empowerment

Ministry of Women and Child Development has issued detailed guidelines for ‘Mission Shakti' scheme. The Government of India has launched 'Mission Shakti' - an integrated women empowerment programme as umbrella scheme for the safety, security and empowerment of women for implementation during the 15th  Finance Commission period 202l-22 to 2025-26. The norms of ‘Mission Shakti’ will be applicable with effect from 01.04.2022.

‘Mission Shakti’ is a scheme in mission mode aimed at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment. It seeks to realise the Government’s commitment for “women-led development‟ by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership.

The scheme seeks to make women economically empowered, exercising free choice over their minds and bodies in an atmosphere free from violence and threat. It also seeks to reduce the care burden on women and increase female labour force participation by promoting skill development, capacity building, financial literacy, access to micro-credit etc.

‘Mission Shakti’ has two sub-schemes - 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'. While the "Sambal" sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the "Samarthya" sub-scheme is for empowerment of women. The components of 'Sambal' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.

The components of 'Samarthya' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel have been included with modifications. In addition, the existing schemes of National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) under umbrella ICDS have now been included in Samarthya. A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added in the Samarthya Scheme.

6-Aug-2021: Participation of Women in the Workforce

In order to promote women empowerment and their safety to increase their participation in workforce, the Ministry of Women and Child Development has decided to launch a new and more comprehensive Umbrella Scheme for safety, security and empowerment of women under the name 'Mission Shakti', while including in it components such as National, State and District level Hubs for Empowerment of Women, Women Help Lines, One Stop Centres, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Working Women’s Hostels, crèches for children of working women etc.

The schemes of One Stop Centres and Universalisation of Women Helpline are being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development to support women facing violence of any kind which may also adversely impact on their participation in workforce.

The Government, with the aim to provide safe and secure work environment to women and to increase their participation in the workforce, has enacted ‘The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013’ (SH Act). The Act covers all women, irrespective of their age or employment status and protect them from sexual harassment at all workplaces whether public or private, organized or unorganized. The Act casts an obligation upon employers to provide a safe and secure working environment free from sexual harassment by constituting Internal Committees (ICs) for workplaces with ten or more workers and by displaying at conspicuous places the penal consequences of sexual harassment and the orders constituting ICs. Similarly, Local Committees (LCs) are to be constituted under the Act in districts to receive complaints in organizations having less than 10 workers or if complaints are against employers themselves. Employers are also required to organize workshops and awareness programmes at regular intervals for sensitizing the employees about the provisions of this legislation.

In order to enhance the employability of female workers, the Government is providing training to them through a network of Women Industrial Training institutes, National Vocational Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes. To ensure economic independence of women through skill development and vocational training, the Government has also introduced Skill India Mission. The National Skill Development Policy focuses on inclusive skill development, with the objective of increased women participation for better economic productivity. There are schemes like Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and Stand Up India, for helping the women to set up their own enterprises. Further, the Labour Codes, viz. the Code on Wages 2019, the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 and the Code on Social Security, 2020 which have been enacted in the last two years, collectively include provisions to promote participation of women in workforce in a dignified manner.

29-Jul-2021: Empowerment of Rural Women

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) of the Government of India has decided to introduce from the current financial year, a new umbrella scheme for overall safety, security and empowerment of women under the name ‘Mission Shakti’ as an integrated women empowerment program, including components such as National, State and District level Hubs for Empowerment of Women, Women Help Lines, One Stop Centres, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, Sakhi Niwas or Working Women Hostels, Shakti Sadans or homes for destitute and troubled women, crèches, etc.

The Ministry of WCD has been implementing the Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) scheme since November 2017 to empower rural women through community participation, for linking to government schemes and programmes and for awareness generation. The MSK scheme also aimed at giving a foothold to the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) scheme at the district level. The funds allocated under the scheme during FY 2018-19 to 2020-21can be seen at Annexure.

Further, various other Ministries of the Government of India have also been taking steps for the overall progress of rural women in the country. Under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare, the guidelines of various beneficiary oriented schemes of the Department of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare provide for States and other implementing agencies to incur at least 30% expenditure on women farmers. The Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship implements the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) as a flagship scheme with the components of Short Term Training (STT) and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). Under PMKVY, unemployed youth including rural women are provided short duration skill training to become employable and earn their livelihood. As on 10.07.2021, 47,21,529 women candidates have been trained under PMKVY.