The empowerment of women and children, who constitute 67.7 percent of India's population, is a major concern of the Indian government. Rape, domestic violence, sexual harassment, and molestation of women are major problems. The moral development of women is a must for the sustainable development of India.
In a step towards improving the safety of women across the country, the Indian Ministry of Home Affairs has launched an Umbrella Programme on women's safety. To do this, the government has decided to spend around 1179 crore from 2021 to 2026.
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What Is The Umbrella Programme For Women's Safety?
According to the National Crime Records Bureau, the number of reported offences against women has increased by 15.3% in 2021 compared to 2020. In 2011, there were more than 2,28,650 cases of violence against women. In 2021, there were 4,21,278 cases against women.
As shown by these data, despite taking so many steps, it has not been fruitful according to expectations, and women's safety remains a major concern. With a lot of funding and thorough planning, this programme aims to improve emergency response systems. Also combating cybercrime and strengthening support mechanisms for victim women. The government has taken many steps to address these issues.
The programme is going to be implemented from 2021–22 to 2025–26 at a cost of Rs. 1179.72 billion. Of the total cost of the project, Rs. 885.49 million will be provided from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) budget, while Rs. 294.23 million will be funded from the Nirbhaya Fund.
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Key Features
The Umbrella Scheme for Women’s Safety has been introduced to enhance the safety and security of women in India. Several schemes come under it such as:
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One Stop Centre Scheme: The scheme for women provides continuous support and assistance to women suffering from violence.
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Women Helpline Scheme: The govt. scheme provides a 24/7 toll-free helpline number to women that they can use in emergencies.
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Swadhar Greh Scheme: It focuses on providing basic amenities like food, shelter, etc. to women.
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Nirbhaya Fund: The govt. scheme provides security measures to women like surveillance systems, special public transport, and other such measures.
Benefits
Here are the key benefits to women under the Umbrella scheme.
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Improving the system to support the 122 emergency response.
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Modernization of the Central Forensic Laboratories, including the establishment of a national forensic laboratory in the state forensic laboratories Initiatives to combat cybercrime against women and children Capacity building.
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Training programmes for investigators and prosecutors handling cases of sexual violence against women and children; establishment of Women Help Desks; and an anti-trafficking unit.
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What Are The Key Components Of The Umbrella Program?
To achieve the goals set by the government in the field of women and child development, the Indian Cabinet has approved three programmes:
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Mission Poshan 2.0: The Mission Poshan scheme aimed to address the issues of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, and pregnant or lactating mothers by providing enriching food.
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Mission Shakti: The govt. scheme focuses on enhancing women’s safety and security through various schemes like One Stop Centre, Women Helpline, and others.
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Mission Vatsalya: The Vatsalya scheme works on providing support and protection to children for their wholesome growth and development.
These programmes are designed to help victim women and provide them with the necessary support to thrive.
The long-term goal of Mission Shakti is to support women so that they are empowered at different stages of their lives. The aim is to provide care, protection, and safety to every woman. This includes helping them with education, healthcare, and economic opportunities.
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Conclusion
The umbrella scheme is an important step towards addressing the multilevel challenges to women’s safety. By forging legal frameworks, this initiative aims to create a safer environment for women across the country.
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