Lok Sabha Question No. 178 (STARRED), answered on 2021-07-30
Subject: Social and Behavioural Change Communication Campaigns
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Navneet Ravi Rana

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 178

TO BE ANSWERED ON 30.07.2021

## SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS

178.    SMT. NAVNEET RAVI RANA:

Will the Minister of WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government is planning to adopt a multi-dimensional strategy towards the factors that impact the socio-economic development of women;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government  is also planning to launch targeted Social and Behavioural Change Communication (SBCC) campaigns to create gender neutrality; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT (SHRIMATI SMRITI ZUBIN IRANI)

(a) to (d):        A statement is laid on the table of House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 178 FOR  ANSWER  ON  30.07.2021  ASKED  BY SMT.  NAVNEET  RAVI  RANA REGARDING 'SOCIAL AND BEHAVIOURAL CHANGE COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGNS'

(a) to (d) :  The Government of India has already taken various steps to ensure empowerment of women  through  their  social,  educational,  economical  and  political  uplifting  through  various schematic interventions. While the schemes implemented by the Government like Beti Bachao Beti  Padhao  (BBBP),  Pradhan  Mantri  Awas  Yojana  (Urban  &  Rural),   the  National  Social Assistance Programme (NSAP), Pradhan Mantri Vyay Vandana Yojana (PMVVY) and Scheme for  Adolescent  Girls  (SAG)  are  designed  to  enable  women  to  become  socially  secure,  the initiatives like Samagra Shiksha, Scheme of National Overseas Scholarship, Babu Jagjivan Ram Chhatrawas Yojna, Swacch Vidyalaya Mission etc. ensure that schools are girl-friendly especially for  vulnerable  sections  of  society  and  have  adequate  facilities  in  place  to  fulfill  their  special requirements.  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.  Pradhan  Mantri  Kaushal  Vikash  Kendras  lay  emphasis  on  creating  additional infrastructure both for training and apprenticeship for women;  flexible training delivery mechanisms, flexible  afternoon  batches  on  local  need-based  training  to  accommodate  women and ensuring safe and gender sensitive training environment. There are schemes like Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana and Stand Up India, for helping the women to set up their own enterprises. Under the Swacch Vidyalaya Mission, it was ensured that all schools have at least one functional toilet  for  girls.  Pradhan  Mantri  Ujjwala  Yojna  (PMUY)  aims  to  safeguard  health  of  women  by providing them with clean cooking fuel and also from drudgery of collecting firewood.  Further, in order  to  encourage  employment  of  women,  a  number  of  enabling  provisions  have  been incorporated in the recently enacted three Labour Codes i.e. the Industrial Relations Code, 2020, Occupational  Safety,  Health  and  Working  Conditions  Code,  2020  and  the  Code  on  Social Security,  2020  for  creating  congenial  work  environment  for  women  workers.  The  Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, 2005 (MGNREGA) mandates that at least one third of the jobs generated under the scheme (MGNREGS) should be given to women. For securing the future of the girl child, the government launched a savings scheme called 'Sukanya Samriddhi  Yojana'.  The  Government  also rolled  out  the  'One  Stop  Centre'  (OSC)  Scheme  to facilitate women affected by violence with a range of integrated services under one roof such as police facilitation, medical aid, providing legal aid and legal counselling, psycho-social counselling,  temporary  shelter  etc.  Further,  the  Women  Helpline  (WHL)  Scheme  provides  24 hours emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces, by linking them with appropriate authorities such as Police, One Stop Centre, Hospital, Legal Services etc.

Further,  the  Government  of  India  has  decided  to  implement  the  Umbrella  Scheme  for Safety, Security and Empowerment of Women as an integrated women empowerment program under the name ' Mission Shakti ',  which includes some of the above-mentioned schemes such as  Beti  Bachao  Beti  Padhao,  National,  State  and  District  level  Hubs  for  Empowerment  of Women,  One  Stop  Centres,  Women  Helpline,  homes  for  destitute  women,  working  women hostels etc., for addressing the issues of  women on a life-cycle continuum basis and for making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence at different levels of governance and a participative approach.

The  Mission  Shakti  also  envisages  campaigns  for  social  and  behavioural  change communication, advocacy, IEC and outreach programmes on mass scale to tackle deep-rooted patriarchal mind-sets and to bring about gender parity.

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