Lok Sabha Question No. 1204 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-02-09
Subject: Schemes for Empowerment of Women in Backward Areas
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Mahesh Sahoo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1204

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.02.2024

## SCHEMES FOR EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN BACKWARD AREAS

1204.  SHRI MAHESH SAHOO:

Will the Minister of Women and Child Development be pleased to state:

- (a) the initiatives taken by the Government to empower the women in backward areas across the country particularly in the State of Odisha indicating the pace of development observed in this field;
- (b) whether the  Government  has  faced  any  hurdle  in  implementing  the  women empowerment initiatives, if so, the details thereof; and
- (c) the  initiatives  that  are  being  presently  taken  in  this  regard  in  Angul  and Dhenkanal districts?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  :   The  Government  gives  utmost  priority  to  the  safety,  security  and empowerment  of  women  across  the  country  including  backward  areas.  The Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach to address all issues relating to women on a life-cycle continuum basis for their educational, social, economic and political  empowerment,  so  that  they  become  equal  partners  in  fast  paced  and sustainable national development.

For  better  implementation  and  efficient  monitoring,  all  Centrally  Sponsored Schemes of the Ministry being implemented in the country for the welfare of women and children, have been clubbed into three verticals, viz. (1) Mission Shakti, for safety, protection and empowerment of women; (2) Saksham Anganwadi & Poshan 2.0 for improving nutrition indicators in the country; and (3) Mission Vatsalya, for protection and welfare of children. The details of the schemes are as under:

(i) Mission  Shakti: The  'Mission  Shakti'  aims  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. It seeks to focus on proposing strategies for improving convergence across Ministries/ Departments and at different levels of governance. It also seeks to promote greater participation and support of Panchayats and other local level governance bodies, apart from strengthening digital infrastructure support, last mile tracking and Jan Sahabhagita.

Mission Shakti comprises of two sub-schemes 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya' for safety and  security  of  women  and  empowerment  of  women  respectively.  The  existing schemes of One Stop Centres (OSC), Women Helplines (181-WHL) and Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) have been made part of Sambal sub- scheme; while the existing schemes of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh (renamed as Shakti Sadan) and Working Women Hostel (renamed as Sakhi Niwas), National Creche Scheme (renamed as Palna) have been subsumed in 'Samarthya' and  a  new  component  of  Gap  Funding  for  Economic  Empowerment  i.e.  Hub  for Empowerment of Women (HEW) has been added in the Samarthya Scheme with the aim  to  facilitate  inter-sectoral  convergence  of  schemes  and  programs  meant  for women at the Central, State/ UT and District levels for creating an environment in which  women  are  able  to  realize  their  full  potential.  The  support  under  the  HEW provides  for  guiding,  linking  and  hand  holding  women  to  various  institutional  and schematic  set  ups  for  their  empowerment  and  development  including  access  to healthcare,  quality  education,  career  and  vocational  counseling/  training,  financial inclusion,  entrepreneurship,  backward  and  forward  linkages,  health  and  safety  for workers, social security and digital literacy at districts/ Blocks/ Gram Panchayats level across the country.

(ii)  Saksham  Anganwadi  &  Poshan  2.0  (Mission  Poshan  2.0): Under  this programme,  Anganwadi  Services  Scheme,  POSHAN  Abhiyaan  and  Scheme  for Adolescent Girls has been reorganized into 3 primary verticals: (i) Nutrition Support for  children  below  the  age  of  6  years,  Pregnant  Women,  Lactating  Mothers  and Adolescent Girls (14 -18 years); (ii) Early Childhood Care and Education [3-6 years] and (iii) Anganwadi Infrastructure including modern, upgraded Saksham Anganwadis.

(iii) Mission Vatsalya: Mission Vatsalya has subsumed Integrated Child Protection Scheme(ICPS) for better outreach and protection for children in need and care in a mission  mode  with  the  objective  to:  (i)Support  and  sustain  Children  in  difficult circumstances  (ii)  Develop  context-based  solutions  for  holistic  development  of children  from  varied  backgrounds  (iii)  Provide  scope  for  green  field  projects  for encouraging innovative solutions  (iv)  Cement  convergent  action by  gap funding,  if required.

Among these schemes being run by the Ministry, the components of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY), Palna and Hub for Empowerment of Women (HEW) of Samarthya, sub-scheme of 'Mission Shakti' are not implemented by the State of Odisha. However, 30 One Stop Centres are functional, across the State of Odisha including in Angul and Dhenkanal districts, which have assisted 21891 women till  30.09.2023.  12  Sakhi  Niwas  are  operational  in  Odisha,  one each  in  Angul  and Dhenkanal whereas 68 Shakti Sadan are operational in Odisha including 5 in Angul and 3 in Dhenkanal districts.

*****