Lok Sabha Question No. 2117 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-15
Subject: Holistic Development of Rural Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Ramcharan Bohra

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2117

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2023

## HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL WOMEN

## 2117.  SHRI RAMCHARAN BOHRA:

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

- (a) whether the Government has launched any new scheme with special focus on the holistic development of rural women during the last three years;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (c) the budget allocated under these new schemes, State/UT-wise;
- (d) whether  the  Government  contemplates  to  associate,  promote  and  provide cooperation to Non-Governmental Organizations working in this direction; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (e):   The  Government  gives  utmost  priority  to  the  safety,  security  and empowerment of women including rural women. The Government has adopted multipronged approach to address the issue of 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.

In  the  past  few  years,  a  number  of  initiatives  have  been  taken  for  holistic development  and  empowerment  of  women.  The  Government  of  India  implements various  schemes  /  programmes  for  welfare  of  women/  girls  in  which  community participation plays an important role. Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), nearly 9.93 crore women are connected with around 90 lakh women's self-help groups that are transforming rural socio-economic landscape in several innovative and socially and ecologically responsible ways, also availing governmental support including through collateral free loans. 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.

National Agriculture Market or e-NAM, an online trading platform for agricultural commodities is helping women overcome or compensate the barriers they face in accessing  markets.  National  Cooperative  Development  Corporation  (NCDC)  is playing a significant role to uplift women cooperatives as large number of women are engaged and involved  in  cooperatives  dealing  with  activities  related  to  food  grain processing,  plantation  crops,  oilseeds  processing,  fisheries,  dairy  &  livestock, spinning mills, handloom and power loom weaving, Integrated Cooperative Development Projects, etc. Other schemes include Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), Samagra  Shiksha,  Babu  Jagjivan  Ram  Chhatrawas  Yojna,  Swacch  Vidyalaya Mission,  Swachchh  Bharat  Mission,  etc.  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  Anganwadi Services  under  Mission  Poshan  2.0  is  a  universal  scheme under  which  pregnant  women  and  lactating  mothers  are  eligible  for  the  services including the Supplementary Nutrition Programme (SNP). For partial compensation of wages  and  for  promoting  health  seeking  behavior  among  pregnant  women  and lactating  mothers,  Government  has  implemented  Pradhan  Mantri  Matru  Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) which aims to promote appropriate practice, care and institutional service utilization  during  pregnancy,  delivery  and  lactation  by  providing  cash incentives in Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) mode to pregnant and lactating mothers. Benefits have been extended to around 3.21 crore women through this scheme.

Construction  of  over  11.60  crore  toilets  under  'Swachchh  Bharat   Mission', clean  cooking  gas  connections   to  9.85  crore  women  below  poverty  line  under 'Ujjawala  Yojana'  and  connecting  over  13.75  crores  out  of  19.24  crores  rural household  with  tap  drinking  water  connections  under  'Jal  Jeevan  Mission'  have transformed the lives of women by reducing the drudgery and care burden.  Prime Minister's  Rural  Digital  Literacy  Campaign  under  Pradhan  Mantri  Gramin  Digital Sakasharta  Abhiyan  (PMGDISHA)  that  seeks  to  make  6  crore  persons  digitally literate, by covering one member from every eligible household.

Through the 73 rd  amendment to the Constitution of 1/3 rd  seats in the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) have been reserved for women. However, today there are more than  14.50  lakh  Elected  Women  Representatives  (EWRs)  in  PRIs,  which  is approximately 46% of the total elected representatives. The Government is providing training to the EWRs from time to time to build on their capacity.

The  greatest  leap  forward  for  women  empowerment  and  representation  of women in  the  highest  political  offices  in  the  country  has  been  the  notification  by Government of the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam, 2023 (Constitution One Hundred and Sixth Amendment) Act, 2023 on 28 September, 2023, for reservation of one-third of seats for women in the House of People (Lok Sabha) and in the State Legislative Assemblies including Legislative Assembly of NCT of Delhi.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development implements 'Mission Shakti', an Integrated Women Empowerment Programme, as Umbrella Scheme for the Safety,

Security and Empowerment of Women. The 'Mission Shakti' has two sub-schemes namely "Sambal" for safety and security of women and "Samarthya" for empowerment of  women.  Under  'Samarthya'  sub-  scheme,  a  new  component  i.e.  Hub  for Empowerment of Women (HEW) has been included with the aim to facilitate intersectoral  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.  The State/ UT-wise details of funds released for establishment of HEW is in Annexure

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## Annexure

## ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN THE REPLY TO PART (A) TO (E) OF THE LOK SABHA  UN-STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  2117  FOR  ANSWER  ON  15.12.2023 REGARDING 'HOLISTIC DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL WOMEN'

The State/ UT-wise details of funds released for establishment of HEW

(In Rupees)

| Sl.   | States/UTs                         | Amount Released   | Amount Released   |
|-------|------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
| No.   |                                    | 2022-23           | 2023-24           |
|       | Andhra Pradesh                     | 2,12,49,000       |                   |
|       | Arunachal Pradesh                  | 3,07,17,000       |                   |
|       | Assam                              | 4,22,82,000       |                   |
|       | Bihar                              | 3,05,01,000       |                   |
|       | Chhattisgarh                       | 2,66,46,000       |                   |
|       | Delhi                              | 96,84,000         |                   |
|       | Gujarat                            | 2,66,46,000       |                   |
|       | Haryana                            | 1,81,65,000       |                   |
|       | Himachal Pradesh                   | 1,56,82,500       |                   |
|       | Jammu & Kashmir                    | -                 | 2,49,34,500       |
|       | Jharkhand                          | 12,03,000         | 1,85,04,000       |
|       | Karnataka                          | -                 | 2,51,04,000       |
|       | Kerala                             | 1,19,97,000       |                   |
|       | Manipur                            | 2,03,08,500       |                   |
|       | Meghalaya                          | 1,56,82,500       |                   |
|       | Mizoram                            | 1,45,26,000       | 1,39,32,000       |
|       | Nagaland                           | -                 | 2,03,08,500       |
|       | Puducherry                         | 12,03,000         | 30,84,000         |
|       | Punjab                             | 1,89,36,000       |                   |
|       | Rajasthan                          | 2,66,46,000       |                   |
|       | Sikkim                             | -                 | 87,43,500         |
|       | Tamil Nadu                         | 3,05,01,000       |                   |
|       | Telangana                          | 2,66,46,000       |                   |
|       | Tripura                            | 1,10,56,500       |                   |
|       | Uttar Pradesh                      | 5,90,28,000       |                   |
|       | Uttarakhand                        | 1,68,39,000       |                   |
|       | Andaman and Nicobar Islands        | 58,60,000         | 58,60,000         |
|       | Chandigarh                         | 32,90,000         |                   |
|       | Dadra Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 58,60,000         |                   |
|       | Ladakh                             | 45,75,000         | 45,75,000         |
|       | Lakshadweep                        | 32,90,000         |                   |

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