Lok Sabha Question No. 2204 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-12-15
Subject: Mission for Protection and Empowerment of Women
Ministry: WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT
Asked by: Sisir Kumar Adhikari

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2204

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.12.2023

## FUNDS FOR MISSION FOR PROTECTION AND EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

## 2204. SHRI SISIR KUMAR ADHIKARI:

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

- (a) whether it is a fact that the funds for Mission for Protection and Empowerment of Women has been slashed from Rs. 500 crore in 2021-22 to Rs. 20 crore in 202324;
- (b) if so, the reasons therefor; and
- (c) the manner in which the schemes for protection and empowerment of women are proposed to be implemented with meager budget of 0.6 per cent of the total Union Budget?

## ANSWER

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

(a)  to  (c)  :  The  Government   implements  the  Umbrella  Scheme  named  as  'Mission Shakti'  for  safety,  security  and  empowerment  of  women  during  the  15th  Finance Commission period with effect from the financial year 2022-23. For implementation of schemes aimed at safety, security and empowerment of women, in the Union Budget 2021-22  and  2023-24,  the   Ministry  of  Women  and  Child  Development  has  been allocated a fund of Rs. 3109.00 crore and Rs. 3143.96 crore respectively.

The Ministry of Women and Child Development, as the nodal Ministry, has been making efforts to strengthen gender budgeting. During the FY 2023-24, a total of 43 Ministries/Departments (including 5 UTs) reported an allocation of Rs. 2.23 lakh crore under gender budget statement, which is an increase of about 30% over the last year's allocation of Rs. 1.71 lakh crore.

In  addition,  an  amount  of  Rs.500.00  crore  each  has  been  allocated  under 'Nirbhaya Fund' for the years 2021-22, 2022-23 and 2023-24. Under the Nirbhaya Fund, upto the financial year 2023-24, a total amount of Rs 7212.85 Crore has been allocated. The total amount released by the Ministries/ Departments/ IAs and utilized out of the Nirbhaya fund since inception is Rs 5118.91 Crore which is approximately 70% of the total allocation. Over 40 projects are in various stages of implementation across the country covering all States/UTs, specifically focused on women safety and security.

The Government has adopted multi-pronged 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),  over  9  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, and also  availing  governmental  support  including  bank  linkage.  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' subscheme,  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.

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