Govt left no stone unturned in empowering women, says PM Modi; Know govt schemes for women welfare
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 said that in the last eight years the Government has done everything possible to empower the women of the country. He listed a slew of initiatives that improved the health, comfort and dignity of women.
Basic infrastructural deficiencies had been eating out the time and comfort from women’s lives in the country. Government from the very beginning rightly identified the areas that needed intervention on a priority basis. Over 11.5 crores of toilets in households have been built as part of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, saving women from security threats of having to go outside their homes for relieving themselves.
More than nine crore fifty lakh rural households now have access to tap water connections within their premises. This has been a boon to women who faced the drudgery of having to walk long distances to fetch water.
As part of Ujjwala Yojana scheme over 9.17 crore gas connections have been given to women, saving them from drudgery of collecting firewood. Under PM Awas Yojana, wherein, lakhs of houses are created, has given women the authority to be owners of houses which in turn, increased their participation in making household decisions.
Women as entrepreneurs
As of April 1, there are 8.19 million women entrepreneurs in India. From organising promotion drives to handholding women in scaling up their businesses, the government has done a slew of initiatives.
As on 26 November 2021, 68 percent of Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana accounts were held by women entrepreneurs. They had availed 44 per cent of the sanctioned amount under the scheme, which provides loans up to 10 lakh to the non-corporate, non-farm small/micro enterprises.
Over 25,900 women have registered on the Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) launched by Niti Aayog. The platform promotes, assists and handhold women entrepreneurs in their journey from starting up to scaling up and expanding their ventures. As on 26 February 2021, more than 81 per cent of account holders under Stand Up India scheme are women.
A total of 23.21 crore accounts, out of the total 41.93 crore accounts opened under Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) belong to women account holders as on 24 February 2021 .
This has helped them gain access to banking facilities, credit, insurance and pension. Mahila Shakti Kendras empowered rural women with opportunities for skill development, employment, digital literacy, health, and nutrition.
Health and Social security schemes
The Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan (PMSMA) incentivise institutional deliveries and regular health check-ups for pregnant women and lactating mothers. Over 2.4 crore women benefited from PMMVY. Over 3.11 crore free antenatal checkups have been conducted under PMSMA.
Paid Maternity leave increased from 12 weeks to 26 weeks. 2.73 crores Sukanya Samridhi Yojana accounts have deposits that receive a high rate of interest to help meet the education and marriage expenses of a girl child.
Ending the social malpractice of the instant triple talaq and permanent commission for women in armed forces are other path breaking initiatives taken by the government .
