Govt to launch programmes for women empowerment

The Ministry of Women and Child Development (WCD) will soon come out with programmes to ensure safe environment and empowerment of women as a part of post-Delhi gang-rape measures.

“We are working on many aspects and programmes aimed at empowering women and ensuring their safety. This will include a programme aimed at sensitizing adolescent boys, Krishna Tirath, Minister of State for Women and Child Development, said at National Editors’ Conference on Saturday.

“The programme aimed at sensitizing adolescent boys would be named “Saksham” on the pattern of existing program for adolescent girls, ‘Sabla’,” said Tirath.

“This program would target drop-outs of different schools. They would be given supplementary nutrition and life skills. But the most important deviation from existing ‘Sabla’ would be that it would sensitize them towards women. We will make an attempt at changing their mindset,” said Prem Narain, WCD secretary.

The curriculum for the program is being worked out to impart them social-moral education aimed at equality of women, the secretary said.

On post-gang rape measures, Tirath said that mere legislation will not do. We have 48 legislation for women, we really need a changed atmosphere.

“We have decided to ensure every police station has a women officer for 24 hours. We will have One Stop Crisis Centres at every district hospital with police, medical and women protection officer. We are also planning to have increased branches of National Integrated Women Resource Centre to provide all kind of information to women,” she said.