Background and mandate of National Commission for Women (NCW) - Road ahead
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New role for National Commission for Women
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- The story: The 30th Foundation Day of the National Commission for Women (NCW) was celebrated on January 31. Questions are raised from time to time on the relevance and functioning of the Commission.
- Key points: Considering the evolving needs of women in the country, the scope of NCW must be expanded. The Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) campaign has shown the link between the ability of women with the development of the country. This change is visible as about 70% beneficiaries of Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana are women. The country has seen a threefold increase in the number of women self-help groups in the last 6-7 years. In more than 60 thousand startups that have emerged after 2016, 45% have at least one -woman director.
- Challenges: Industries from textile to dairy have progressed due to women’s skills and power. India's economy relies on MSMEs and there is a need to promote women entrepreneurs in the country but people with old thinking are of the view that the women’s roles are restricted to domestic work. In 2021, there was a rise of 46% in complaints of crimes against women in the first eight months of 2021 over the corresponding period of preceding year. Crimes that women were subjected to: Domestic violence, Harassment of married women or dowry harassment, Sexual harassment at workplace, Rape and attempt to rape and Cybercrimes.
- About National Commission for Women: The Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI) recommended nearly five decades ago, the setting up of a NCW.
- Successive Committees/Commissions/Plans including the National Perspective Plan for Women (1988-2000) recommended the constitution of an apex body for women. Under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, the NCW was set up as a statutory body in January 1992.
- The First Commission was constituted on 31st January 1992 with Mrs. Jayanti Patnaik as the Chairperson.
- The commission consists of a chairperson, a member secretary and five other members. The chairperson of the NCW is nominated by the Central Government.
- Its mission is to strive towards enabling women to achieve equality and equal participation in all spheres of life by securing her due rights and entitlements through suitable policy formulation, legislative measures, etc.
- Its functions are to - review the constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate redressal of grievances and advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women. It has received a large number of complaints and acted suo-moto in several cases.
- It took up the issue of child marriage, sponsored legal awareness programmes, Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats and reviewed laws such as: Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques Act 1994, Indian Penal Code 1860.
- Legal framework for welfare of women:
- Govt. Schemes: Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, One Stop Centre Scheme, UJJAWALA, SWADHAR Greh, NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR, Mahila police Volunteers, Mahila Shakti Kendras (MSK), NIRBHAYA.
- Fundamental Rights: Article 14, Article 15(1) and Article 15(3).
- Fundamental Duties: Article 51 (A).
- Legislative Framework: Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, 2005; The Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961; The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013; The Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO), 2012
- Summary: In India, the role of women is continuously expanding and the expansion of the role of the NCW is the need of the hour. The State Commissions must also widen their ambit. Some of the recent steps taken by the government are like increasing the minimum age of marriage of daughters from 18 to 21 years so that marriage at an early age does not hinder the education and career of daughters. The promise of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) - to leave no one behind - cannot be fulfilled without putting an end to violence against women and girls and for this all the stakeholders need to get their act together, including Law makers, police officers, forensic dept, prosecutors, judiciary, medical & health dept, NGOs, rehabilitation centres.
- EXAM QUESTIONS: (1) “Give me a good mother and I will give you a good nation!” - Napoleon Bonaparte. Explain the role of women in the society in the light of the sentence. (2) “Strengthening women is the key to control population growth”. Discuss.
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