Rural Development Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Monday said the "Ladli Bahan' scheme launched during his tenure as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister is aimed at empowering women and not at getting votes, as he launched the third edition of a national campaign against gender-based violence.
Speaking at an event here to launch the third edition of "Nayi Chetna -- Pahal Badlaav Ki", a national campaign against gender-based violence, Chouhan talked about the women-centric schemes launched during his tenure as the Madhya Pradesh chief minister, including the direct-benefit-transfer scheme "Ladli Bahan", which was a game-changer that helped the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) win another term in power in the state.
Similar schemes launched in Maharashtra and Jharkhand recently were also a major factor behind the incumbent regimes retaining power in those states.
Chouhan, however, said the scheme is not intended at getting votes.
"The Ladli Bahan yojana was not brought to get votes. I always felt that economic empowerment is key to ensuring gender empowerment," he said.
The minister stressed that economic, social, political and educational empowerment of women is required to ensure an end to gender-based violence.
He also pitched for capital punishment for rapists.
"Violence against women happens not just in villages, but also in cities.... In more than 90 per cent rape cases, the perpetrator is someone known to the victim. Where are the daughters safe?
"If there is an incident like rape, the culprit should be hanged to death.... Such monsters have no right to live," Chouhan said.
"When it comes to the death sentence, there is a debate about human rights.... Human rights are for humans, not for monsters," he added.
Women and Child Development Minister Annapurna Devi said several steps have been taken towards women empowerment under the Narendra Modi government.
"Gender equality and women empowerment are enshrined in the Constitution. Under Prime Minister Modi's leadership, our government feels that women-led development is the only way forward," she said.
The minister stressed that the fight against gender-based violence should start at home.
"Most women still do not report violence against them. That is a worrying trend," she said.
"Nayi Chetna" is a month-long campaign organised by the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) under the aegis of the Ministry of Rural Development. The campaign will be run across the country till December 23.
The initiative, led by the DAY-NRLM's extensive Self-Help Group (SHG) network, embodies the spirit of "Jan Andolan".
It is a collaborative effort and will see the participation of nine ministries and departments, including the ministries for women and child development, health and family welfare, home affairs, panchayati raj, social justice and empowerment, information and broadcasting and the Department of School Education and Literacy.
The campaign aims at amplifying awareness and driving informed action against gender-based violence through grassroots initiatives. Since its inception, "Nayi Chetna" has mobilised lakhs of people nationwide, fostering a significant movement for gender equality and women's empowerment, the rural development ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, the first edition of the campaign reached 3.5 crore people, supported by multiple line ministries, while Nayi Chetna 2.0 engaged 5.5 crore participants across 31 states and Union territories, with more than nine lakh awareness activities on gender-based violence conducted nationwide.
