Shifting focus from entitlements to rights and from empowerment to creating an enabling environment for women, the Women and Child Development (WCD) Ministry has recast its 15-year-old National Policy for Women, majorly recognising concerns related to single women — divorced, widowed and unmarried women.
Several things have changed since the last policy of 2001 especially women’s attitude towards themselves and their expectations from life, said Union Minister for WCD Maneka Gandhi after the release of the draft policy.
In an interaction with the reporters at the Indian Women Press Corps, she said, the new draft Policy shifts the focus from entitlements to rights and from empowerment to creating an enabling environment in keeping with the need of the hour.
The draft policy has been uploaded on the Ministry’s website seeking suggestions and comments from public.
The policy will act as a road map while dealing with women’s issues in the next 15 to 20 years and guide the Government in making policies for women, ranging from discrimination against women to expectations of the new emerging aspirational woman.
According to the 2011 Census, single women represent 21 per cent of India’s population or 73 million. As per WCD Ministry, the population of single women has risen by 40 per cent between 2001 and 2011.
laying out its vision, the Minister said the aim was to achieve “a society in which women are can take part as equal partners in all spheres of life.” Also the policy plans
to set up one stop centres for women, launch women helpline services, set up Mahila Police Volunteers to enhance women’s safety.
The policy also describes emerging issues such as making cyber space safe place for women, redistribution of gender roles, for reducing unpaid care work, review of personal and customary laws in accordance with the Constitutional provisions.