Trafficking of women may prove a huge hurdle in promoting gender equality and women empowerment in Jharkhand by 2015. Establishing both the developmental issues in the State are a part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), committed to reduce extreme poverty by next year.
A State level stakeholder consultation was held on the various MDG targets including Achieve Universal Primary Education Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women Reduce Child Mortality, Improve Maternal Health was organised by Save the Children in the state capital on Friday. Speaking on empowerment of women, Jharkhand State Commission for Women (JSCW) Chairperson Mahua Maji, said that there are number of problems plaguing the women in Jharkhand. Implementation of MDG 3 target will probably fail in the state as Annual Health Survey (AHS 2012-13) reports Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) stands at 219 per 1,00,000 live births recorded under Sample Registration System 2012 and only 56 per cent of women have access to safe delivery (AHS 2012-13), mentions a data of Save the Children. This figure is less than the national MMR rate of 178 per 1, 00,000 live births according to Sample Registration System 2012.
Notably, in September 2000 the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, which are known as the MDGs. August 18, marks the beginning of 500-day countdown leading to the day of achievement of MDGs.
In order to boost the MDGs in the state a report was launched to mobilize public support towards hastening state’s progress on the MDGs 2, 3, 4 and 5.