Assessing the Effectiveness of Government Schemes for Women Empowerment In India

Women empowerment in India had remained the need of the hour for a long time, as women were always made the subject of oppression in our society. Their rights and freedoms were limited, their voices were unheard, their needs were ignored and role in society building was always neglected. Even basic needs such as education, employment, sanitation etc were taken away from them. Though Mother India got independence in 1947 but the mothers of Indian society are not fully independent even today. Thus our society in order to get balanced needs to empower women at any cost. 

The Beginning of the Empowerment

The initial phase of women empowerment began in 1952, when women were given the right to vote in the general elections and this move proved very effective in sowing the seeds of equality in India. After it many more schemes were launched to improve the status of women in our nation. The needs of the women were given a special focus in all the “Panchvarshiya Yojna” (now- Niti Aayog) post the 50s. 

These schemes slowly and slowly created an open atmosphere of positivity which helped women to stand on the position where they stand today. 

The Government Schemes

There were numerous schemes launched by the government to empower women since independence, but today we will look into the schemes that have been launched recently, such as the Beti Padhao Beti Bachao, Ujjwala yojna etc. 

The Beti Padhao Beti Bachao Scheme

This scheme was launched in the year 2015 by the Prime Minister of India Mr. Prime Modi addressed the issue of declining sex ratio of women in India, it also aimed to promote girl child education in India. The scheme was praised worldwide and Sakshi Malik (bronze medal winner in 2016 Olympics) was made the Brand Ambassador of this movement. 

Effectiveness of this scheme

According to the data of The Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG)  the scheme failed to meet its objectives. As per the CAG data, the sex ratio has deteriorated in many districts of Haryana and Punjab. The report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Human Resource Development concluded that only five crores of a total of forty-three crores rupees were allotted for the scheme in the financial year 2016-2017. 

Ujjawala Scheme

This scheme was initiated in the year 2016 by the Government of India with the objective of preventing trafficking of women

and children for sexual exploitation, the scheme also works to rehabilitate the victims of sexual exploitation. 

Effectiveness of this scheme

The scheme proved successful in stopping many cases of women trafficking, and also helped in the rehabilitation of many women, but so far the scheme has not done something too great to mention. Everyday we hear about cases of sexual exploitation of women, proving that the situation is not healing. 

Other schemes like Women helplines, Mahila Kendras and Swadhar Greh

Unlike the other schemes these can be said as the most effective ones. The network of women helplines is very wide and strong, they operate 24/7 to help the women in need. Many womens feel safe at the workplace, while going out alone at night and while doing other schemes due to the presence of schemes like this. 

The Swadhar Greh is another scheme which helps women in difficult circumstances by providing them shelter, money, food, medicines and security. It is similar to the One Stop Centre Scheme, which also works for women. This scheme is working efficiently and can grow a lot in future. 

Conclusion 

Hundreds of steps are taken, thousands of campaigns are run to bring women empowerment in India but they all go in vain at one point, though they help a lot of women but still many women are left untouched with them. The rural women are the most unaffected with these schemes and movements, and their life problems remain unsolved. 

Today women have the opportunity of working late till night in jobs but lack a safer environment for them, they are even harassed in workplaces and mocked on various aspects of their lives. The ideology of the society still can not accept the fact of women’s freedom and here only all the things get worse.

But the positive side is that the society is healing, education is increasing the awareness of mass and one day everything can get normal, and only then these schemes would be called as effective.