On January 30, 2006, the Ministry of Women and Child Development came into existence. It aims at creating gender equitable and child-centered legislation, policies and programs. In other words, it promotes the holistic development, protection, participation, and survival of women and children. It endeavors to empower women (economically, socially, and politically) as equal partners in development in a non-violent and discrimination-free environment. The ministry mainstreams gender concerns, creates awareness about human rights, and facilitates institutional and legislative support. It encourages children’s growth in development in a safe environment, provides for protection of children, and facilitates access to nutrition and learning. To achieve this, the ministry collaborates with state governments/union territories, government and non-governmental organizations in order to implement the policies programs for the advancement of women and children in India.

In 1985, the Department of Women and Child Development was set up as a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development. In India, there existed a wide gap between expected outcomes and actual implementation of policies/legislations put forth in the Constitution and other policy directives. This issue had been analyzed extensively in various policy documents related to women’s equality and gender justice: the Report of the Committee on the Status of Women in India, “Towards Equality,” 1974; the National Perspective Plan for Women, 1988-2000; the Shramshakti Report, 1988; and the Platform for Action, Five Years After- An assessment. India signed and ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Discrimination against Women in July 1993. The initial Periodic Report and the Shadow Report was submitted to the CEDAW Committee in 2000 for review. The writing of the Shadow Report involved many women’s rights groups, NGOs, activists, and feminist scholars who constituted voices within the women’s movement in India. 

The women’s movement in India is conceived to be issue-based and heterogeneous (with many autonomous groups in the 1980s and women’s wings of political parties in the 1990s as its part), allied on various issues. Some of the issues that the women’s movement has been actively working around are: discrimination against women (manifested in female feticide, female infanticide, low child sex ratio, high level of illiteracy); violence against women (e.g. child marriage, dowry, sati, custodian rape, rape, domestic violence, honor killings, communal violence, police violence); articulation of dissent against policies adopted by the state (for instance the emergency, population policies, insurgency, policies of globalization, liberalization, other development projects which lead to massive displacement); political participation in various people’s rights movements and reservations for women in local governing bodies and parliament; and basic rights (right to live, shelter, water, food, health, reproductive health, and work). Overall, the attempt is to contextualize these issues on the basis of class, caste, age, religion, region, sexuality to understand the multilayered understanding of gender-based discrimination. 

Against this backdrop of women’s activism and policy documents, the Department of Women and Child Development declared 2001 Women's Empowerment Year. That same year, the Stree Shakti Puraskars was awarded to five distinguished women for their contribution toward female empowerment of women. Each month of the year was dedicated to a particular theme and programs and activities were taken up at the national, state and local levels by the central and state governments, civil society, academic and research institutions, the private sector and volunteer organizations.

The task force under the chairpersonship of K.C. Pant, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission was set up to review the laws and programs on women. The Domestic Violence against Women (Prevention) Bill, 2002, was finalized for introduction before the budget session of Parliament by the Department of Women and Child Development. The department also launched two new programs for women: Swyamsidha and Swadhar.

Swayamsidha, launched in 2001, was an integrated program aimed at converging all women related schemes of the state and central governments at the block level, through the network of Self-Help Groups of women. Swadhar was a central scheme implemented by the department through the state government or its agencies, voluntary organizations or trusts. It has provisions for construction or renting of shelter homes, food, medical care, counseling, help line facilities, and training for the women inmates. Overall it provides rehabilitation for women in difficult circumstances. These include: destitute widows; women prisoners; female survivors of natural disaster; trafficked women/girls; women victims of terrorist violence; mentally challenged women who are discriminated against and survive without any support from family or relatives.

Prior to these two schemes in 1975-1976, the Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS) was implemented by the department, which provides a package of services for overall development, protection, and safety for children.

In 2001, The National Policy for the Empowerment of Women was announced by the government with the main objective of advancement, development, and empowerment for women, and to eliminate all forms of discrimination against them in all spheres of life. Through these developments, the department gradually transformed into the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

The ministry works at various levels: it formulates plans, policies, programs; implements, enacts/amends legislation; guides and coordinates the efforts of both governmental and non-governmental organizations working in women and child development. These programs mainly involve welfare and support services, training for employment and income generation, awareness generation, and gender sensitization.

The major policy initiatives undertaken by the ministry in the recent past include launching the Kishori Shakti Yojana, universalization of the ICDS, starting a nutrition program for adolescent girls, establishment of the Commission for Protection of Child Rights, enactment of Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act and formulation of various bills and legislatures.

Various interventions in the form of schemes is initiated by the Ministry:

The Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) Scheme is a unique program for early childhood development. It is aimed to reduce infant mortality, morbidity, malnutrition, number of school dropouts and improve nutritional and health status of children in the age group of 0-6 years. The scheme offers services such as supplementary nutrition, pre-school non-formal education, nutrition and health education for children. The services of immunization, health check-up and referral services are delivered through Public Health Infrastructure under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. This program employs more than a million women workers, mostly poor, for providing nutrition, childcare, immunization, and early education services to children and mothers.

Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), introduced in 2009-10, aims at create safe and secure environment for children, especially those children in trouble with the law. ICPS provides assistance to the states and union territories by integrating several existing programs under one umbrella.

Swayamsidha was based on the formation of women into Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Its larger objectives include converging different agencies for women’s empowerment through single-window access, improving access to microcredit and economic resources and creating awareness among the group members regarding social, political, economic issues, health, nutrition, sanitation, hygiene, legal rights and overall women’s status in society and household.

Kishori Shakti Yojana (KSY) seeks to empower adolescent girls (11 to 18 years). This scheme is a redesign of the already existing Adolescent Girls (AG) Scheme being implemented as a component under the centrally sponsored Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program.

The National Mission for Empowerment of Women was launched on March 8, 2010, by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for providing convergence of women-centric government schemes into reality.

The Indira Gandhi Matritva Sahyog Yojana (IGMSY) was introduced by the Ministry of Women and Child Development for Pregnant & Lactating (P&L) women compensate partly for their wage loss incurred during pregnancy. It also helps create conditions essential for ensuring safe delivery and promotion of Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices.

The ministry is also responsible for enacting several important pieces of legislation. They include:

The Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010, was introduced in the Lok Sabha on December 7, 2010. It sought to provide every woman, irrespective of age or employment status (excluding domestic workers) a safe and secure environment free from sexual harassment by implementing mechanisms to hold employers accountable.

Attached Bodies or Autonomous Bodies

The ministry has four autonomous organizations - National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK), and Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) working under its auspices, besides two statutory commissions, the National Commission for Women (NCW) and National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR). The NIPCCD, RMK and CARA are societies registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860. CSWB is a charitable company registered under section 25 of the Indian Companies Act, 1956. The Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) is an attached office of the ministry. The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a national apex statutory body set up in 1992 for protecting and safeguarding the rights of women. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up on March 5, 2007 as envisaged in the Commission for Protection of Child Rights Act 2005.

The NIPCCD, established in 1966, promotes voluntary action research, training, and documentation in the overall domain of women and child development. It is an apex institution for training functionaries of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) program and the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS). It is also the central institution for imparting training on the prevention trafficking of women and children for SAARC countries.

The National Commission for Women was set up to review constitutional and legislative safeguards, recommend remedial legislative measures, and advise the government on policies related to women. Over the years, it has organized workshops/consultations, constituted expert committees on economic empowerment of women, conducted workshops/seminars for gender awareness and taken up publicity campaign against female feticide, child marriage, violence against women, and reviewed laws such as Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, PNDT Act 1994, Indian Penal Code 1860 and the National Commission for Women Act, 1990 to make them more stringent and effective.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up to ensure that all constitutional laws, policies, programs, and administrative mechanisms in India are in consonance with the child rights perspective and also the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The Central Adoption Resource Authority (CARA) monitors and regulates in-country and inter-country adoptions. It primarily handles the adoption of orphan, abandoned, and surrendered children through its associated adoption agencies. A web-based management information system, Child Adoption Resource Information & Guidance System (CARINGS), was launched in February 2011. CARINGS allows prospective parents to register on-line, track the progress of their application and obtain information about available children.

The National Credit Fund for Women or the Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) was set up in 1993 to provide and promote micro-credit to poor women and help them effectively utilize this credit for socio-economic empowerment.

The Food & Nutrition Board (FNB) set up in 1964. Originally part of the Ministry of Food, the FNB was shifted to Ministry of Women and Child Development (then Department of WCD) in 1993. The board undertakes nutrition education, creates awareness campaigns, and oversees food analysis and standardization programs.

There are 1,366,776 sanctioned Anganwadi Centres (AWCs) and Mini-AWCs, out of which around 1,241,000 were operational; the number of beneficiaries was 9,186,500 comprising 7,510,300 children and 1,676,200 pregnant women and recent mothers. In the current financial year, Rs 3.28 Crores ($65.6 million USD) has been released for SABLA up to February 28, 2011. An amount of Rs 1.01 Crores  ($20.2 million USD) was released for IGMSY up to February 28, 2011. Swayamsidha is expected to benefit about 930,000 women, with the formation of about 53,000 Self-Help Groups, about 26,500 Village Societies and 650 Block Societies in 2011, at a total cost of Rs. 1.163 Crore ($232,600 USD).

Fortified Packaged Snacks vs. Hot Cooked Meals

In 2007, the Ministry of Women and Child Development and the Planning Commission disagreed on the type of food to be served to children in government day care centers. Critical of substandard food being served to kids, the Minister for Women and Child Development proposed a fortified packaged snack, which was vociferously rejected by the Planning Commission.

Biscuit Lunch:Rs 5,000 crore—That's A Lot to Snack on. Renuka's Plan Gets More Flak (by Anuradha Raman, Outlook)

The ICDS is no Silver Bullet

Critics argue that malnourishment cannot totally be mitigated by a targeted approach strategizing such as the ICDS scheme. To make it work properly it is important to strengthen every element of the ICDS scheme, beginning with the anganwadi worker and helper. In many parts of India, malnourished tribal children die because ICDS schemes are mostly non-existent, and the government is in denial. There is similarly poor implementation of other programs like NREGA as well. High levels of corruption in both programs seriously hinder proper implementation.

Dividing Children: The ICDS Scheme is Weighed Down by Flaws, the Worst of Them Being the Attempt to Target It for Children of the Poorest among the Poor (by T.K. Rajalakshmi, Frontline)

Dying of Hunger: Malnourished Tribal Children Die Because ICDS Schemes Are All But Non-Existent, And The Government Is in Denial. (by Ajoy Ashirwad Mahadprashasta, Frontline)

Unhealthy Mid-Day Meals

In Karnataka, a company handed over the Rs 9,000,000,000 ($180 million USD) per year to provide mid-day meals to pre-school children was caught serving packaged food low on nutrients and high on toxic ingredients. This violated the Supreme Court order of 2004, which specified that hot meals and not packaged food should be served in mid-day meals. Children mostly refused to eat it, and some who did often complained of stomach pain, diarrhea, nausea, and headache.

No Hot Meals, Only the Cold Shoulder: Flouting court orders, the Yeddyurappa government is serving packaged food to kids (by Imran Khan, Tehelka)

Conditional Cash Transfers

Given the trend of declining child sex ratio, the proposed conditional cash transfer scheme aimed to encourage the birth of girls. Cash and non-cash transfers were provided to the family of girls who fulfilled certain conditions: birth and registration of the girl child, immunization; enrollment to school; retention in school; and delaying marriage till at least 18.

The Working Group for Children under Six (constituted by the Planning Commission under the Eleventh Five Year Plan) critiqued the conditional cash transfers on the following issues: immunizations facilities were not available in remote tribal area; removal of eligibility criteria of 19 years; contradictory to the Supreme Court order in 2007, which granted National Maternity Benefits to be given irrespective of number of children and the age of the mother. Instead it recommended the following: removal of conditions; a shift in focus on intensive change with respect to infant and young child feeding practices; training of anganwadi workers and helpers; and lastly, enhancing minimum wage levels to bring them in line with the organized sector.

Other voices raised the issues of: non-delay in payment, money to be given in two installments, the entitlement should be more than Rs. 6, 000. In other words, they argued for unconditional cash transfers.

The Debate over Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at the Workplace Bill 2010

The Union Cabinet introduced the Protection of Women against Sexual Harassment at Workplace Bill, 2010 in the Parliament. The bill addresses both the organized and the unorganized sectors.

Many womens’ activist groups pointed out that the initial bill prepared by the National Commission for Women and the Ministry of Women and Child Development in collaboration with women's organizations included domestic workers in the definition of “employee,” whereas the final bill presented did not include them. Also, the definition of sexual harassment excluded “humiliating conduct” which could constitute a health and safety concern to women. Most activists critiqued the clause, which would punish women if their complaints would not be substantiated.

The Debate over Reservation and Representation of Women in Parliament

The issue of 33% reservation for women in Parliament has been a contentious one. The bill was passed by the Rajya Sabha in March 2010 but not by the Lok Sabha.

The strongest opposition politically against the bill has came from allies of the Congress: SP, RJD, and JDU parties, which mostly represent the backward castes. They demanded a sub-quota within the proposed one-thirds reservation for women from backward castes and minorities. They also raised concerns over the bill not allowing reservations in the Rajya Sabha. Many proponents of the bill on reservation for women in Parliament put forth that all political parties provide certain percentage of tickets to women. The most contentious issue was that of quotas within quotas.

Several policy documents recommend reforms in the ministry. Overall, they emphasize gender disaggregated data collection, genders budgeting in inter and intra-ministerial functioning, gender auditing, and promoting gender-sensitizing workshops by the ministry. Some specific recommendations are noted below:

The high interest rate to the final borrowers defeats the purpose of the National Credit Fund for Women or RMK. So there has to be reduction in the rate and increase in duration of loans to correspond with the period of loans given. A better monitoring system and evaluation of the current structure, role and functioning of RMK would him enhance the scheme at large.

The role of ICDS should be clearly delineated. The focus should be more on impacts and outcomes rather than outputs. Adequate infrastructure, increase of human resource in Anganwadi, effective monitoring on the roles of Anganwadi workers, data collection on regular basis to find out the best policies would ensure transparency and accountability. Budget should be allocated and awareness generation programs should be geared towards encouraging early and exclusive breast-feeding. ICDS centers should be started in remote areas despite less number of children and crèches should be attached to Anganwadis.

The role and functioning of FNB in the context of ICDS and Mid-Day Meal Scheme should be linked in order to establish a system for concurrent assessment and monitoring of the nutrition component.

The ministry should recognize the multiple dimensions of poverty (not only income deprivation but also illiteracy, malnutrition, ill-health, insecure living, and other forms of vulnerabilities). It should measure poverty not only by income but also by levels of malnutrition, hours of physical work, morbidity, and differential access to basic social services. Entitlements should not be attached to either domicile and conditional cash transfers should be stopped.

Mainstreaming of gender perspective and ensuring better convergence of all schemes/programs, through the National Mission for Empowerment of Women, should be implemented at the earliest. Lastly the Women’s Reservation Bill and the Prevention of Sexual Harassment Bill should be passed and implemented.

Renuka Chowdary

Renuka Chowdary was the Minister of Women and Child Development from January 2006 to May 2009. She was a member of the Rajya Sabha for two terms from 1986 to 1998 representing the Telugu Desam Party. She joined the Congress Party in 1998. In 1999 and 2004, she was elected in the 13th and 14th Lok Sabha respectively representing Khammam. She also held the post of Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare from 1997 to 1998 in the cabinet of H. D. Deve Gowda. After that she became Minister of State for Tourism in the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance ministry in May 2004. During her tenure in the Ministry of Women and Child Development she was known for her support towards the Protection of Women against Domestic Violence, Act, 2005.