1. It is heartening to learn that ICDS is partnering with Vedanta to boost the infrastructural requirements of some Anganwadis in 11 States across India. The Nand Ghars (as the Vedanta Anganwadis are called) are proper buildings with child-friendly amenities and a lively learning environment for children which will double up as an adequate, secure space for the counselling and care of pregnant and lactating women. 2. The early years of a child are the foundation years critical for children’s health. There is a need to develop institutions and systems to ensure the well-being of children. Building Nand Ghars is one such endeavour which will go a long way in ensuring children from deprived backgrounds remain healthy. 3. Women’s empowerment deals with the entire gambit of day-to-day life which includes the right to education, health, an equal status in the work environment. It should also include political empowerment and equality in basic human and legal rights, control of resources, land etc. Nand Ghars facilitated by the Government of India with the support of Vedanta can act as a key change- maker at the grassroots level by bringing women to the centre of the stage in development.
OPINION : 23/05/2019 : 1799.
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Sub :
1. It is heartening to learn that ICDS is partnering with Vedanta to boost the infrastructural requirements of some Anganwadis in 11 States across India. The Nand Ghars (as the Vedanta Anganwadis are called) are proper buildings with child-friendly amenities and a lively learning environment for children which will double up as an adequate, secure space for the counselling and care of pregnant and lactating women.
2. The early years of a child are the foundation years critical for children’s health. There is a need to develop institutions and systems to ensure the well-being of children. Building Nand Ghars is one such endeavour which will go a long way in ensuring children from deprived backgrounds remain healthy.
3. Women’s empowerment deals with the entire gambit of day-to-day life which includes the right to education, health, an equal status in the work environment. It should also include political empowerment and equality in basic human and legal rights, control of resources, land etc.
Nand Ghars facilitated by the Government of India with the support of Vedanta can act as a key change- maker at the grassroots level by bringing women to the centre of the stage in development.
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Ref :1. Expert’s views on ‘Community Participation & Women Empowerment’
Dr. Kshama Metre, popularly known as Doctor Didi, is a social worker, pediatrician and the Founder and national Director of the Chinmaya organization for Rural Development (CORD). She earned her MD in pediatrics from Maulana Azad Medical College, New Delhi. inspired by Swami Chinmayananda in 1985, she has dedicated her life to transforming rural india, impacting 850 villages through the integrated rural development program at CORD. She received Padma Shri in 2008 and the guardian international Development achievement award in 2012 amongst other accolades.
*Dr. Kshama Metre
It is heartening to learn that ICDS is partnering with Vedanta to boost the infrastructural requirements of some Anganwadis in 11 States across India. The Nand Ghars (as the Vedanta Anganwadis are called) are proper buildings with child-friendly amenities and a lively learning environment for children which will double up as an adequate, secure space for the counselling and care of pregnant and lactating women.
It will also serve as a base for empowering women by training and skilling them in various trades. It is imperative that stakeholders focus on mothers, families and communities in order to understand health, nutrition and early childhood learning needs. This is critical when the nation has woken up to the importance of empowering women through Self Help groups. Involving fathers and men in child care would further empower women and decrease the stereotypical image of women alone being responsible for rearing children.
Although poverty plays a role in malnutrition, ignoring the necessity of frequently feeding diverse foods in certain quantities, not drinking clean water, ignoring the importance of hygiene and sanitation play a significant role in contributing to malnutrition and poor childcare practices. Increasing awareness in communities and their involvement can help alleviate this to a great extent. Factors hindering community participation include males continuing to play a dominant role to the detriment of women coupled with vertical-undemocratic community leadership and management styles.
Without engaging community members, attempting to empower and include marginalized groups including women is difficult. Such social exclusion contributes to inequalities in health and nutrition often suffered by such groups. It should be remembered that local, semi-literate and illiterate people have much wisdom and insight that need to be taken into account while formulating programme strategies to achieve optimal effectiveness.
Community participation and women empowerment involve all members of the community appraising, analysing, planning and implementing plans.
It also involves the community, as a whole, including women, monitoring and evaluating results. With such participation, ownership and responsibility increases.
With the great diversity there is in the country, uniform solutions are rare. Active involvement of communities brings about feasible and effective local resolutions. Flexibility facilitates communities to add value, innovate, invent and improvise. Communities learn most by doing and by gaining experience and taking into account their diversity adds further value.
Bringing communities (and women in particular) to the centre stage helps to converge other related programmes such as Swachh Bharat, National Rural Drinking Water Program, MGNREGA, public distribution system, Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Antyodaya Yojana and NULM (National Urban Livelihood Mission) under National Livelihood Mission. The Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana has recognized the collective contribution of several women farmers and has increased the food security in poor families with an emphasis on overall development of mothers and children, adolescent girls and newly married women. Once women and communities as a whole are respected for their insight and potential, they become effective and empowered agents of change.
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Ref : 2. Expert’s views on ‘Children Health Care’
Dr. Meenu Singh, a Professor of Pediatrics, in addition to making significant contributions to the field of research in treating tuberculosis in children has received several awards for her work in Pediatric Pulmonology. She is a member of several national and international studies in the field of asthma and allergies in children. Children are the future of this?country. It has been proven that the foundation for a healthy life must be laid during the early childhood years. Neglecting the health of a child can lead to issues in adulthood relating not only to the physical but also mental health. Effective measures must be taken in childhood to prevent the birth of underweight children which exposes them to the risks of being malnourished, contracting sepsis, diarrhoea, pneumonia, diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease and falling prey to obesity. The proper development of a foetus inside the mother’s womb is critical which in turn depends on the health of the mother. Mothers who are malnourished give birth to babies who are commonly referred to as “small-to-date.”
*Dr. Meenu Singh
Measures to boost the health of children needs strengthening in the following areas :
1. Monitoring growth :
As soon as a baby is conceived it is the collective responsibility of a nation to ensure that the baby grows according to internationally accepted norms. To ensure proper development of the foetus in utero, regular antenatal check- ups are critical including periodic ultrasonic examinations. Monitoring the development of a child must continue after birth with the weight and the height of the child at birth being baseline parameters to monitor health. The weight and height of the child and the circumference of the child’s head should be tracked. Health workers must be trained to document the growth of a child to make accurate inferences. Issues relating to insufficient or retarded growth can trigger endocrine disorders (hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency), tuberculosis, celiac disease and anaemia.
2. Breast feeding :
Adequate nutrition during childhood is the first step toward ensuring better health for children. Infants need to be breastfed for the first six months of their life. Breast milk— ‘colostrum’, is essential for fortifying the immune axis, protecting the child from deadly diseases including several non- communicable diseases such as obesity. Breastfeeding also develops children’s motor and mental capacities. Moreover bonding with the mother is stronger and essential in keeping the negative effects of emotional deprivation at bay. Several Indian communities discard colostrum as they consider it impure. Such myths need to be dispelled by educating mothers and grandmothers. The composition of mother’s milk is such that it more than meets the nutritional requirements of babies as long as mothers are not themselves deficient in iron, calcium and other vitamins.
3. Early nutrition :
After six months, the flow of breast milk in mothers usually declines and the process of weaning the baby away from breast milk must be done gradually by introducing nutritious and non-allergenic foods such as khichdi, soft fruit and pulse- based cereals including eggs and fish. Planning parenthood and adequate spacing of pregnancies are also critical for the health of children as babies born in quick succession are deprived of nutrition.
4. Immunization :
Immunization against deadly diseases is the most successful and cost-effective public health intervention. Following a proper immunization schedule is critical to ensure the health of children and prevent untimely death or disability. Vaccine doses depend on factors such as the nature of the vaccine, immune status of the child and age. Parents must be kept informed of their children’s respective immunization schedules and ensure they bring their children to immunization centres. Parents and health workers should be aware of any contra-indications of children during immunization.
5. Early learning development :
It is important that newborn babies begin to develop from the moment of birth. Anganwadis must have all facilities for early learning development so that children can learn as they play. If a child lacks in some developmental skills such as motor, cognition and intellectual capabilities, it could lead to developmental disability. If a delay is in one domain, it is a ‘developmental delay’. If disabilities occur in two or more developmental domains, it is termed ‘global developmental delay’. Some of the common developmental disorders include autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorders, cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome. Approximately 5 percent of children worldwide under 14 years of age have moderate to severe disability according to the World Health Organization. Early diagnosis of some of these disorders can save families from experiencing severe stress later in life. Such developmental abnormalities affect not only the children and their families but also have an impact on the cost of health care and on the support provided for education and other services.
6. Prevention of trauma and child abuse :
In the past decade there has been a rise in the number of cases involving child-abuse. Child-abuse includes physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse and even neglect resulting in the increase in morbidity and mortality rates which further the economic loss and social suffering. Child welfare agencies such as Childline provide 24- hour service to safeguard children who are victims of abuse. However, much more needs to be done in this direction.
The early years of a child are the foundation years critical for children’s health. There is a need to develop institutions and systems to ensure the well-being of children. Building Nand Ghars is one such endeavour which will go a long way in ensuring children from deprived backgrounds remain healthy.
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Ref : 3. Expert’s views on ‘Women Empowerment’ :
Narendra Paul : COO-Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development
“That nation which does not respect women has never become great, nor will it ever be in the future”. —Swami Vivekananda
*Narendra Paul : COO-Chinmaya Organisation for Rural Development
India with its diversity and rich heritage has an ugly side with its subtle and inbuilt patriarchal society subjugating women. If women have been worshipped as Goddess, there has been sati and teen talak too.
*“Women carry the burden of the nation. Women sacrifice themselves for the nation. Without women, the nation will lag, the nation will sag,” says Moru.
Post independence India continues to witness the highly patriarchal past. In India, women are more likely to be poor and illiterate with little or no rights to property ownership. They often face violence and suffer from lack of education, employment, medical care as well as a lack of control over their own destinies. Women are discriminated and marginalised at every level of society whether it is social, economic, governance, political participation, economic opportunities, access to education, nutrition or reproductive health care. Women are still considered by many as commodities and sex objects. Gender disparity is high, crimes against women are at an all time high. Dowry-related problems are also evident among the well-educated urban populace. Workplace harassment is yet another phenomenon that is increasingly common as more women join the workforce.
Incidences of early age marriage go unreported. Girls’ enrolment in school remains low. Female foeticide and infanticide is one of the biggest social crises with 10 million baby girls having been killed in the last 20 years alone.
It is one of the biggest crimes against humanity and pushes back all efforts of multiple agencies and stakeholders working toward women empowerment.
Many women in India are poor and uneducated. The existing patriarchal system encourages a male child and considers a female child a liability. The journey from womb to tomb for women is full of struggle. We need to accept the truth that there is great disparity in the ideology and the actual practice of empowering women. The time has come for an actionable path at the ground level for real and measurable change.
This is not to say that the status of women is not changing in some areas. It was in the year 1975 that UNESCO dedicated one day of the year to International Women’s Day bringing greater awareness of the problems women face. The Government of India has taken several steps to equate the status of women with men. The Indian Government declared 2001 as the “Year of Women’s Empowerment”. In 2001, the National Policy for Empowerment of Women was adopted which includes—social empowerment, economic empowerment and gender justice. Constitutional provisions for empowering women in India include a number of articles/provisions that ensure women’s empowerment in several spheres.
In spite of the various measures taken by the government post independence, women still have a long way to go before being empowered in intent and spirit. The government’s efforts alone will not be sufficient to achieve this goal. The society must take the initiative to create a climate where gender discrimination ceases to exist. As per the Global Gender Gap Report 2011, released by the World Economic Forum, India ranks pathetically at 113 out of 135 countries.
As substantiated by the World Bank Report 2012, collective action is a potent force to bring change in and around women’s agency. Empirically, collective action through community- based organisations helps organise livelihoods and effect institutional change. There are about 7.3 million Self Help Groups in India, 0.5 million Village Health and Sanitation Committees, about 1.4 million School Management Committees and several other functional community-based organisations like Mahila Mandals, mothers’ groups etc.
An integrated multi-pronged approach that keeps women at centre-stage needs to be practiced more than just merely advocated. Community-level collective action is critical if women are to be empowered en masse and should include:
Initiating change in the mindsets of not only women but also men. Further, child rearing practices should consciously treat both boys and girls equally. Boys should learn to respect girls from the beginning. Girls should be given the right to choose without coercion or violence and have the freedom to participate fully and equally in society.
Ensuring the same opportunities, rights and obligations for women in all spheres of life.
Unlike the medieval times, roles played by women and men are not biologically determined, but are more interchangeable and are socially determined. Therefore, for a stronger social fabric, it is important that women’s potential contribution is harnessed.
Multiple roles and responsibilities women undertake need to be recognised. Pro-active men’s partnership in this endeavour should be sought with the active participation of men.
Education of girls should be non- negotiable for anyone working toward women empowerment.
Granting women an equal say in determining family size, education, employment.
Women’s empowerment deals with the entire gambit of day-to-day life which includes the right to education, health, an equal status in the work environment. It should also include political empowerment and equality in basic human and legal rights, control of resources, land etc.
Nand Ghars facilitated by the Government of India with the support of Vedanta can act as a key change- maker at the grassroots level by bringing women to the centre of the stage in development.
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OPINION :
1. Historic Boost to Empowerment of Women : September 01, 2018
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been at the forefront of raising awareness on gender equality and women empowerment. He says that India needs not just women development, but women-led development that makes women the leading force of our development trajectory.
Accordingly, the NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi is focusing on comprehensive women empowerment.
1. Protection and Empowerment of the Girl Child :
Beti Bachao Beti Padhao initiative was launched in early 2015 to usher in a transformational shift in the way our society looks at the girl child. There is a strong emphasis on mindset change through training, sensitization, awareness raising and community mobilization on the ground. Due to these efforts, the sex ratio at birth improved in 104 districts among those identified as gender-sensitive. 119 districts reported progress in first trimester registrations and 146 districts improved in institutional deliveries. Buoyed by the success of this initiative in these districts, BBBP has now been expanded across all 640 districts of the country.
Education plays an important role in empowering the girl child. Thanks to the relentless efforts of the government such as multiple scholarships for the education of girls, enrolment of girls in secondary schools is rising.
To ensure the financial security of the girl child, Pradhan Mantri Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana was introduced. Its resounding success is visible in the fact that more than 1.26 crore Sukanya Samriddhi accounts have been opened with around Rs 20,000 crore deposited in them.
Securing women against violence has been a key policy priority of the NDA government. The government gives a high priority to safety and security of the girl child and hence, through an ordinance, it provided the death penalty for the rape of a girl child under 12 years. It also ensured that the minimum punishment for the rape of a girl under 16 years is increased from 10 years to 20 years.
2. Financial Inclusion and Financial Empowerment :
To boost financial empowerment of women, making them beneficiaries of formal financial institutions is a crucial, enabling step. Women have many skills that need financial capital that can help convert these skills into successful entrepreneurship opportunities. MUDRA Yojana was launched by PM Narendra Modi’s government to provide collateral-free loans to entrepreneurs and help them achieve their dreams.
Another programme, Stand Up India, also provides entrepreneurship loans of up to Rs 1 crore to women or SC/ST entrepreneurs. Women have been at the forefront of making these programmes immensely successful. Over 9 crore women have availed entrepreneurship loans jointly from MUDRA and Stand Up India. Women constitute over 70% of MUDRA’s beneficiaries.
3. Caring for Mothers :
PM Narendra Modi’s government has initiated a number of steps to facilitate the welfare of expectant mothers and mothers of new-born children.
Through the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act 2017, the government ensured that paid maternity leave for women got extended to 26 weeks, from the erstwhile 12 weeks. This is among the highest in the world.
The recently launched POSHAN Abhiyan is a first of a kind initiative to tackle malnutrition through multi-modal interventions. Multiple ministries are coming together and ensuring a targeted approach through the power of technology in this battle against malnutrition.
Mission Indradhanush is a mass movement that aims to boost the health of pregnant women and children through vaccination. It is a mission mode intervention in which more than 80 lakh pregnant women have been immunised.
Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is an initiative that provides economic support to pregnant women and lactating mothers. It ensures timely checkups, an important factor in ensuring the health of mothers and children. Cash incentive of Rs 6,000 is offered to pregnant or lactating mothers to help them afford better nutrition. More than 50 lakh women are expected to benefit from PMMVY every year.
Detecting high-risk pregnancies is vital to ensuring better health for mothers and children. Pradhan Mantri Surakshit Matritva Abhiyan has ensured more than 1.16 crore antenatal check-ups across more 12,900 health facilities across all states and union territories. The NDA government, through this initiative, identified more than 6 lakh high-risk pregnancies.
4. Pathbreaking Programmes for Welfare of Women :
Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana and Swachh Bharat, both flagship programmes of the PM Narendra Modi led government, have become household names all across the country. Both of these programmes have raised the quality of life of crores of women, especially from the poorer sections.
Ujjwala Yojana, the programme that provides free LPG connections, has clocked 5.33 crore connections even before its deadline and is on the way to an enhanced target of 8 crore connections. This helps women have healthier, smoke-free lives while also helping them save the time and energy spent on looking for firewood.
Swachh Bharat has heralded a revolution in sanitation and helped women’s access to safe sanitation. Over 8.23 crore household toilets have been built and 4.25 lakh villages across 19 states/UTs have been declared ODF (open defecation free). India’s total sanitation coverage that was 38.7% in October 2014 has now reached 91.03%, a huge jump in just 4 years, thanks to PM Narendra Modi’s relentless efforts through Swachh Bharat.
5. Social Empowerment and Justice :
Social empowerment of women is a key facet of ensuring their all-round development and dignity. PM Narendra Modi’s government has taken many steps to ensure the social empowerment of women.
To help the presence of immovable assets in the name of women, the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, gives preference to women.
Passport rules have been relaxed for single mothers so that they can get formalities done without any problems.
The NDA government led by PM Narendra Modi has stood by the rights of Muslim women. The government, through an important reform, has ensured that Muslim women can now perform Haj without a male guardian. The presence of a male guardian used to be a mandatory condition earlier.
A watershed moment in ensuring justice was achieved when a bill that empowers Muslim women against Triple Talaq was passed in the Lok Sabha.
Thus, the NDA government, under the leadership of PM Narendra Modi, has ensured great strides in empowering women, by not just focusing on women development but on women-led development.
Our Mantra should be: ‘Beta Beti, Ek Samaan’
Let us celebrate the birth of the girl child. We should be equally proud of our daughters. I urge you to sow five plants when your daughter is born to celebrate the occasion.
~ PM Narendra Modi
LAST WORDS GOVERNANCE :
JAY HIND
JAY BHARATHAM
VANDE MATARAM
BHARAT MATA KI JAY
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