Draft National Policy for Women, 2016

A Draft National Policy for Women was framed by the Ministry of Women and Child Development.

Some Important Features of the Policy: Maternal and prenatal mortality remains a priority area, focusing on a coordinated referral transport system for safe deliveries and emergency obstetric care to be made available in difficult, remote and isolated areas.

• “A gender transformative health strategy” is mooted which will change the family planning norms in India. The policy recommends behavioral change from Women sterilization to Men sterilization for birth control.
• It focuses on ensuring nutrition to women of all ages, especially above 60.
• “Innovative transportation models” is mooted to ensure more enrolments of girls in educational
• institutions.
• Running programs for creating awareness, ensuring dialogue, sensitizing men (especially youth) on women issues and instilling respects for women are recommended.
• Mentions of designing a comprehensive social protection mechanism for women such as building 1000 room shelter for widows and other vulnerable sections of women.
• Other directives include efforts to increase women participation in workforce, ending violence, etc.

Issues with the Policy: It is silent on the concept of marital rape.

• It is yet to be adopted as 5 years on and it is still in consultative stage.
• Mere drafting policies won’t be of much help unless these policy initiatives are implemented effectively. Plus, societal change along with ushering behavioural changes are right way going forward in the quest of ensuring women their right place in the society.