ANNUAL REPORT 2019-20 MINISTRY OF WOMEN AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT Government of India CONTENTS Chapter Title Page No. Chapter 1. Introduction 1-4 Chapter 2. Women Empowerment and Protection 5-26 Chapter 3. Child Development 27-58 Chapter 4. Child Protection and Welfare 59-80 Chapter 5. Gender and Child Budgeting 81-90 Chapter 6. Plan, Statistics and Research 91-98 Chapter 7. Food and Nutrition Board 99-108 Chapter 8. National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development 109-120 Chapter 9. Central Social Welfare Board 121-142 Chapter 10. National Commission for Women 143-154 Chapter 11. Rashtriya Mahila Kosh 155-160 Chapter 12. National Commission for Protection of Child Rights 161-176 Chapter 13. Central Adoption Resource Authority 177-192 Chapter 14. Other Programme and Activities 193-202 Annexures 203-254 1 Introduction Chapter 1 Introduction 1.1 Women and children together constitute enabling them to realize their human rights and about 67.7% of the country’s population, as per develop to their full potential. 2011 Census. Empowerment and protection of women and children, and ensuring their III. MISSIon – SAFE AND SECURE wholesome development is crucial for sustainable CHILDHOOD and equitable development of the country. The 1.4 Ensuring development, care and protection Ministry of Women and Child Development is the of children through cross-cutting policies and apex body of Government of India for formulation and administration of regulations and laws related programmes, spreading awareness about their to welfare and development women and children rights and facilitating access to learning, nutrition, in the country. It came into existence as a separate institutional and legislative support for enabling Ministry with effect from 30th January, 2006; them to grow and develop to their full potential. earlier, it was Department of Women and Child IV. CONSTITUTIONAL AND LEGAL Development set up in the year 1985 under the PROVISIONS Ministry of Human Resource Development. The Ministry was constituted with the prime intention 1.5 The concern of the makers of our to address gaps in State action for women and Constitution for equality of women, on one side children and for promoting inter-ministerial and for assuring the rights of children, promoting and inter-sectoral convergence to create gender their well-being and ensuring a better future for equitable and child centered legislation, policies them on the other, are enshrined in constitutional and programmes. provisions. These provisions are listed at Annexure I. VISION I. For furthering the interests of the women and the children of the country, the Government has 1.2 To ensure well-nourished and happy also enacted a number of laws which are listed at children growing in a safe and secure environment; Annexure II. and empower women as equal partner in a safe society, steering women-led development for a V. SUBJECTS ALLOCATED TO THE transformed India. MINISTry OF WOMEN AND II. MISSIon – EMPOWERMENT OF CHILD DEVELOPMENT WOMEN 1.6 The Ministry has evolved policies, plans 1.3 Promoting social and economic of action, legislations, programmes and schemes empowerment of women through cross-cutting for advancement of women and children and policies and programmes, mainstreaming gender has been implementing them with the support concerns, creating awareness about their rights and of State Governments/UTs, Government and facilitating institutional and legislative support for Non-Government Organisations for achieving its Annual Report 2019-20 3 mandate. The subjects allocated to the Ministry Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) working are listed at Annexure III. under its aegis; besides three Statutory Bodies namely— National Commission for Women 1.7 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (NCW), National Commission for Protection of have taken the centre stage in defining the Child Rights (NCPCR) and Central Adoption developmental priorities. Women empowerment Resource Authority (CARA). NIPCCD and is widely recognised as the precondition for RMK are societies registered under the Societies achieving the several targets of the SDGs like Registration Act, 1860. CSWB is a charitable poverty eradication, inequality, good health, company registered under section 25 of the Indian decent work and economic growth. Wellbeing of Companies Act, 1956. These organisations are women and children is essential for realisation of funded by the Government of India and they demographic dividend of the country. The schemes assist the Ministry in its functions including and initiatives of the Ministry of Women and implementation of programmes/schemes. The Child Development are aligned with the Targets Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) is an attached of SDG; and are directly linked to the social safety office of the Ministry. net for development and welfare of women and children in the country. 1.10 The National Commission for Women (NCW) is a National apex statutory body set up VI. OrgaNISATIONAL STRUCTURE in 1992 for protecting and safeguarding the rights OF THE MINISTry of women. National Commission for Protection th 1.8 The Ministry of Women and Child of Child Rights (NCPCR) was set up on 5 Development is headed by Cabinet Minister Smt. March, 2007 as envisaged in the Commission for Smriti Zubin Irani and Minister of State Sushri Protection of Child Rights Act, 2005. CARA is the Debasree Chaudhuri. Shri Rabindra Panwar, took Central Authority that functions as a nodal body over the charge of Secretary of the Ministry on for promoting and regulating adoption of Indian 1st April, 2019, who is assisted by one Special children at the National level, as per the provisions Secretary, one Additional Secretary and Financial under Section 68 of the Juvenile Justice (Care and Advisor (AS&FA), six Joint Secretaries and one Protection of Children) Act, 2015. Statistical Adviser. Organisational chart of the VIII. ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE Ministry is at the Annexure IV. MINISTry DURING 2019-20 VII. OrgaNISATIONS UNDER THE 1.11 During the year 2019-20 Ministry has AEGIS OF THE MINISTry undertaken various policy initiatives and plan 1.9 The Ministry has three Autonomous interventions for the development, welfare Organisations viz. National Institute of Public and protection of women and children. These Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), interventions and Ministry’s major achievements Central Social Welfare Board (CSWB), and during the year are discussed in the succeeding chapters. 4 Introduction 2 Women Empowerment and Protection Chapter 2 Women Empowerment and Protection I. INTRODUCTION A. Sexual Harassment at Workplace 2.1 The principle of gender equality is 2.4 The Sexual Harassment at Workplace enshrined in the Indian Constitution. The (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, Constitution not only grants equality to women, 2013 was enacted to ensure safe working spaces but also empowers the State to adopt measures for women and to build an enabling environment of positive discrimination in favour of women that respects women’s right of equality of status to neutralise the cumulative socio-economic and and opportunity. The Act covers all women, political disadvantages faced by them. Women irrespective of their age or employment status have fundamental rights to not be discriminated on and protects them against sexual harassment at the grounds of sex and get equal protection under all workplaces whether organised or unorganised. the law. It also imposes a fundamental duty on Students, apprentices, laborers, domestic every citizen to renounce the practices derogatory workers and even women visiting an office or a to the dignity of women. workplace are included in the Act. 2.2 Empowerment of women is a process that 2.5 In order to ensure the effective leads women to claim their rights to have access to implementation of the Act, the Ministry has equal opportunities in economic, cultural, social developed an online complaint management system and political spheres of life and realise their full titled Sexual Harassment electronic–Box (SHe- potential. This progress has to be accompanied by Box), which provides an online platform to every their freedom in decision making both within and woman, irrespective of her work status, whether outside their home with the ability to influence the working in organised or unorganised, private direction of social change. The Ministry has taken or public sector for registration of complaints a number of initiatives to empower women and to related to sexual harassment at workplace. Those ensure their safety; these are detailed below. who have already filed a written complaint with the concerned Internal Committee (IC) or Local II. LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK Committee (LC) constituted under the Sexual FOR WOMEN Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, 2.3 On the legal front, the Ministry has been Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 are also active in ensuring the protection of law to the eligible to file their complaint through this portal. most vulnerable women. Work is being carried This portal is an effort to provide speedier remedy out to ensure optimum implementation of laws for to women facing sexual harassment at workplace. women. Once a complaint is submitted to the portal, it will be directly sent to the IC/LC of the concerned employer. Annual Report 2019-20 7 2.6 The Ministry has also published a C. Domestic Violence Handbook and Training Module on the Act to help people understand the Act in a practical manner. 2.10 The Ministry is working to ensure The training module could be customised as per protection of women rights both within and outside the service rules of the organisations. the domestic sphere of home. With regard to violence occurring within private space of home, B. Child Marriage the key legislation is the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act (PWDVA), 2005. 2.7 The Ministry has been taking pro-active The objective of the law is to prevent violence measures to eliminate the practice of child and provide immediate and emergency relief in marriage. The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, case of such situations irrespective of the status 2006 has been enacted to punish those who promote, of woman’s relationship with the respondent.