Context: Recently, the Union WCD Minister of India addressed the first ever G20 Ministerial Conference on Women’s Empowerment.
About G20 Ministerial Conference On Women’s Empowerment

• Emphasis: It acknowledged the common objectives and shared responsibilities to advance the goals of equality and development of women and girls in all spheres.
• Held At: Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy in a hybrid format.

Participants

Gender Equality Ministers from the G20 countries

• Representatives of international organisations (UN Women, ILO, OECD)
• Representatives of the business community
• academia and  civil society.

Focus Areas: To achieve women’s empowerment at global level across sectors, with a particular focus on two outstanding thematic strains:

• STEM, digital and financial literacy and environment and sustainability;
• Labour and economic empowerment and work-life balance.
• Call for the protection of women in Afghanistan: Afghan women and girls urgently need the support and the action of the G20 to ensure that their rights are guaranteed and to prevent further actions against women.

India’s Statement

• India reaffirmed its commitment towards addressing gender and women centric issues through mutual cooperation. 
• The Minister highlighted the various initiatives undertaken in India towards fostering gender equality, ensuring better healthcare and strengthening women’s safety & security.
• The Minister also conveyed India’s solidarity with the G20 for promoting gender equality and women’s empowerment amongst partner countries.

Initiatives Taken in India 
List of Women Empowerment Schemes

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) ensures the protection, survival and education of the girl child.
• Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) aims to empower rural women with opportunities for skill development and employment.
• Working Women Hostel (WWH) ensures the safety and security for working women.
• Scheme for Adolescent Girls aims to empower girls in the age group 11-18 and to improve their social status through nutrition, life skills, home skills and vocational training
• Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV) envisages engagement of Mahila Police Volunteers in States/UTs who act as a link between police and community and facilitates women in distress.
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is an apex microfinance organization that provides micro-credit at concessional terms to poor women for various livelihood and income generating activities.
• The National Crèche Scheme ensures that women take up gainful employment through providing a safe, secure and stimulating environment to the children.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandna Yojana aims to provide maternity benefits to pregnant and lactating mothers.
• Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana aims to provide housing under the name of the woman also.
• Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY) aims to enable a large number of Indian youth including women to take up industry-relevant skill training in securing a better livelihood.
• Deen Dayal Upadhyay National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) focuses on creating opportunities for women in skill development, leading to market-based employment.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana empowers women and protects their health by providing LPG cylinders free of cost.
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana(SSY): Under this scheme girls have been economically empowered by opening their bank accounts.
• Skill Upgradation & Mahila Coir Yojana is an exclusive training programme of MSME aimed at skill development of women artisans engaged in coir Industry.
• Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP): a major credit- linked subsidy programme aimed at generating self-employment opportunities through establishment of micro-enterprises in the non-farm sector
• Female Entrepreneurship: To promote female entrepreneurship, the Government has initiated Programmes like Stand-Up India and Mahila e-Haat (online marketing platform to support women entrepreneurs/ SHGs/NGOs), Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESSDP). Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) provides access to institutional finance to micro/small businesses.
• Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme exists to provide skills that give employability to women.
• UJJAWALA: A Comprehensive Scheme for Prevention of trafficking and Rescue, Rehabilitation and Reintegration of Victims of Trafficking and Commercial Sexual Exploitation

SWADHAR Greh (A Scheme for Women in Difficult Circumstances): To provide shelter, food, clothing and care to marginalized women and girls who are in need. 

• NARI SHAKTI PURASKAR
• NIRBHAYA
• One Stop Centre Scheme
• Women Helpline Scheme

Important Initiatives on Women’s Safety

• Panic Button: The Ministry of Telecom mandated a physical panic button on all mobile phones in the country. This system was then conceptualized in collaboration with the Ministry of Home Affairs and state governments were asked to put in place a dedicated Emergency Response Centre through which the entire system will be operated. 
• Safe City Implementation Monitoring (SCIM) portal under Safe City Project:  In order to provide safety for women in public spaces, the Government has identified eight cities for implementation of Safe City project. (Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow and Mumbai) 
• DNA Analysis Facilities in States: In view of the complaints of delay in cases of sexual assault investigations, dedicated DNA analysis facilities have been sanctioned for the forensic science laboratories located at Chennai, Madurai, Agra, Lucknow, Mumbai and Kolkata.

Road Ahead

• Need for Global Agenda: The achievement of full gender parity needs a global agenda, addressing all the different aspects of women’s lives with systemic and cross-cutting policies. 
• Multilateral Coordination: Such a global transformative agenda requires a high degree of multilateral coordination that should be promoted by appropriate institutional arrangements, effective both at a national and international level. 
• Integrated Strategy: There is an urgency to promote women’s empowerment through an integrated and shared strategy that includes all sectors of civil society, institutions, the world of culture and work. 
• Role of Private Sector: There is a need to promote initiatives to work on gender equality by collaborating with the private sector. 
• Monitoring: A concrete and structured approach to women’s empowerment needs monitoring and evaluation tools based on indicators. 

By: Shubham Tiwari