Women Development Schemes :

According to census 2011, the number of female in Uttarakhand is 4962574, which is about one percent of total female population of our country. Our women are famous for active participation in social & environmental movements, despite the fact that their lives mostly revolve around fuel, fodder and water. Against the male literacy rate of 88.33 percent, the female literacy rate stands at 70.70 percent thus women lag behind by a wide gap of 17.63 percent in literacy.

The overall sex ratio of Uttarakhand is 963 females per 1000 males however in population up to 6 years, the sex ratio is 886. Despite this it is interesting to note that out of total 13 districts, females exceed in numbers to males in 08 districts.The Decadal growth rate of Uttaranchal has one down to 19.17 (2001-2011) from 19.20 (1991-2001).

According to NFHS-II, only 54.3 percent women of Uttarakhand are involved in decisions about their own health; percentage of births of order 3 and above is 46.5; percentage of births within 24 months of previous birth is 24.8; about 45.8 percent births are assisted by Traditional Birth Attendants; 45.2 percent women suffer from anaemia. Beside I.C.D.S., Swashakti & Swayamsidha schemes, Uttarakhand has initiated Uttarakhand Mahila Samekit Vikas Yojana which is envisaged to be a nursery for innovations for betterment of quality of life of Uttarakhandi women. Apart from this, Women Empowerment and Child Development Department is running so many schemes to empower women and adolescent girls through central and state  sponsored schemes.

Uttarakhand Mahila Samekit Vikas Yoiana (UMSVY) :

Uttarakhand Mahila Samekit Vikas Yojana was conceived to be a nursery for experimenting with ideas about meeting the special needs of mountain women, exploiting the strengths of mountain women, and devising suitable schemes which would benefit women, particularly schemes that enable women to participate more fully in all aspects of human endeavour. 

The key principles to be observed whilst formulating proposals for consideration of funding from UMSVY are:

1. Sustainability, implying that any programme or service should continue after cessation of funding under UMSVY, for a period which should be at least the same, if not more, as the period of time for which the project is supported by UMSVY.

2. Ownership, implying that the local community or Panchayat or Community Based Organization (such as a Self Help Group, Van Panchayat, User Group, Cooperative Society) should be involved in the planning and execution of the initiative. The project should be conceptualized as a partnership with the Iocal community and ought to be developed by an open consultative process.

3. Inclusiveness, implying that there should be a conscious attempt to reach out to marginalized groups. In addition, there should be a conscious attempt to secure the participation of the private sector and civil society.

4. Accountability, implying that there should be at the project site or project area, all the necessary staff, facilities, funds necessary to ensure accountability to the community and there should be in built mechanisms to share experiences of the project and the accounts and records of the projects with the stakeholders and other interested persons. Provision should also be made in the proposal to fund an external, independent evaluation of the project, both concurrently as well as on termination.

5. Emphasis on results, implying that the project should concretize the benefits that the project will bring to the local community or to the Government and these benefits should be quantified, to the extent possible. The results of the project should be well understood and accepted by the stakeholders prior to the commencement of the project, so that the 'success' or 'failure' parameters are well understood by all concerned.

6. Incremental and synergetic, implying that the project should acknowledge and take into account all the available funds and resources in the project area and should ideally build upon or integrate with existing programmes and policies, It should be the Endeavour of the project to utilize the available programmes, services, institutions, funds and other resources, particularly that available to the Panchayats or Urban Local Bodies.

7. Innovative and model building, implying that the project should aim to apply fresh and new techniques, methods and technologies and aim to secure recognition, if not co-funding, from national and international institutions.

8. Each project should have an in built component for women empowerment activities, women's health, and, where possible, recreation and drudgery reduction.

 Objectives :

-         Drudgery reduction

-         Empowerment of women

-         Imparting of self employment or job employment skills

-         Creation of women specific infrastructure

-         Development of women friendly technologies

-         Support to women led initiatives to enhance the participation of women in social, economic and political activities.

-         Legal literacy and awareness generation

-         Assistance to secure and defend the rights of women

-         Assistance to combat all forms of discrimination against women

Uttarakhand Women Integrated Development Scheme :

Keeping Women Empowerment and Child Development Department as a Nodal Department, this State financed scheme was presented in the budget of 2003-04. The Uttarakhand Women Integrated Development scheme is being conducted under Women and Child Development Society constituted in the department in the year 2002 under Society Registration Act, 1860.

Objectives :

• To reduce the workload in daily life of women.
• Sensitiveness towards gender discrimination and change of attitude.
• To develop decision making capacity in women. To create understanding amongst women on Panchayati Raj System. Women self-employment.
• To reduce the work load of women, make them self-reliant, proposals are invited under this scheme through advertisements in newspapers from self-servicing institutions, government/semi-government organisations, cooperative societies, selfhelp groups financed by banks, municipal bodies, district/region/gram panchayats, public undertakings, colleges and universities and research and investigation institutes etc.
•  State level committee makes the screening and approval of proposals received.
• Under this scheme there are several projects of 54 self-servicing organisations of Women Empowerment working at present.

Compulsory Registration of Marriage :

The compulsory registration of marriage Act was applied in the year 2010- 2011 by the state government in compliance of directions of hon’ble Supreme Court. The rules are being finalized.

Mukhya Mantri Satat Ajivika Yojana :

• To provide employment for women, state govt. of Uttarakhand ( Women Empowerment and Child Development ) launched the scheme.
• The main purpose of the scheme is to provide skill training to the poor , widows, economically backword women and young girls so can get employment opportunities in the state. During the training period govt. would distribute scholarship of Rs. 1000 and a one time grant of Rs. 50,000 after completion of skill training in Uttarakhand.

Sexual Harassment at Workplace :

In compliance of Order dated 13 August, 1997 passed hon’ble High Court in suit no. 666/1992 Vishakha versus State of Rajasthan and others, the committees have been constituted as under where minimum 50 percent representation has been given to women: - (1) Sexual harassment grievance redressal committee at indoor work place in district level offices of all departments/Private institutions/self-servicing organisations (where more than five women employees are working). (2) First Appellate committee under the Chairmanship of District Magistrate at district level. (3) Grievance Redressal Committee at Head of the Department level. (4) State level grievance redressal committee under Chairmanship of a senior most IAS women officer working at State level.