- In the Budget Speech of 2017-18, Finance Minister announced ‘ Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme’. Under the Scheme, Mahila Shakti Kendra will be set up at a village level in 14 lacs ICDS Anganwadi centres.
- Implementing Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development
- Aim: To empower rural women with opportunities for Skill Development, Employment, Digital Literacy, health and nutrition.
Objective:
- To create an environment in which women realize their potential and Government to provide support for equal access to healthcare, education, vocational guidance, and provide Social Security and digital literacy.
- National Mission for Empowerment of Women is merged with this scheme.
Features:
- Help women to participate in joining collectives and strengthen existing collectives at a village level.
- Make available informational and other resources to the community members for adequate participation in Gram Sabhas and PRIs.
- Facilitate women in preparation of documents for establishing an identity for enrolling in government programs.
- Identify best practices in various sectors like Health, Education, Microfinance etc.
- Address the declining child sex ratio and ensuring that every child is protected by means of education and empowerment.
- It provides an interface between the rural women and government so that they could receive their entitlements.
- The government intends to cater to 115 most backward districts in the country with the establishment of 920 “Mahila Shakthi Kendra’s.”
- Task force at various levels has been established for planning and administrating this scheme.
Coverage:
- State Resource Center for Women (SRCW) will be set-up in all states and union territories, and District Level Centre for Women (DLCW) will be set up across 640 districts in a phased manner.
- The first and the second phase (which would be enforced on the years of 2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively) will oversee the establishment of DLCW’s in 440 districts (220 in each phase).
- 200 new districts will be covered in the third phase.
- The block level initiative will extend to 115 most backward districts as identified by NITY Aayog.
Budget:
- The total budget for 2017-2020 is 835.91 Crores.
- The funding pattern for the release of funds will be shared as below:
| Central Govt. and State Govt | 60:40 |
| Central Govt. And North Eastern or the Special Category States | 90:10 |
| Share of Central Govt in UTs | 100% |
Important Points from Exam Point of View :
- Scheme Announced in: 2017-18 Budget
- Ministry: Ministry of Women and Child Development
- Aim: To empower rural women with opportunities for Skill Development, Employment, Digital Literacy, health and nutrition
- Scheme merged with Mahila Shakti Scheme: National Mission for Empowerment of Women
- Districts to be covered: 640
- Budget: 835.81
- Funding Pattern: Central and State Govt = 60:40. In North Eastern and the Special Category States = 90:10. In UTs, 100 % of funding will be done by the Central Government.
