CHENNAI: The state government unveiled the much-anticipated Tamil Nadu Women’s Policy - 2024 on Wednesday, more than two years after the draft was released. The policy outlines the goals to be achieved for the development of women in social, economic and political spheres, while prioritising their emotional and mental well-being.
Although the initial draft included schemes to achieve the specified objectives, the final policy only mentions the intended course of action without specifying particular schemes. Building on the draft, the revised policy gives more emphasis to women entrepreneurs apart from employment.
To empower women socially, the government will concentrate on improving their status by bringing appropriate changes in education and research and making healthcare facilities more accessible and also create awareness apart from ensuring their nutrition.
The policy stated that services to address the intergenerational cycle of malnutrition will be strengthened and systematically monitored at the highest-level in the state, with a focus on nutritional care for the first 1,000 days after birth.
It also stated that Tamil Nadu has 6.4% of widows, one of the highest in the country, after Kerala (6.7%). This is due to the increasing population of elderly in the state. Various schemes for these women provided through different departments will be implemented through Widow and Destitute Welfare Board.
Under economic empowerment, the policy talks about re-skilling and upskilling women who had taken breaks from work to ensure their re-entry or lateral entry.
“We have focussed more on encouraging entrepreneurship among women in the final policy as it was one of the suggestions provided during the consultations. The policy only provides the direction in which the policies will be formulated in the future. The first meeting of the high-level women empowerment committee (HL-WEC) can be expected to take place after the general elections to decide on further course of action,” said V Amuthavalli, commissioner of social welfare.
While the women elected for local bodies will be provided training, the policy also states that professional counselling for women will be ensured at various levels from districts to educational institutions.
As far as monitoring is concerned, a district-level committee headed by the collector will review the measure once in two months apart from HL-WEC headed by the chief secretary once in six months.
The policy will be in place for the next 10 years and will be reviewed after five years.