Gender equality in education

07.12.2023

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Why in the news?

Several key initiatives taken by the government to promote gender-based quality in education were highlighted by the Education Minister in the Lok Sabha recently.

Important points:

• 'Gender equality' is the 5th goal among the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted by the United Nations.
• The Constitution of India also recognizes the principle of gender equality under its Preamble, Fundamental Rights and Directive Principles of State Policy.

Major initiatives related to gender equality in education:

Samagra Shiksha:

• The Department of School Education and Literacy is implementing an integrated centrally sponsored scheme for school education – Samagra Shiksha from 2018-19.
• The scheme has been redesigned and aligned with the recommendations of the National Education Policy, 2020.
• It aims to ensure that all children from pre-school to Class 12 have access to quality education with an equitable and inclusive classroom environment.
• Their diverse backgrounds, multilingual needs, different academic abilities make them active participants in the learning process.

NISHTHA:

• The Department of School Education and Literacy has launched a national mission to improve learning outcomes at the elementary level through an integrated teacher training program called NISHTHA under the centrally sponsored scheme of Samagra Shiksha – National Initiative for Holistic Advancement of School Heads and Teachers. Has also started.
• In 2019-20. NISHTHA is a capacity building program to "improve the quality of school education through integrated teacher training".
• NISHTHA training has been extended to foundational literacy and numeracy and early childhood care and education (ECCE) for the training of secondary level teachers and master trainers.

Rani Lakshmi Bai Self Defense Training:

• Girls from classes 6th to 12th studying in government schools are given self-defense training under 'Rani Lakshmi Bai Self-Defense Training'.
• So that the safety of girls can be ensured, girls can be empowered to deal with the risk of attack and their self-confidence can be increased.
• Under this, self-defense training is also given in Kasturba Gandhi Girls Schools (KGBV).
• Financial assistance is provided for this component under Samagra Shiksha.

Major initiatives taken by the government to achieve gender equality in India:

• Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP): Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme focuses on ensuring the safety, survival and education of the girl child. This scheme was launched by the government to address the issue of falling child sex ratio (CSR).
• Mahila Shakti Kendra: Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme (MSK) aims to empower rural women by providing skill development and employment opportunities. This scheme was approved for a period of three years i.e. 2017-18 to 2019-20. It is a sub-scheme under the umbrella scheme of Mission for Protection and Empowerment of Women.
• Working Women Hostel (WWH): The Working Women Hostel Scheme (WWH) aims to ensure the safety of working women. The scheme seeks to provide safe accommodation to working women, including daycare facilities for their children, wherever possible.
• Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG): It was formulated in the year 2010. The scheme covers adolescent girls aged between 11 to 18 years and aims to provide them with life skills.
• Mahila Police Volunteers (MPV): The scheme envisages enrollment of Mahila Police Volunteers in all States and Union Territories who will act as a link between the police and the community and assist women in distress.
• Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK): Established in March 1993, Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK) is an autonomous body, a national level organization under the aegis of the Ministry of Women and Child Development with the objective of socio-economic empowerment of women.
• National Creche Scheme: Creche is a facility that allows parents to leave their children while at work and where children are provided a stimulating environment for their overall development.
• Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana: The objective of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana is to benefit pregnant women and lactating mothers. The scheme came into effect on 1 January 2017. The scheme provides a benefit of Rs 5000 in three installments to pregnant women and lactating mothers (PW&LM) for the first living child in the family.
• Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM): Under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, DAY-NULM aims to provide shelter equipped with essential services to the urban homeless in a phased manner. The mission aims to reduce poverty and vulnerability of urban poor families by providing them gainful self-employment opportunities.
• Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana: Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana (PMYY) was launched by the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas in May 2016 with the objective of ensuring availability of clean cooking fuel like LPG to rural and underprivileged households.
• Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY): Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana (SSY) aims at economic empowerment of women. Launched as a part of the 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' campaign, the scheme is a small deposit scheme to secure a girl's future.
• Skill Upgradation and Women Coir Scheme: Skill Upgradation and Women Coir Scheme (MCY) is a training program of MSMEs which aims to empower women by providing them spinning equipment at concessional rates after proper skill development training.
• Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program (PMEGP): The Prime Minister's Employment Generation Program (PMEGP) aims to provide financial assistance to self-employed enterprises to generate employment opportunities for unemployed youth and traditional artisans.
• Swadhar Greh: This scheme is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development with the aim of rehabilitation of women in difficult situations.
• Training and Employment Program for Women (STEP) Scheme: STEP scheme aims to provide skills that provide employment to women as well as competencies and skills that enable women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs. Are.
• Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP): Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) is an initiative of NITI Aayog to promote women entrepreneurship.
• Ujjwala Scheme
• One-Stop Center (OSC) Scheme

Mahila e-Haat: is a joint initiative of the Ministry of Women and Child Development and Rashtriya Mahila Kosh (RMK).