Women's Empowerment Year, 2001

The Government of India declared 2001 as the year of Women's Empowerment. Three primary objectives were set to be achieved during this year. These were:

♤ Creating and raising large scale awareness of women's issues with active participation and involvement of women and men.

♤ Initiating and accelerating action for improvement access to and control of resources by women.

♤ Creating enabling environment for enhancing self-confidence and autonomy of women.

A number of policies and programmes were initiated during this year to ensure equal participation of women and men in the social, economic and political life of the nation.

Two prominent schemes that were launched for women during 2001 were: Swayamsiddha and Swadhar.

Swayamsiddha is an integrated programme, which supports the empowerment of women through a network of Self-Help Groups of women. It aimedto bring together all the women related schemes of the central and state governments at the block level. The government also launched the Swashakti Project to help the setting up of women's Self-Help Groups in villages by giving financial incentives. In many villages, Self Help Groups have been doing great work is not only encourages savings but also mobilizing women to fight against oppression in their families and villages. Self Help Groups also offer essay credit to members to start or improve small-scale business enterprises.

Whereas Swadhar was launched to prove rehabilitation to women in difficult circumstances such as destitute windows, women prisoners released from jail and without family support, women survivors of natural disaster and victims of sexual crimes. Shelter homes are planned to be constructed in which rehabilitation programmes will be offered a holistic basis.