Women have a new role to play in new Bharat. The central government did not leave any stone unturned towards women empowerment and development. From initiating schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, ‘Sukanya Samridhi’ to increasing the numbers of women in Padma awardees, the government have fired ON all cylinders.
When respect and equal opportunities are provided to women then revolutionary changes are visible. Schemes like ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’, ND ‘Sukanya Samridhi’ have revolutionized the sex ratio. For the first time, the number of females has reached 1,020 per 1,000 males.
The dropout rate of girls from schools has come down because women themselves are involved in these campaigns. In order to ensure that marriage at an early age does not hinder the education and career of girls, efforts are being made to raise the age of marriage of girls to 21 years.
Launching ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ seven years ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said: “The Prime Minister of India is begging you for the lives of daughters becoming a beggar. Consider daughters the pride of your family, the honoUr of the nation. You see, we can come out of this imbalance very fast. Both son and daughter are those wings without which there is no possibility of attaining the heights of life.”
The historical change in the sex ratio (1,020 females against 1,000 males) in the survey report of National Family Health in the year of Amrit Mahhotsav is living proof of the realisation of that resolve.
Today in the year of Amrit Mahotsav, the country is trying to fulfil the dreams of lakhs of freedom fighters remembering the important contribution of women’s power in the freedom struggle. That is why today the dream of daughters studying in Sainik Schools is being fulfilled. Women’s life and career may go hand in hand, with this aim the government has allowed maximum maternal leave to them.
The participation of women in the country’s democracy is also increasing. More women than men voted in the 2019 elections. Women ministers are handling important assignments in the new Bharat will be like, how powerful it will be in the future.
The participation of women in the development cycle of New Bharat is getting stronger. The country has paid special attention to this in the last seven years. The increasing participation of women in the prestigious Padma award is yet another example. From 2015 till now, 185 women have been given the Padma Award for their phenomenal work. This year also, 34 Padma Awards have been received by women working in different fields. This is a record in itself. To date, never so many women have received the Padma award.
Similarly, today in sports too the daughters of Bharat are proving their mettle and are winning medals for the country even in the Olympics. The whole country fought the Covid pandemic together, in this too nurses, doctors, and women scientists have played a big role. Women are also the best teachers and coaches.
The government has also formulated various measures to provide safety to women. Now there are strict laws on crimes against women in the country. In heinous cases like rape, a provision has also been made for capital punishment. Fast-track courts are also being set up across the country and the system is being revamped to ensure strict compliance with laws. Whether it is to increase the number of women’s help desks in police stations, round-the-clock helplines, or portals to deal with cybercrime, many such efforts are becoming a shield of women’s safety.
The law against triple talaq has given protection and the power to fight against injustice. The importance of this law can be gauged from the fact that in just two years after the implementation of this law, there has been a reduction of 80 to 82 per cent in the cases of triple talaq, which provides a sense of self-respect and security to Muslim women.
Now Bharatiyas celebrate when a girl child is born and ensure their proper upbringing.
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