Funds for Welfare and Development of Women in Distress

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is implementing following   schemes for   women in difficult circumstances to improve their living conditions.

i.              Swadhar Scheme: Swadhar Scheme was launched in the year 2001- 2002 for rehabilitation of women in difficult circumstances. The scheme provides primary need of shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women/girls living in difficult circumstances who are without any social and economic support. The beneficiaries include widows deserted by their families and relatives left uncared near religious places where they are victims of exploitation, women prisoners released from jail and without family support and similarly placed women in difficult circumstances.  At present 311 Swadhar Shelter Homes are functioning across the country. 

ii.             Short Stay Home Scheme: Recognising the need to prevent women from exploitation and to support their survival and rehabilitation, the scheme of Short Stay Home for women and girls was introduced as a social defence mechanism, by the then Department of Women and Child Development in 1969. The scheme provides 24 hours residential  temporary accommodation, maintenance and rehabilitative services to women and girls rendered homeless due to family discord, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism etc. 321 Short Stay Homes are functioning across the country.   The scheme is being implemented by Central Social Welfare Board.

Funds released under these Schemes during the last three years are as under:-

( Rupees in lakhs)

Name of the Scheme	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
Swadhar	3421	2462	2363
Short Stay Home	24450	3330	2860
TOTAL	5866	5792	5223

Funds released during the last three years through implementing agencies in Tamil Nadu

( Rupees in lakhs)

Name of the Scheme	2010-2011	2011-2012	2012-2013
Swadhar	268	117	101
Short Stay Home	244	392	333
TOTAL	513	509	435

The 12^th Plan pays special attention to the needs of vulnerable women, especially single women, widows, differently abled women, women affected by HIV/AIDS, trafficked women etc.

The 12^th Plan strategy for development of women envisages the engendering of development planning and making it women centric.  It calls for not only on women related direct policies and programme interventions, but also more generally with policies and programmes of the many sectors that impact upon women, especially from the weaker section or whose individual circumstances make them most vulnerable.

The allocations for women, as reflected in Gender Budget statement (Statement 20) as a part of Expenditure Budget, indicate that the magnitude of the Gender Budget is growing year after year.

This was stated by Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister for Women and Child Development, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.

Source : PIB