The Hindu : New Delhi News : Ministries begin to set up gender equality task force

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Friday, Aug 22, 2008
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Ministries begin to set up gender equality task force

Smriti Kak Ramachandran

To put into practice the President’s proposal to PMO

Specific action points have to be identified by the various task forces
President had also proposed the setting up of a Cabinet committee on gender equality

NEW DELHI: Several Ministries have begun the process of setting up task forces to put into practice President Pratibha Patil’s letter to the Prime Minister’s Office, seeking a convergence and coordination of government programmes for fighting social evils and ensuring gender equality.

The President had expressed concern that the implementation of various schemes aimed at addressing women and gender issues remains a challenge. An active crusader against female foeticide, alcoholism and other social vices, the President had also proposed the setting up of a Cabinet committee on gender equality to be chaired by the Prime Minister or a committee of secretaries headed by the Cabinet Secretary, the formation of task forces to look at how media can be encouraged to focus more on women’s issues and constitution of civil society forum for exchange of views on gender issue.

While the Information and Broadcasting Ministry and the Ministry of Women and Child Development have already set up their respective task forces, the Ministries of Social Justice and Empowerment, Health and Family Welfare, Human Resource Development, Labour and Empowerment and Panchayati Raj are expected to follow suit. The task forces under various Ministries will be mandated to focus attention on and draft action plans to address the issues of malnutrition, social evils of child marriage, female foeticide, economic and social empowerment of women through self-help groups.

Specific action points have to be identified by the various task forces, which in turn will be integrated into a concrete action plan.

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