Current Information

Government Schemes and Programmes*

The approach of the government to women’s development was that of welfare and all the programmes for women were implemented through the Department of Social Welfare. The Department mostly implemented the schemes proposed and granted by the Central Government. The welfare programmes for destitute women as they are called are basically the following: Mahila Mandirams for destitute women; Asha Bhavan for the mentally challenged; After Care Hostels, Rescue Homes and Short Stay Homes

Several other Welfare Programmes for women were implemented through the Department. The Indira Mahila Yojana (IMY) has been functioning through the ICDS programe and in 2001 it was recast into an integrated programme for women's empowerment, namely Integrated Women's Empowerment Programme (IWEP) or Swayamsidhha. The long term objective is the all round empowerment of women, especially socially and economically, by ensuring their direct access to, and control over, resources through a sustained process of mobilization and convergence of all the ongoing sectoral programmes. The immediate objectives are establishment of SHGs, creation of confidence and awareness among members of SHGs regarding women's status, health, nutrition, education, sanitation and hygiene, legal rights, economic upliftment and other social, economic and political issues, strengthening saving habits, improving access of women to micro credit, involvement of women in local level planning and convergence of services of DWCD and other departments. It is functioning in 18 blocks in the state.
The other programmes are Balika Samridhi Yojana; Education Work for Prevention of Atrocities on Women; Swadhar ( a scheme for women in difficult circumstances); Anganwadi Workers Welfare Fund; Women’s Welfare Services; Supporting Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP); Kishori Sakthy Yojana (for adolescent girls in 13 blocks)

Other Developmental Programmes for Women

Following the poverty alleviation programmes of the Government of India, the Government of Kerala plans a lot of special programmes for weaker sections. Rural development programmes are designed as anti-poverty programmes and are also partially or fully centrally assisted schemes. The programmes benefit majority of rural population, especially people below the poverty line.

Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA)

DWCRA is an important sub component of IRDP for providing self employment opportunities on sustained basis to poor women on group basis. Each group consists of 10-15 women, which may take up economic activities suitable to their skills, aptitude and local conditions. The approach emphasizes on convergence of activities of social welfare, health, nutrition, employment and education. Low-female literacy and high infant mortality rates were the criteria for choosing the districts. It was proposed to cover all the districts in the country under the scheme by the end of 8th Plan. The main objective of DWCRA is to improve the socio-economic, health, and educational status of rural women by providing financial assistance and creating employment opportunities for them to become self-reliant and to raise their standard of living. The target group of DWCRA is the same as that under IRDP, ie. the families living below the poverty line. However, the basic difference with IRDP lies in that under DWCRA, it is not an individual family which receives assistance, but a group of families. The scheme envisages the formation of groups each consisting of 15 to 20 women.

Kudumbashree

Kudumbashree is a mission formed for the total eradication of absolute poverty in 10 years through concerted community action under the leadership of Local Self Government, by facilitating organisation of the poor women for combining self help with demand-led convergence of available services and resources to tackle the multiple dimensions and manifestations of poverty holistically. It was inaugurated On the 17th of May 1998 and started its operation on 1st of April 1999. It is a Society registered as under the Travancore Cochin Literary, Scientific and Charitable Societies Registration Act 1955. Kudumbasree is a woman based participatory poverty eradication project launched by State Government with the financial support of NABARD and Central Government. The mission attempts to empower the Grama panchayats and Muncipalities to form neighborhood groups of women, enable them to undertake micro saving and credit activities, converge the poverty eradication programmes of the Local Self Governments at the Neighbourhood level and integrate the Neighbourhood groups with the local Government structure. More…..

The other major governmental institutions fro women in Kerala in accordance with the National Policy for Women are the Kerala State Women’s Commission, Kerala State Women's Development Corporation (KSWDC).

Like-wise, there are different programmes for Women in Kerala;- some under the department of Social Welfare, some as part of the Central Government schemes and some others as Independent Agencies.

*Source: Review of literature on Women’s Component Plan in Kerala, Sakhi Resource Center for Women Thiruvananthapuram