Maharashtra women’s policy back in focus after 9 yrs

The passing of the Women’s Bill in the upper house of the Parliament appears to have breathed new life into the state’s women’s policy, which has been lying in the cold storage since nine years. Last reviewed in 2001, the policy was to be updated every three years to ensure it was meeting its goals.

Fauzia Khan, the minister of state for women and child development, says she does not know why the review has been delayed this long. “The first thing we want to do now is review the policy, and make amends and adapt it to modern times,” Khan told DNA.

Women organisations say that though the 2001 policy draft does include various aspects of the convention on elimination of discrimination against women, of which India is a signatory, they need to be backed by action. “The first policy draft did not cover aspects of reducing discrimination against women. In fact, more than a new draft, we want to see obvious changes like more budgetary allocation, interdepartmental amendments that are in consonance with the policy. The government needs to tell us where it is falling short on performance,” said Lakshmi Lingam, professor, Tata Institute of Social Sciences.

According to Shama Dalwai, economics professor, University of Mumbai, the government first needs to draw scientific parameters to review the success and failure of the old policy before framing a new one.