Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today directed the Social Welfare Department (SWD) to prepare an approach paper on the implementational status of all the welfare schemes for women in the State and suggest measures to make the gender friendly initiatives of the Government successful.Chairing the second meeting of the State Mission Authority under National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NMEW) here today, the Chief Minister, who is the chairperson of the Authority, said a number of schemes aimed at welfare of women are in operation in the State by various Departments and agencies. She said the status of implementation of each of such schemes and the difficulties, if any, in the successful delivery of benefits be recorded in an organised way to let the Government take a further view on making these schemes much more successful in future.Mehbooba Mufti asked for extension of more women friendly initiatives in the State and convergence of policy measures to make these initiatives successful on the ground. She said the idea and concept of these schemes being very prudent in nature, effective and successful implementation of such schemes remains a challenge and hoped such an approach paper would lay the road ahead for removing these bottlenecks.
The meeting was informed that as per the decision of the first meeting of the SMA, the State Resource Centre for Women has been made fully functional in the State to give focused attention to the inter sectoral issues affecting women besides implementing various gender sensitive programmes of the Government.Similarly, the One Stop Centre (OSC) concept to provide coordinated response to victims of violence against women by way of medical help, shelter, legal assistance and psychological counseling is in the final stages of execution and nine such centres are in pipeline in the State.The SMA in the State was constituted in 2012 as a sequel to the formation of NMEW in 2010 and its objectives include strengthening and promoting all round development of women, prevention of crimes against women, promoting gender sensitivity and getting women associated with various skill development initiatives.Minister for Social Welfare, Sajad Ghani Lone, who is the Member Convenor of the Authority besides Minister for R&B, Abdul Rehman Veeri; Minister for Revenue, Syed Basharat Bukhari; Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar; Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Bhagat; Minister for Forests, Choudhary Lal Singh; Minister for Rural Development Department, Abdul Haq; Minister for Agriculture, Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura; Minister of State for Social Welfare, Asiea Naqash, Minister of State for Power, Syed Farooq Andrabi and Chairperson, State Commission for Women, Nayeema Ahmad Mehjoor-all members of the Authority-were present in the meeting.Secretary, Social Welfare Department, Sajad Ahmad Khan and office bearers of State Mission Authority were present in the meeting.