FILE PHOTO: Howrah: Union Minister Smriti Irani addresses a public rally at Domurjala Stadium in Howrah district of West Bengal, Sunday, Jan. 31, 2021. (PTI Photo)
Mumbai, April 12 (PTI) Union Women and Child Development Minister Smriti Irani on Tuesday said 300 more One Stop Centres (OSCs), intended to support women affected by violence, will be opened soon across the country.
She said women's health and empowerment have become an integral part of the central government's programmes and policies.
Speaking at a zonal conference of states and different stakeholders from the western region in Mumbai, the minister said 704 One Stop Centres are functioning in the country at present and in collaboration with women's helpline, 70 lakh women in distress have received support from governments - both the Centre and states combined.
Three hundred more One Stop Centres would be opened soon, she said.
One Stop Centres (OSCs), opened under a scheme launched by the Women and Child Development Ministry, are intended to support women affected by violence in private and public spaces, within family, community and at the workplace.
The minister said through the Nirbhaya Fund, various projects worth Rs 9,000 crore have been implemented between 2014-21 for the safety and security of women.
Irani said women's health and empowerment have become an integral part of government programmes and policies, stressing the Centre is committed to protect the self-respect of women by addressing challenges faced by them with a multi-sectoral approach.
The focus of the conference was on three important topics: 'Mission Poshan 2.0' relating to nutrition of women and children, 'Mission Shakti' relating to safety and security of women, and 'Mission Vatsalya' which is aimed at securing a happy and healthy childhood for every child.
Referring to the Union Budget for 2022-23, presented in February, Irani said the allocation for women-related programmes has increased by 14 per cent.
The Union Budget for 2022-23 has allocated Rs 1.71 lakh crore for women in our country. We are the first government and the country which has integrated the gender component in our inter-governmental fiscal transfers, she added.
The minister said over 11 lakh toilets built under the Swachch Bharat Mission have ensured that every day of women starts with cleanliness.
Irani further said separate toilets for girls have been built in more than 4 lakh government schools within a year. In the absence of separate toilets, the drop out ratio of girl students was as high as 23 per cent earlier.
The minister said Ayushman Bharat, a flagship scheme of the Centre, has widened the healthcare coverage across the country and it has witnessed women footfall of 45 crore.
Initially, it was said that women, because of socio-cultural constraints, would not come forward for treatment of breast cancer or cervical cancer etc. But the skeptics have been proven wrong and nearly 7 crore women have got themselves screened and those in need of medical care are undergoing treatment, she said.
