Womens health, financial independence find place in outlay budget – The New Indian Express

Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Women-Centricmoves such as exclusive Mohalla clinics, free DTC bus rides and safety measures found a place in the Budget presented by the Delhi government on Tuesday. The government has announced that it will start 100 Mahila Mohalla Clinic from next year. We all know that our mothers and sisters are not able to talk to us about their health issues openly.

A woman from the middle class might find herself a specialist, but in lower income families, she fails to reach even a gynaecologist. It is a fact that in our society women tend to neglect their own illnesses. As a result many women live with ailments, assuming that it as her destiny. The Delhi government will now undertake the responsibility of having Mahila Mohalla Clinic for every woman in Delhi.

Services of gynaecologist and related diagnostic tests will be made available for free, said Sisodia. The government also announced a new scheme to ensure safety of women at tourist spots and allocated an amount of `5 for the purpose. The government will continue with free DTC bus services for women this year as well. The government further said it started a survey which showed that before the Covid crisis, in February 2020, 26 per cent women in the national capital were unemployed.

In February 2021, this statistic was 40 percent. This means among the women of Delhi, who are available for employment, 40 per cent are unable to find work. Forty five per cent of them have completed 12th class and 60 per cent of them are less than 30 years of age. It is essential to financially empower these women and integrate them with the economy of the family and the state, Sisodia noted.

Initiatives such as Saheli Samanvay Kendra have been planned by the government under which 500 anganwadi hubs will be set up in various parts of the city. These hubs are to be used for incubating individual start-ups and to promote self help groups named Samriddhi. Special arrangements will be made in these hubs to impart training to the beneficiaries.

To make women from financially weaker background understand the existing schemes, the government will set up 33 self help units to spread awareness. An outlay of `4,750 crore has been made for the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and Welfare of SC/ST/OBC.

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Womens health, financial independence find place in outlay budget - The New Indian Express