Nemcha attends WCD national conference

New Delhi| July 17, 2018 (DIPR): Social welfare minister Nemcha Kipgen stated that Manipur has effectively started implementing the Women Helpline, with nearly 266 cases have received in the past few months where 95% of the cases have been solved since its launch a year back.

This was expressed by the minister at the National Conference of Ministers in Charge of Women and Child Development held today at Le Meridian Hotel, New Delhi.

Union minister, women and child development (WCD), Maneka Gandhi, minister of state, Dr. Virendra Kumar, ministry of WCD graced the conference as chief guest and guest of honour respectively and ministers in charge of WCD from all the states and UTs were also part of the conference.

Women Safety, Child Safety, Welfare and Adoption and POSHAN Abiyaan, PMMVY, ICDS were the topics discussed during the conference.

Minister Nemcha makes it a point to highlights all these topics in Manipur’s context. In the area of women safety, she said that the state has also initiated the Mahila Shakti Kendra and as such significant development of our women in the coming years. She stressed that there is a need for interlinking of Women Helpline of all states for interstate referral services and a system are required to incorporate in the Swadhar homes for ensuring the inheritance of property rights for the destitute women so that they can be empowered. To ensure women safety, a specific scheme for imparting self defence classes to all female students and young women from class VI onwards should be incorporated. Peer group can also be formed to share experiences emotionally and financially for the marginalised women in the localities. Provision for women toilets along the national highway should be made compulsory for protection of women, asserted Nemcha.

She further stated that rehabilitation of destitute and exploited women through various activities like computer training, commercial vehicle driving, handloom/handicraft, horticulture, fruits and vegetable production can be strengthened in the Swadhar and Ujjawala homes. An exclusive market outlet or marketing linkages for the products of such women should be provided.

Regarding Child Safety, Welfare and Adoption, Nemcha continued that Manipur has created Juvenile Justice Fund. All the Child Care Institute (CCI) in the state are registered under JJ Act and all the children in the CCI are Aadhaar enrolled. Also, the Legal cum Probation officers are designated as child marriage prohibition officers thereby causing a convergence between JJ Act, POCSO Act and child marriage prohibition Act. So, more than 25 cases of child marriage are prevented through this.

Drawing the attention of Maneka Gandhi, Nemcha expressed that there is a rise in POCSO and child trafficking cases. Though the guidelines provide for village child protection committees, there is an urgent need to strengthen them, financially and empowering with authoritative powers. It is also essential to have separate specialised institutions for temporary reception of these children and a long term economic and educational facilities for these categories of children with the technical and financial support of state and central governments. There is also a need to concentrate on children in conflict with law, where vocational training and educational facilities should be provided to them. But the monthly allowance makes it difficult for any such activities to be carried out, she added.

As Manipur stands third among the HIV/AIDS prevalence state of India, there are more than 2811 children infected and 1450 are on ART. Most of them are from incapacitated families and are very much eligible for the sponsorship programme. She urged that there is an urgent need to increase the children support under sponsorship in case of Manipur.

Nemcha also raised an issue on adoption. She proposed for having separate seniority list for prospective Adoptive parents for every state or at least region since each and every state have its own socio-cultural environment. During the session for POSHAN Abiyaan, PMMVY, ICDS, she informed that the state is in the process of implementing Poshan Abiyaan in a full-fledged manner. The ground work is already in full force. PMMVY has also been implemented effectively reaching out to the most interior parts of the state. The revamped Anganwadi services is also being effectively implemented in the state and are  also in the process of creating model Anganwadi centres in all the projects to make it a people’s movement.

At the same time, she highlighted some of the concern for Manipur. Nemcha proposed that separate fund allotment to be made for construction of Anganwadi Centres till it is saturated fully.

Nemcha was hopeful that all the concerns and achievements highlighted in the conference to the Union minister and her team will definitely channelize into action, keeping in mind for the welfare of all concern people.

Nemcha was accompanied by secretary, social welfare, Jacintha Lazarus for the conference. The conference was organised by ministry of women and child development.