Good Start- But Not Enough?Policies for single women under the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017),

India

Ranjani.K.MurthyIndependent Researcher and Consultant

Gender & Development

Objectives

• To introduce the participants to what the 12th Five year Plan proposes for development/empowerment of women

• To carry out a participatory critique of the above

11th plan schemes for single women

• Priyadarshini- SHG based livelihoods – Bihar and Uttar Pradesh

• Swadhar- shelter and short stay homes for women in difficult circumstances

• Short stay homes under Central Social Welfare Board

Process: 12th Five year Plan

• Sub group formed on inclusive development

• Focused on how to make the plan inclusive of single women and other marginalised groups amongst women

Goals of chapter on women’s agency and child rights (12th Plan)

• Improve freedom/choice• Improve health and education• Improve employability and assets • Improve access to public services• Meet concerns of single women• Create safety net-globalization• End violence

12th plan macro economic policies for single women

Single-women specific• Increase in income tax exemption• Child-care exemptions under income tax• Allow transfer of pensions to children upon

death General• Exempt SHGs & women’s cooperatives from IT

12th Five year plan policies for single women

• Make proof of separation simple

• Lower the age eligibility for pension• Increase the amount of pension

• Quota for single women-IAY and MNREGS

• Strengthen legal aid support

12th plan legislation which have a bearing on single women

• Right to Marital Property Act

• Equal guardianship of children

• Parents do not have a right to will away property to sons

12th Plan Mission that has a bearing on single women

• National Mission for Empowerment of Women which will focus on inclusive development

Schemes recommended under 12th five year plan for single women

• Organise single women at block and district

• Swadhar Greh– Swadar+short stay home-India

• Rehabilitation & economic package for widows

• Entrepreneurship and leadership program

Missing

• Access to continued education• Access of children to higher education• Comprehensive health check up &

treatment• Comprehensive child care facilities• Urban housing for single women

Missing

• Land for rural single women• Credit for single women• Reservation for single women in govt.

schemes within 33% reservation for women• Higher risk cover for life, health, and asset

insurance• Full coverage of single women 19-55 in SHGs• Reservation for single women in employment

Missing

• Removing stigma against single women • Political participation of single women• ID card for single women• Separate officer/section for single women

under DWCD