GRIEVANCE REDRESSAL MECHANISMS FOR WOMEN

• The Government has gone a long way in bringing out many initiatives to redress the grievances of women both at work and at home. In alignment with Convention on Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Millennium Development Goals (MDG) National Policy for Empowerment of Women, and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for a gender inclusive society, many schemes have been initiated by the Government resulting in a positive impact while addressing gender needs.
• Government had created an exclusive fund, “Nirbhaya Fund”, to oversee the implementation of special projects intended for ensuring women safety.
• To provide safety and security of women and establish the rights of women the National Commission for women state.
• An exclusive online complaint system called the She-Box through Ministry of Women and Child Development. A single window access to every women, irrespective of her work status, whether working in organized or unorganized, private or public sector, to facilitate the registration of complaints related to sexual harassment.
• The Government of India has proposed a Special Scheme named “SAKHI”, which is a One Stop Centre (OSC), intended to support women affected by violence, in private andpublic spaces, within the family, community and at the workplace. It has been developed with online MIS reporting system. The website is updated with all essential information on the department’s schemes and legislations, events etc.

Other Means of Grievance Redressal:

1. “Right to Information Act” requiring that the public be informed of activities and action initiated for public welfare and governance, and be provided with information that it might require to assess the Government’s responsibilities and ability to provide service;
2. “Citizens’ Charter” explaining the Government’s commitments and approaches to redress public grievances or complaints, the time required, the range of possible responses, submission procedures including any supprting information and documents, service standards, complainants’ rights, and expectations from the complaints, the time required, the range of possible responses, submission procedures including any supporting information and documents, service standards, complainants’ rights, and expectations from the complainants, applicants, and the staff in the delivery of services;
3. Grama Sabha are conducted at village levels to redress grievance of village couumnity members and a strong panchayat raj system facilitates this process.
4. Through Juvenile Justice Act children’s homes are being monitored, child tracking system is in place and all kinds of abuses against children and trafficking are controlled and monotored.
5. The Hostel Act provides relief for the working women whose safety and security in the working women hostels are ensured and basic amenities for their stay, food and safety are ensured.
6. Under the Senior Citizen Act Revenue Division level tribynals are formed to redress the grievances of parents and senior citizens to get maintenances from their children when they are left unattended.