National Commission for Women

15. Is the National Commission for Women able to strategise and tackle the problems that women face at both public and private spheres? Give reasons in support of your answer. (250 words)    15M

Ans. The Women Commission of India was established as a statutory institution in 1992 to act as a body which can advise the government on the matters related to women and to defend the rights provided to the women along with listening to the concerns of the women. This body works as a quasi-judicial body which can act suo-moto (in its own motion) and can also send notice to the alleged culprit for attendance.

In recent times, the commission has adopted the multi-pronged strategy of assisting women in readdress of their grievances, facilitating speedy delivery of justice to women by organizing Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats in different parts of the country as well as launching the awareness campaign regarding women's rights. Recently, the Commission set up several inquiry committees to combat problems faced by women such as in the case of police atrocities and misbehavior with girl students of Kurukshetra University, rape case of a woman in Safdarjung Hospital, gang rape of 15 year old girl at Lucia^-low etc. Further, its Research Cell looks into the emerging problems of Indian women due to discrimination and gender bias.

However, many a times it has proved to be ineffective as well. It has not been able to strategise and tackle the issues related to women due to some inherent problems, like

(i)     It is merely a recommendatory body and does not have the power to give binding guidelines and judgements in cases related to women.

(ii)   The appointments to this body are made by the Central Government and most of the times the high posts are occupied by the relatives and influential women related to political people.

(iii)    The finances of this body are very skewed and, most of the budget is used in paying the office bearers and regular administrative expenditure so, it is left with very less money to be used for research or other purposes.

(iv)    It is a government body so, most of the times it is found to be reluctant in acting against the public office bearers.

(v)      In the private sphere, it has become a notice giving body which is not given importance by the alleged culprit. So, women have stopped using it and chosen judiciary to get justice.

(vi)    It also lacks coordination with the State Women Commissions which reduces its effectiveness because police comes in the State List.

So, the need of the hour is more autonomy and binding powers for the NWM (National Women Commission) along with an appointment mechanism free from arbitrariness to really make it an effective institution for protecting the rights of women.