Holistic Security Plan for Women on Cards

The government plans to draw up a comprehensive package to ensure allround security for women with the ministries of women and child development, labour, skill development and health having started discussions on the matter.

The ministry of women and child development will coordinate implementation of the package, a senior government official told ET. "The government is keen to come up with social security, health security and financial security and much-needed physical security for women," the official said on condition of anonymity as discussions are at a preliminary stage.

The government wants to get the programmes underway before state elections in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh next year and expects them to give it a boost through to the next general election in 2019, the official said. As part of the package, the labour ministry will notify the extension of maternity benefits for women to 26 weeks from 12 weeks now besides allowing them to work from home and making creche facilities mandatory for units with 50 or more workers.

The ministry has already got the Parliament nod to bring about these changes in the Maternity Benefit Act. The ministry of skill development and entrepreneurship will create special skill development programmes while the health ministry is likely to draw up a health insurance scheme for women workers apart from schemes aimed at reducing infant and maternal mortality.