Policy Measures Must for Safety, Employment, and Economic Empowerment of Single Women

 Policy Measures Must for Safety, Employment,

and Economic Empowerment of Single Women

– Vice Chairperson Dr. Neelam Gorhe

 

Mumbai, June 28: To ensure safety, employment, and financial independence of single women—including widows, divorced, abandoned, and unmarried women—it is essential to implement strong policy-driven interventions, said Legislative Council Vice Chairperson Dr. Neelam Gorhe. She emphasized that departments such as Revenue, Food and Civil Supplies, Women and Child Development, Health, Employment Guarantee Scheme (EGS), and Rural Development must collect data on single women and prioritize them in government welfare schemes.

A review meeting on the issues and policy solutions for single women was held today at Vidhan Bhavan, Mumbai, where Dr. Gorhe was joined by Additional Chief Secretary V. Radha (GAD), Commissioner Naina Gunde (WCD), Resident Commissioner R. Vimala (Maharashtra Sadan), Deputy Commissioner Rahul More, Tribal Development Department Joint Secretary Machhindra Shelke, EGS Joint Secretary Atul Kode, and State Convener of SAU Single Women Rehabilitation Committee Heramb Kulkarni, along with Member Milind Salve.

Dr. Gorhe stated that single women face social and financial challenges, and there is a need to work on their legal awareness, property rights, dignity, and security. She called for alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and urged all departments to synchronize efforts and collect comprehensive data to provide targeted benefits.

She suggested that guardian secretaries and district collectors should be tasked with executing a special campaign for linking single women to relevant schemes. Issuing identity cards would help ensure that these women receive priority services in police stations and hospitals. Additionally, she stressed the importance of preventing forced property transfers in rural areas.

Dr. Gorhe also noted that the employment challenges faced by single women in rural and urban areas differ, and solutions should be tailored accordingly.

Commissioner Naina Gunde shared plans under the ‘Adishakti Abhiyan’, where multiple departments will implement women-centric schemes with a clear implementation policy.