Women Welfare

Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of Manipur implemented many schemes for the welfare and up liftmen of Women of Manipur specially destitute, divorced, widows etc. Some of the schemes currently implemented are as follows:

SWAYAMSIDHA Project

• It is a centrally sponsored scheme implemented under Integrated Women Empowerment Programme with the following objectives :-
  • Establishment of self reliant womens self help group
  • Creation of confidence and awareness among member of self help group regarding womens status, health, nutrition, education, sanitation and hygiene, legal rights, economic upliftment and other economic and political issues.
  • Strengthening institutionalizing the habits in rural women and their control over economic resources.
  • Improving access of women to micro credit.
  • Involvement of women in local level planning and
  • Convergence of services of department of women and child development and other department

• To implement this scheme Government of Manipur has selected three blocks viz
  1. Imphal East II (Keirao Bitrao)
  2. Churachandpur Tribal Development Block
  3. Chandel Tribal Development Block

Social Welfare Department is the nodal department and Joint Director, Social Welfare is the nodal officer.

Schemes with Assistance from Central

New   Term and Condition for Financial Assistance to Poor & Needy Widow Women.

Support to Training and Employment Programme (STEP)

Department of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Sashtri Bhavan - New Delhi has given financial support to impart training under this programme. The programme aims to increase the self-reliance and autonomy of women by enhancing their productivity and enabling them to take up income generation activities. It provides training for skill up gradation to poor and asset less women in the traditional sectors viz – agriculture, animal husbandry, dairying, fisheries, handlooms, handicrafts, Khadi and village Industries, sericulture, social forestry and wasteland development.

Setting up of Employment-cum-Income Generating units (NORAD)

This programme, partially assisted by NORAD, aims to improve the lives of poor women by training them in traditional and non-traditional trades viz.- electronics, watch assembly, basic and advanced computer training, garment making, secretariat practice, embroidery etc. and to ensure their employment in these areas given training.

Construction / Expansion of Hostel Building for working Women with a Day Care Center

Under this scheme financial assistance is extended to voluntary organizations, public sector undertakings, state government and Educational Institutions for construction of hostels for working women in order to enhance enrolment of women in unemployment and in technical training. The objective is to provide cheap and safe hostel accommodation to employed women living out of their homes.

Short stay homes for Women and girls (SSH)

The SSH scheme for Women and girls who have no local support systems due to family problems, mental strains, social ostracism, exploitation and other causes. The services extended in these homes include medical care, psychiatric therapy, educational cum vocational training, recreational facilities etc.

SWADHAR

• A scheme for women in difficult circumstances with the objectives as follows :
  • To provide primary need of shelter, food, clothing and care to the marginalized women, girls living in difficult circumstances who are without any social and economic support
  • To provide emotional support and counseling to such women.
  • To rehabilitate them socially and economically through education, awareness, skill up gradation and personality development through behavioral training etc.
  • To arrange for specific clinical, legal and other support for women/girls in need of those intervention by linking and net working with other organizations in both Govt. Non-Government sector on case to case basis.
  • To provide such other services and will be required for the support and rehabilitation to such women in distress.

Target Group /Beneficiaries of SWADHAR

• The following shall be the target group beneficiaries of the scheme :
  • Widows deserted by their families and relatives and left uncared near religious places where they are victims of exploitation.
  • Women prisoners released from jail and without family support.
  • Women survivors of natural disaster who have been rendered homes and are without any social and economic support.
  • Trafficked women/girls rescued or run away from brothels or other places or women/girl victims of sexual crimes who are disowned by family or who do not want to go back to respective family for various reasons.
  • Women victims of terrorist violence who are without any family support and without any economic means for survival.
  • Mutually disordered women who are without any support of family or relatives

Other schemes for Women

There are women homes for Women run by State as well as Women's Association with grant of Rs.20,000/- as usual from Govt. of Manipur.

Trainings are organised and conducted for women including School drop-outs in the different traditional and non-traditional trades such as Handloom weaving, type writing & short hand, Readymade Garments, Mosquito Net weaving, Leather, Beauty culture and Computer etc. in collaboration with N.G.Os under the various schemes of Govt. of India.