Committee on Empowerment of Women
Why in News?
The Committee on Empowerment of Women is in news because the Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla has reconstituted it for the new parliamentary term, and Dr. Daggubati Purandeswari has been appointed as its chairperson. It is a parliamentary committee that examines government measures for women’s empowerment, equality, and welfare.
Core Composition & Structure
- Joint Committee: It operates as a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) pulling members from both houses of the Indian Parliament.
- Total Strength: The committee has a fixed strength of 30 members.
- House Split: The composition strictly maintains a ratio of 20 members from the Lok Sabha (nominated by the Speaker) and 10 members from the Rajya Sabha (nominated by the Chairman).
- Term Limit: Appointed members serve a tenure that does not exceed one year, requiring annual reconstitution.
- Ministerial Bar: No Union Minister can be nominated as a member of this committee to maintain strict separation of powers and uncompromised executive scrutiny.
- Inception History: The committee was first constituted on April 29, 1997, during the 11th Lok Sabha, following resolutions passed on International Women's Day to structurally advance gender equality.
Key Mandate & Functions
- Reviewing NCW Reports: The committee formally considers statutory reports submitted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) and charts out legislative actions required.
- Evaluating Status & Dignity: It systematically examines executive measures taken by the Union Government to secure absolute equality, status, and dignity for women across public and private domains.
- Monitoring Political & Work Representation: The panel scrutinizes government progress on ensuring comprehensive education and adequate representation of women in legislative bodies, government services, and public sector units (PSUs).
- Welfare Scheme Audits: It evaluates the ground-level execution, budget utilization, and impact of major women-centric welfare and safety programs, such as Mission Shakti.
- Action-Taken Reporting: The committee monitors and tables reports on whether the Union Government and Union Territory administrations have implemented its past recommendations.
Recent Focus Areas & Strategic Reports
- POSH Act Compliance: The committee recently held extensive, multi-hour investigative briefings with ministries and public entities (like IRCTC, FCI, and BIS) to audit the strict execution of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (POSH) Act, 2013.
- Mission Shakti Infrastructure: In its latest performance evaluation, the panel directed faster operationalization of One Stop Centres (OSCs), demanding real-time digital tracking and synchronized fund deployment to guarantee immediate legal and medical aid to distressed women.
- Technology & Gender Budgeting: Mirroring goals for a Viksit Bharat, the committee’s current agenda heavily focuses on institutionalizing Gender Responsive Budgeting and protecting women from digital safety threats in emerging technology landscapes.
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