Tag: Women and Child

Bengal Minister seeks separate toilets for transgenders

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Minister for women and child development and social welfare, Dr Shashi Panja, said on Wednesday that transgender persons deserve to have separate public toilets.

“They deserve separate toilets, which unfortunately are not there. Just imagine the difficulties faced by them. They are human (beings) too,” Panja said while addressing the 8th CII Corporate Social Responsibility Meet, 2015 here.

She also appealed to the corporate houses to earmark a part of their CSR funds for setting up separate toilets for the transgender.

As per state government figures, the number of transgender persons in West Bengal is 30,349. The issue of the community’s welfare is being discussed in Bengal since the state government has set up a transgender development board.

Also, with Manabi Mukhopadhyay becoming the first transgender principal of any college has given an impetus to the transgender development movement in the state.
“The government alone cannot do everything. Please come forward and help us achieve our social goals,” Dr Panja said.

Dr Panja also spoke of the need for quality education and vocational training at anganwadi centres where children need good teachers and mentors.

“All you are required to do is approach the urban development department for land,” she said in her appeal to the corporate houses.

Earlier, the state government had asked the Kolkata Police to begin recruitment of transgenders into the Civic Police Volunteer Force. The move was seen as a way to end the “stigma” and “discrimination” against the community.

‘1000 Days’ campaign launched for mother, child care in West Bengal

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West Bengal Department of Child Development and Social Welfare and UNICEF today launched ‘1000 Days’ campaign to reach out to every mother and child across the state for their healthier and prosperous future.

“The 1000 days between a woman’s pregnancy and her child’s second birthday offer an unique window of opportunity to shape healthier and more prosperous future. The right nutrition and care during this period can have a profound impact on a child’s ability to grow, learn and rise out of poverty,” state Women and Child Welfare minister, Shashi Panja said.

The campaign, which will be carried out for the next 12 months with a budget of Rs 1,474 crore to be funded by both the centre and the state, would be taken to every block in the state.

It would engage a large network of NGOs, institutions and community mobilisers to reach out to young mothers, the minister said.

Bengal Govt observes National Nutrition Week

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To enhance community-based initiatives in educating mothers and caregivers on nutrition issues, the West Bengal government is observing National Nutrition Week till next Monday.

“We are carrying out a series of convergent and well-coordinated activities in different sectors in a mission mode to address the issues which may lead to under-nutrition, especially in the socially and economically backward communities,” state Women and Child Welfare Minister Dr Shashi Panja said.

The state government has mobilised their state-wide network of ICDS centres and frontline functionaries to reach out to the maximum number of people at the community level.

Child rights body UNICEF has also been working closely with the state.

UNICEF officials said nutrition is not confined to food only, rather refers to an interplay of health and immunisation, environmental and personal hygiene and sanitation, in addition to age appropriate nutritionally dense food and feeding practices.

“Nutrition is an issue of survival, health and development for current and succeeding generations. Children born underweight may have impaired immune function, increased risk of diseases, low learning abilities due to impaired cognitive ability, thus affecting their school performance and then productivity in their later life,” Panja said.

National Nutrition Week is celebrated annually from September 1 to 7.

Across all districts, activities like community-level nutrition and health promotion camps, community sensitisation sessions, cooking demonstration and recipe competition quiz shows, etc are being carried out.

WB CM launches ‘Muktir Alo’ – Rehabilitation scheme for sex workers

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West Bengal Chief Minister Ms Mamata Banerjee today launched ‘Muktir Alo’, a rehabilitation scheme for sex workers and women rescued from human trafficking.

The proposed scheme would help them to return to the mainstream, Minister for Women and Child Development, Dr Shashi Panja had earlier said in the Assembly.

She said that the registered persons would be given house rent and transport allowance during the training period. The period of training would be six months, she said.

During the launch programme, WB CM said that her government was committed to working for the upliftment of the marginalised section of the society.

“We launched ‘Muktir Alo’ initiative for those who are downtrodden and neglected by society. It is our responsibility. We have also set up a development board for transgenders,” she said.

“We have set up a Little Star board for the welfare of little people. We are working for welfare of backward communities,” she added.

Mamata Banerjee tweeted in the morning:

Derek O’Brien speaks during discussion on working of Ministry of Women & Child Development | Transcript

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Full Transcript:

Sir, I would like to make one comment and three questions.

Sir, this department is called the Women and Child Development but looking at the treasury benches, now I have realised why the Minister very graciously informed us that she was ready with her reply in August and but could not make it till March. Sir, I am only making an observation that the the department for women and child has become the department for woman and child as there is not a single woman – other than the Minister – in the treasury benches. This is an attitude issue.

Sir, I have three pointed questions.

One of the schemes which the Government has rolled out is the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao. A test is being done in about 100 districts. This is my understanding. Now the Finance Minister in his Budget has allocated Rs 100 crore for this programme this year. My question to the Minister is – would you consider a programme called Kanyashree – approved by the UN, running for the last one and a half years. It was rolled out and the pilot phase is over. This is a award winning programme. This year the State Government of West Bengal has allocated Rs 900 crore. For one programme. Not Rs 100 crore. It is a successful programme. Let’s not get into competitive federalism in a negative way. Would you consider looking at Bengal’s Kanyashree, running successfully for the last three one and a half years and adopt the model?

My second question is to do with scalability. We heard the examples you gave us, so scalability is the issue. The idea with the Railways Minister is good as it has to with adoption. The third idea is to do with inappropriate touch; spreading it in the schools. For these ideas what specific plans do you have for scalability? That is the challenge.

I am saying, if there are 20 railway stations, then what is the plan to make it 200? If it is 89 children – very good – how do you make it 89000? That is scalability. Testing has been done, what is the idea for scalability?

The Minister wanted an idea and I am giving her an example for Vishaka Guidelines. How do you spread the message through corporates? FICCI, ASSOCHAM and all the industrial bodies are doing very good work, get them involved. They can help you to spread this message.