Kolkata: The National Commission for Women (NCW) has submitted a roadmap to the West Bengal government recommending measures to strengthen women's safety, healthcare, social protection and economic empowerment in the state, the commission said in a statement on Wednesday.
Source: PTI via KalimNews
The report, submitted to Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari and Women and Child Development Minister Malati Rava Roy, consolidates recommendations from the 'Nari Netritwe Unnoto' conclave held on August 6 at the Biswa Bangla Convention Centre in Kolkata, which brought together over 120 stakeholders — policymakers, administrators, legal experts, healthcare professionals, academics, entrepreneurs, artists and civil society representatives.
Health and safety proposals
Among the key proposals, the report recommended considering a family health-insurance card of Rs 5 lakh registered in the woman's name for families without existing health insurance. It also recommended expanding maternal and preventive healthcare, community-based mental-wellness centres, weekly privacy-protected adolescent health clinics, and village-level sample collection linked to district and medical-college facilities, along with stronger virology laboratory capacity and a 'Test Before Treat' approach.
On safety, the commission called for strengthening One Stop Centres so survivors of domestic violence get coordinated legal aid, counselling, medical care and shelter support, wider awareness of women's legal rights and government schemes, and continuation of the Durga Suraksha Bahini initiative. It also sought stronger implementation of the POSH Act and measures to prevent trafficking.
Livelihoods, culture and what happens next
For economic empowerment, the roadmap recommended improving institutional credit for self-help groups (SHGs), strengthening cooperative societies, and expanding livelihood programmes, digital literacy and skills training, particularly in remote and border areas. Other suggestions included simplifying street-food-vending licensing, exploring SHG-run canteens in government offices, increasing women farmers' representation in Panchayati Raj Institutions, and considering a dedicated women's development mission for North Bengal.
The report also proposed integrating local heritage, folk songs and traditional art forms into school and college curricula, greater support for folk artists including Bhawaiya singers, platforms for women writers, action on gender-based pay disparities in the arts, medical insurance for dancers, and consideration of recognition for Gaudiya Nritya as a classical dance form.
'The recommendations emerging from Nari Netritwe Unnoto call for coordinated policy action, adequate resources and robust monitoring to translate women-led development into measurable outcomes across West Bengal,' the NCW said, adding that it will continue to engage with the state government and stakeholders. The roadmap is a set of recommendations for the state government's consideration; no Bengal government decision on adopting the proposals has been announced.