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Our initiatives have prevented marriage of 21 lakh minor girls: Smriti Irani
Union minister of women and child development Smriti Irani said on Monday that initiatives taken by her ministry had helped prevent 21 lakh minor girls from getting married
Union minister of women and child development Smriti Irani said on Monday that initiatives taken by her ministry had helped prevent 21 lakh minor girls from getting married.
As of now, 18 years is the marriageable age for women in the country. The minister had in December 2021 introduced a bill seeking to raise the legal permissible age of girls to marry from 18 years to 21 years amid protests from the opposition. It was later referred to a committee for further discussion. In March it was given a three-month extension.
The minister also said her ministry had introduced various measures for women and children and said that 1098 helpline has helped protect around 18 lakh children from 2014 to 2021.
The minister was in Varanasi where she addressed the zonal and sub zonal meeting organised to review the achievements of her ministry over the past eight years.
“Various helpline numbers are being run and these have helped about 70 lakh women in various ways,” she said.
“There was a time when women used to dream but they did not have the right and courage to speak. But now, women are fulfilling their dreams through various schemes of the government,” she said. She also interacted with women to know their views on various schemes.
Some girls also shared their dreams with the minister. Some said they wanted to be IAS officers, others wanted to be bank officers while some others said they wanted to become teachers.
These were girls who had lost their parents at a young age and were continuing their studies. Many of them had availed help through various schemes of the ministry.
The minister assured them of all possible help in making their dreams come true. She also said that ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’ had helped girls convey themselves fearlessly.
The minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced from the ramparts of the Red Fort that he would ensure that sanitary pads were sold at ₹1 at the Jan Aushadhi Kendras.
“Now, 8,000 Jan Aushadhi Kendras in the country were providing sanitary pads for ₹1,” she said. She said that bank loan worth rupees four lakh crore has been provided so far for women. She also thanked anganwadi workers for helping make ‘mission nutrition’ a mass movement.
She said that ₹9,000 crores have been allocated as Nirbhaya fund for the “protection of daughters.”
She said, “Through this fund, an emergency response system has been set up in each police station and at railway stations.” She added that fast track courts too have been set up and all of this has helped solve over 80,000 cases. She said those who had lost their parents in Covid-19 have been provided assistance to help them in their education and upbringing.
Manoj Rai, director, women and child development department, Uttar Pradesh welcomed the guests. Union minister of state for women and child development Dr Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, secretary, ministry of women and child development Indivar Pandey, additional secretary, ministry of women and child development Aditi Das Raut, representatives of U.P, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, public representatives were present.
UN, UNICEF representatives also gave their presentation during the programme. Later, Smriti Irani also visited the One Stop Center at Pandit Deen Dayal Hospital and inquired about the condition of girls and women.
