Department Of Women’s And Child Development Karnataka, Launched as a pilot project at T.Narasipura in Mysore district on 2nd October 1975, the programme was expanded to cover 166 rural, 9 tribal and 10 urban projects across 175 taluks and 40015 anganwadi centres (36184 rural, 2801 tribal, 1030 urban) was sanctioned. The programme envisages a package of services covering a supplementary nutrition programme for children below 6 years and pregnant and nursing mothers, pre-school education for children in the 3 to 6 age group, immunisation of children and mothers, health checkups by medical officers, referral services and health and nutrition education.
Origin
Prior to the Reorganisation of States, there was no separate Department as such to deal with the various social legislations like the Children Act, the Probation of Offenders Act and the Prevention of Prostitution Act in Mysore State. The Inspector-General of Prisons was looking after the work under the Madras Children Act and the Madras Probation of Offenders Act in the District of Bellary which was merged in the Mysore State in 1953.
The Inspector-General of Prisons continued to be in charge of the above work for some time even after the Reorganisation of States. Consequent on the Reorganisation of States, the Inspector-General of Prisons was also made responsible for the work under the Bombay Children Act, the Bombay Probation of Offenders Act and the Bombay Habitual Offenders Restriction Act, in the four districts of Bombay-Karnataka, and the work under the Madras Probation of offenders Act in the District of South Kanara.
During 1957, a separate Department known as the Probation and After-Care Services Department was created for looking after the work under the various items of social legislation and was attached to the Social Welfare Department.
Further, the work under the Social and Moral Hygiene and After-Care Programme and Welfare Services in Prisons was also entrusted to this new Department. The After-Care Services Department was converted into the Department of Women and Child Welfare in 1975 following the announcement of the International Women’s Year.
The Women’s Development Corporation was set up in 1987 to fund income generating programs for women.
Organization Structure
A. State level
At the state level the department is headed by Director, an IAS Officer, who is assisted by the Joint Directors in the four sections in the Directorate.
1.Administration
2.Integrated Child Development Services
3.Programme Development and Monitoring Cell / Child Welfare
4.Stree Shakti / Women Welfare Programmes
B. District level
The implementation of the district sector schemes is entrusted to Zilla Panchayats through the Deputy Directors at the district level in each district, who is assisted by an Assistant Director, a Programme Officer and ministerial staff for the proper and effective implementation of the schemes and programmes of the department. The state sector schemes are implemented directly through the Deputy Directors of the districts.
C. Taluk level
At the Taluk level, the Child Development Project Officer is in charge of implementation of the ICDS scheme and other programmes of the Department. He/she is assisted by the Assistant Child Development Project Officer , Supervisors and other supporting staff of the ICDS Projects.
Our Goals
- Framing and implementing legislations, policies, programmes and schemes for social and economic empowerment of women, protection and development of children.
- Universalization of ICDS scheme, capacity building of grass root level workers, providing nutrition, life skill education, vocational training, health education, home based skills to adolescent girls.
- Advocacy and capacity building of officers of state government departments for institutionalising gender budgeting processes and awareness generation about rights of women and children.
- Implementation of ICPS scheme
- Advocacy and awareness generation on trafficking and setting up of rehabilitation homes for trafficked women and children through NGO’s and also shelters / short stay homes, Santhwana Centres for women in distress.
- Coordinating with other departments for convergence of programmes relating to women and children.
- Skill up gradation for employment to the assetless and marginalized women and improving access of women to micro credit finance.
- Promoting all round development of children by providing various programmes and implementing them.
Our Objectives
- To lay the foundation for development of children below 6 years with focus on Supplementary Nutrition, non formal pre school education and awareness and capacity building for mothers for nutritional and health needs of the child.
- To empower adolescent girls (11-18 years) through nutrition, health care and life skill education.
- To provide a safe and secure environment for overall development of children who are in need of care and protection and those in conflict with law.
- To create awareness on the consequences of Child Marriage and to prevent child marriage in the state to remove the bias against girl children, to correct adverse sex ratio and eradicate social evils.
- To prevent women and children from being abused and trafficked.
- To enable Economic, Social and Political Empowerment of women.
- To ensure welfare of differently abled and senior citizens.
- To Provide relief and rehabilitation to vulnerable and marginalized women who lack family / societal support and independent means of income.
- To mainstream gender concerns in policies, programmes and schemes of Government though gender budgeting.
- To provide various support services to women and children through State Social Welfare Board and its network of voluntary organisations.
- To implement Rajiv Gandhi Creche scheme for the children of working mothers and its revision.
- To implement programmes for economic empowerment of women through Women Development Corporation
- To empower women to participate in the justice delivery mechanism through Women’s Commission.
- To promote and bring out the creative talent among children by exposing them to various extra curricular activities and creative activities through Bal Bhavans and Bala Vikas Academy.