Govt considering giving more teeth to NCW

New Delhi, Apr 28 (UNI) The Government today said it was considering an amendment in the National Commission for Women(NCW) Act to make the body more effective in redressing the grievances of women and help in their empowerment.

Answering a supplementary from Ms Brinda Karat of the CPI(M), Minister for Women and Child Development Renuka Choudhary told the House that the government was fully committed to making the NCW function effectively, and was working on an amendment in the Act to give it more teeth.

Ms Karat had wanted know why the NCW had less powers than the other commisions.

To Ms Karat's remark that the NCW was headless at present as its chairperson's term had expired in February, the Minister said it was not true to say so as Ms Girija Vyas had been renominated to chair the Commission.

The posts of other members would also be filled when their term expired, she added.

Earlier to a suplementary of senior Samajwadi party member Janeswar Misra, who had asked the original question, Ms Choudhary said the various schemes started by the government for the upliftment of women were showing result, but a lot also depended on the cooperation of states.

She said that it was encouraging to know that under the Domestic Violence Act, 3000 complaints had been received from women, and that too from areas and sections of the population which were considered traditional.

The Minister said her Ministry had taken special care to see that the 11th plan approached the issue of women development in a holistic manner.

She also sought the cooperation of other ministries in this task.

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