Cabinet nod for State’s new policy for women

CHENNAI: The state cabinet met here on Tuesday under the leadership of Chief Minister MK Stalin and approved the new women’s policy of the state.

“The new policy would soon be released by Chief Minister MK Stalin,” Minister for Social Welfare and Women Empowerment P Geetha Jeevan told media persons at the Secretariat after the meeting.

As per the policy, the draft of which was released by the ruling DMK in December 2021, a state-level committee chaired by the Chief Secretary and the district-level committee led by district collectors would be constituted to monitor the implementation of the policy and address issues of discrimination faced by women.

The Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Department would also separately monitor the committee.

Stating that the objective of the policy was the holistic development of women by empowering them through education, financial independence and sharing of power, the minister said the government has made changes to the draft policy using the feedback received through public consultation and inputs from other departments.

Reacting to a specific query on the delay in the formation of gender budgeting cells in all government departments announced by the government, Geetha Jeevan said the process was on and her department was in the process of receiving women beneficiary details from various departments implementing different schemes for the government.

The meeting, which took place ahead of the Chief Minister’s visit to Spain, the US and Australia from January 28, was also understood to have discussed the approval for a few key industrial projects.

A few crucial issues like the proposed strike threat issued by government employees’ unions and the earlier strike of the transport workers were also said to have briefly influenced the agenda of the cabinet meeting.