Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, October 29:
With the stated objective of empowering the Manipuri women, the Manipur Social Welfare Board has taken up a number of project towards this end.
Speaking to The Sangai Express today, Chairman of the Board, Rajkumari Bidita said that the Manavi Sanrakshan Aviyan Varsh is a special programme taken up for women for the year 2004.The underlying theme of this programme is to empower women, from the moment she is born as a daughter and dies as a grandmother or a mother, said Bidita.
Mentioning other programmes taken up by the Board, the Chairman said the Awareness Generation Project has been launched in all the districts of Manipur to spread awareness among women on issues concerning them.
Monthly programmes on women issues are also being taken up in all the districts, said the Chairman adding that for the month of October, the programme is for Aged Women.
Condensed courses have also been taken up in remote and hilly areas with a maximum of 25 women enrolled for the course.
The main aim is to provide education from the primary and middle level up to matriculation, she added.
Another significant programme taken up by the Board is the opening of Family Counselling centres to provide advice and give professional help to help defuse domestic crisis, said the Chairman.
The Board has also opened 227 cr�che centres for pre-nursery children across the State, said Bidita adding that destitute women are also given shelters at Short Stay Home.
Here vocational courses are taught to the destitute women for 18 months to make them economically independent.
Working Women hostels have also been opened for the benefits of women who come from far flung areas.