‘Women should get right to equality in families as well’

RAIPUR: Addressing a state level women's conference on the occasion of International Women's Day on Monday, Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said that there has always been a significant contribution of mother power in Chhattisgarh. The CM said that women have been given the right to equality in the Constitution, and now is the high time to give equal rights to women in the family as well, so that they may take decisions on their own.

He said that state government is continuously working towards the education, health and self-reliance of women.

Baghel said that when an educated man benefits himself, but when a woman is educated, it benefits the whole family. Entire family gets educated and the society moves ahead and progress.

He said that state government has made provision of free education for girls and boys up to 12th standard. In the name of Swami Atmanand, 52 English mediums have been started this year, and in the budget of 2021-22, provision for 119 English medium schools has been made. In the near future, English medium schools will be opened in every development block headquarters, so as to provide English Medium education facility to the daughters in the development block itself.

The CM said that State Government is conducting several schemes to provide better nutrition and better health facilities to women. 20,000 women suffering from anemia have become healthy due to the Chief Minister's Nutrition Campaign (Mukhyamantri Suposhan Abhiyan. Through this campaign, 99,000 children have been cured of malnutrition in one year. Women are also getting the benefit of health services through Mukhyamantri Haat-Bazaar Clinic Scheme, Urban Slum Health Scheme and Dai-Didi Clinic Scheme. Under Dai-Didi clinic scheme, the entire staff including the doctor is female, so that women do not hesitate to tell their health related problems.

The CM said that 20 lakh women have been provided employment and income resources by associating them with self-help groups. Other than making vermi compost, women are conducting various economic activities in Gauthans, they are also earning from the collection of minor forest produce. Earlier, only 7 types of minor forest produce were purchased on support price, now their number has been increased to 52, which has also contributed to the increase in income of women.