The National Commission for Women (NCW)

Syllabus: General Studies Paper 2

The National Commission for Women (NCW) has summoned Congress leader over his “sycophancy” remark against President Droupadi Murmu.

About the Commission

• It is a statutory body setup in January 1992 under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.
• The Committee on the Status of Women in India (CSWI) recommended the setting up of a National Commission for women for surveillance functions, redressal of grievances and to accelerate the socio-economic development of women.
• To review the Constitutional and Legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate redressal of grievances and advise the Government on all policy matters affecting women.

• works on complaints referred to it and can also act suo-moto in several cases to provide speedy justice.
• present to the Central Government, annually and at such other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguard,
• review, from time to time, the exiting provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women and recommend amendments thereto
• fund litigation involving issues affecting a large body of women,
• inspect or cause to inspected place of custody where women are kept as prisoners or otherwise and take up with the concerned authorities for remedial action, if found necessary,
• Work on any other matter which may be referred to it by Central Government.

Composition

• A Chairperson, nominated by the Central Government.
• Five Members with expertise in law and issues related to women, nominated by the Central Government.
• At least one Member each shall be from amongst persons belonging to the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes respectively
• Member Secretary must be a central gazetted officer having management and sociological expertise and nominated by the Central Government.
• The National Commission for Women submits all its reports to the Central Government, which is laid before the Parliament during sessions.
• During the investigation of any matter before it, National Commission for Women has all the powers of a civil court.

Achievements

• The Commission prepared Gender Profiles to assess the status of women and their empowerment.
• It acted suo-moto in several cases to provide speedy justice.
• It took up the issue of child marriage, sponsored legal awareness programmes, Parivarik Mahila Lok Adalats and reviewed laws such as Dowry Prohibition Act, 1961, PNDT Act 1994, Indian Penal Code 1860 to make them more stringent and effective.
• It organized workshops/consultations, constituted expert committees on economic empowerment of women, conducted workshops/seminars for gender awareness and took up publicity campaign against female foeticide, violence against women etc. in order to generate awareness in the society against these social evils.
• The commission regularly brings out a monthly newsletter called “Rashtra Mahila”