Context: Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla officially reconstituted the Parliamentary Committee on Empowerment of Women for the year 2026–27.
- Senior Lok Sabha MP Daggubati Purandeswari has been appointed as the Chairperson of the panel.
About Committee on Empowerment of Women:
What it is?
- The Committee on Empowerment of Women is a prestigious Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) in the Indian Parliament. It operates as an institutional mechanism to review policies, assess welfare initiatives, and ensure gender equality across central laws and union territories.
Establishment: The committee was constituted for the first time on April 29, 1997, during the 11th Lok Sabha.
Composition & Tenure:
- Lok Sabha: 18 members nominated by the Speaker.
- Rajya Sabha: 10 members nominated by the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
- Tenure: The term of the committee does not exceed one year. It is reconstituted annually.
- Working Principle: Members are expected to rise above party lines and function as a cohesive cross-party unit dedicated to women’s advancement.
Key Functions:
- Reviewing National Commission Reports: Considers the statutory reports submitted by the National Commission for Women (NCW) and recommends legislative or executive actions to the Union Government.
- Evaluating Gender Equality: Examines the systemic measures taken by the Centre to secure equality, status, and dignity for women in all spheres of public and private life.
- Monitoring Education & Representation: Assesses welfare measures aimed at providing comprehensive education and ensuring adequate representation of women in legislative bodies, public services, and other fields.
- Welfare Program Appraisals: Evaluates the execution, last-mile delivery, and overall impact of centrally sponsored women’s welfare and safety schemes.
- Action-Taken Monitoring: Reviews and reports on the actual implementations or gaps in measures previously proposed by the committee to the Union Government and Union Territory administrations.
- Special Remits: Examines specific gender-related matters referred to it dynamically by either the Lok Sabha Speaker or the Rajya Sabha Chairman.
Significance:
- The panel bridges the gap between political intent and actual execution, holding ministries accountable for gender-specific budget allocations and safety outcomes.
- By synthesizing ground realities, its recommendations often lay the groundwork for major policy overhauls, such as Gender Responsive Budgeting and addressing the challenges faced by women in emerging tech-driven economies.
