Promise to women :
To stand in solidarity with girls, children and women and pledge to do everything possible to empower them and to keep them safe and secure.
INR 1000 crore 'Nirbhaya Fund' for women's empowerment and safety:
About Nirbhaya Fund:
It's a fund for women safety.The fund has been announced in memory of the young woman, who passed away at a Singapore hospital on December 29 last year, two weeks after she had been brutally gang-raped in a moving bus in New Delhi. As the media is not allowed to name a rape victim, the young woman who fought those who assaulted her on Dec 16 was referred to as "Nirbhaya" (fearless one) and "Damini" (lightning) by sections of the press. The ministry of women and child development has been requested to plan the structure, scope and application of this fund.
The present honorable union minister of women and child development: Smt. Krishna Tirath (Minister of State- MoS)
Proposal to set up India's first women bank:
Mr. P. Chidambaram has proposed in the union budget to set up India's first all-women public sector bank and provision of Rs.1,000 crore as the initial capital. It is probable to obtain necessary approvals and the banking license by Oct 2013 for such bank.
Importance and role :
- The bank will employ and lend to women.
- Men, however, can deposit in the bank.
- Encourage women to build assets by providing micro-loans, finance a variety of asset-building enterprises including start up business and training.
- Provide loans to finance healthcare costs, marriages, children's education, and housing.
- Loans to self-help groups formed by self-employed women such as vegetable vendors, milk sellers, and weavers and also to women employed in agriculture, handicrafts, village art and crafts.
- .It is a very significant step as women form over 48% of population of India and this step will address the problems of gender bias, denial of opportunities to women entrepreneurship and make them self-employed. It will cause a multiplier effect, a positive repercussion effect in the Indian Economy.
Existing important women's cooperative banks in India:
- Shri Mahila SEWA Sahakari Bank Ltd. - SEWA (Self Employed Women's Association) Bank - Ahmedabad, Gujarat.
- Mann Deshi Mahila Bank, Maharashtra.
Aftermath of union budget:
- Bangalore headquartered PSB, Canara Bank (CMD : R.K.Dubey) is planning to open 10 all-women employee branches across the country. The bank is also launching 'annual award scheme' for successful women entrepreneurs.
- Bangalore headquartered PSB, Vijaya Bank (CMD: H.S.Upendra Kamath) is planning to open three all women branches in Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore.
PSBs led by women at present:
- Bank of India CMD - Smt. Vijayalakshmi R. Iyer
- Allahabad Bank CMD - Shubhalakshmi Panse
