Shelter Home for Women (SHW) – Vision, Beneficiaries

The Ministry Of Women and Child Development’s Swadhar Greh Scheme, also known as ‘Shelter Home For Women.’ The broad mandate is to promote the holistic development of women and children. Read on!

Ministry Of Women & Child Development – Shelter Home For Women Scheme.

India’s social structure has always been complex. Since the dawn of ignorance towards benevolence, social, religious, educational, and familial circumstances; have been skewed against women and girls. Female feticide, skewed sex ratios, child marriage, and a bad mindset for girls in the family, among other social vices, and prejudice, are impediments to girls and women. It hinders them from achieving; their essential rights, such as protection, health, and education. 

To create a safe and secure workplace for women; free of sexual harassment, the Government of India (GOI), enacted the Protection of Women from Sexual Harassment at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act (the SH Act) in 2013. This Act protects women who labour; in both the organized and unorganized sectors by establishing; a redressal system for their grievances. This Act is exceptional because it covers such a wide range of topics. It encompasses; all women, regardless of their employment situation. Working in organized or disorganized public or private sectors is the work status regardless of hierarchy. Domestic employees are also included, in the scope, of the law. 

It provides a complete definition of ‘sexual harassment at work.’ It covers situations in which an inferred or explicit promise threatens a woman’s employment prospects. Furthermore, it also includes establishing a hostile work environment or humiliating treatment; that may impact her health or safety. 

Shelter Home for Women Scheme.

The Swadhar Greh Scheme, known as Shelter Home for Women, which was amended, on April 1, 2016, is being implemented by the Ministry of Women and Child Development. The Scheme meets the basic requirements of women and girls who have become homeless due to family turmoil, crime, violence, mental stress, social ostracism, or are being coerced into prostitution and are in danger of losing their lives. The Scheme strives to rehabilitate such women in tough economic and emotional circumstances by providing accommodation, food, clothing, counselling, training, clinical and legal assistance. In addition, the Ministry has built; the ‘Krishna Kutir’ Home for Widows in Vrindavan, Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, which can house 1000 widows. The Ministry has fully sponsored the residence. Its goal is to offer widows a safe and secure place to reside and health services, nutritional meals, legal assistance, and counselling. This institution, which opened on August 31, 2018, is the country’s largest refuge home for widows. 

Vision: Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW)

The scheme; aims to provide temporary housing, to women, in need. It is made possible, by the establishment, of an institutional structure. It has an impact on their empowerment and ensures; that they have access to appropriate support services. Furthermore, it envisions; such women having access to housing, food, clothing, health care, and economic and social security. 

Objectives: Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW)

Swadhar Grehs will be established, in every district, with a capacity, of 30 women, with the following objectives: 

1. To meet the primary needs of housing, food, clothing, medical treatment, and care of women in distress and those who lack social and economic assistance.
2. To help individuals; reclaim their emotional power, which has been harmed due to their dire circumstances.
3. Provide them with legal assistance and direction so that they may begin readjusting to their new family/society.
4. To financially and emotionally rehabilitate them.
5. To serve as a support system that recognizes and satisfies the needs of women in distress.
6. To assist women; in distress by acting as a support system that recognizes and supports their unique needs.
7. Provide them with the opportunity to start their lives with dignity and conviction.
8. More than one Swadhar Greh could be built, in large cities and other districts, with populations exceeding 40 lakh people, or in regions; where more help for women is required.
9. Swadhar Greh’s capacity could be increased to 50 or 100 people based on a demand evaluation and other critical characteristics.

Women’s and children’s development, to their full potential, is a critical component of the country’s overall human resource development endeavour. It is vital to nurture the children, the social field’s tender seedlings. Poor widows, poor women, pregnant and nursing women; all want more help and care. 

Strategy – Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW)

The following tactics would be used to achieve the goals above:

• Food, clothing, medical care, and other necessities are provided in a temporary residential setting.
• Economic rehabilitation, of such women, through vocational and skill enhancement training.
• Counselling, education, and behavioural training are all; available.
• In addition, legal assistance, and advice, are available.

Beneficiaries – Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW)

The Swadhar Greh Scheme, benefits women, over the age of 18, who are socially, and economically disadvantaged, such as:

1. Women, who have been abandoned;
2. Women, who have been left; deserted, by their partners, as deserted women;
3. Women, who have been displaced, as a result of natural calamities;
4. Women who have been released from prison and have no family support;
5. Women have been forced to flee their homes and have no means of surviving. Domestic violence, family conflict, or strife could be the cause. They may also be vulnerable, to exploitation, or lawsuit, as a result of marital conflicts; because they lack particular protection;
6. Women, rescued from human trafficking operations, or who have fled, brothels or other places, where they are exploited, as well as women afflicted, by domestic violence;
7. HIV/AIDS-positive women who have been abandoned. However, where the Ujjawala Scheme is in effect, such women should first seek assistance through the Ujjawala Scheme.
8. Women from all the groups above are allowed to stay; for a maximum of 5 years. Older women above the age of 55; maybe accommodated until they reach the age of 60, at which point, they must be transferred to old age facilities.
9. Women with significant intellectual/mental problems should not be housed in Swadhar Grehs. They should. Instead, they should be transferred to mental rehabilitation centres to guarantee that their unique requirements are handled.
10. Children accompanying ladies in the following categories can also use Swadhar Greh amenities.
11. Girls, up to the age of 18, and boys up to the age of 12, would be able to stay, with their moms, in the Swadhar Greh.
12. Boys over the age of 12 must be sent to Children Homes, managed; under the JJ Act/ICPS.

Implementation – Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW).

The Scheme can provide help to any of the following agencies or organizations:

1. Women Development Corporations formed by State Governments Central or State autonomous bodies are examples of State Government agencies.
2. Municipal Governments
3. Boards of Cantonment
4. Institutions of the Panchayati Raj and cooperatives
5. State governments’ Departments of Women, and Child Development/Social Welfare, which may build; Swadhar Greh and administer them, on their own, or lease them, to organizations, with the necessary experience, for a period, of time judged, appropriate for managing the scheme’s operations;
6. Public Trusts, established; by any law, in place, at the time;
7. Civil society organizations, such as NGOs that have a demonstrated track record of operating in women’s welfare, social welfare, or women’s education, must be registered under the Indian Societies Registration Act, 1860, or any appropriate State Act.

Implementation – Swadhar Greh Scheme (SHW).

The implementing agencies will get 100% financing as Grant-in-Aid from the Central Government (Ministry of Women and Child Development). For the establishment and operation of Swadhar Greh, the government will provide the following types, of financial assistance, to the implementing organizations: 

• Construction Assistance;
• Rent Administration and Management Assistance;
• Expenditure that occurs, regularly;
• Non-recurring Expenditure, for Children’s Provision.

Application Procedure & Contact Details – SHW.

National Informatics Centre designed, developed, and hosted the website on behalf; of the Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India; the NIC. Follow the links below: 

Ministry of Women and Child Development.

• https://www.wcd.nic.in/

Women Empowerment Schemes.

• https://wcd.nic.in/schemes-listing/2405

Swadhar Greh Scheme. (Shelter Home for Women Scheme.)

• https://wcd.nic.in/schemes/swadhar-greh-scheme-women-difficult-circumstances

(The above page has download links to important circulars and forms within; them.)