Using Tech to Empower Women and Children

Brief Context

The editorial highlights the significant role of technology in integrating and empowering various initiatives under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in India.

Source Content

Syllabus: GS1/ Social Issue, GS2/ Governance, Welfare Schemes, E-governance

In Context

• The editorial highlights the significant role of technology in integrating and empowering various initiatives under the Ministry of Women and Child Development (MWCD) in India.
  • This digital transformation aligns with the government’s vision of a “digitally empowered India” and the broader goal of “Viksit Bharat@2047“.

Key Dimensions of the Transformation

• Digital Public Infrastructure and Real-Time Governance: 
  • The Poshan Tracker enables real-time data entry, performance monitoring, and evidence-based policy interventions across Anganwadi centres, streamlining record-keeping and reducing manual errors.
  • Anganwadi workers are equipped with smartphones and trained in digital tools, ensuring last-mile delivery and monitoring of services.
• Modernisation of Anganwadi Centres: 
  • The Saksham Anganwadi initiative aims to upgrade over 2 lakh centres with smart infrastructure and digital devices, enhancing the quality of nutrition, healthcare, and pre-school education.
• Targeted Welfare and Financial Inclusion:
  • Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) uses a fully digital, Aadhaar-based system for registration and benefit transfers, ensuring transparency and reducing leakages.
  • The use of facial recognition in the Supplementary Nutrition Programme further minimises the risk of ineligible beneficiaries receiving support.
• Women’s Safety and Legal Empowerment: 
  • SHe-Box portal provides a single-window online platform for lodging and tracking complaints of sexual harassment at the workplace, ensuring timely redressal.
  • Mission Shakti dashboard and app connect women in distress to the nearest support centre, integrating assistance and improving response times.
• Child Protection and Adoption Ecosystem:
  • The CARINGS portal streamlines and digitises the adoption process, making it more transparent and accessible.
  • Mission Vatsalya dashboard and platforms by the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights enable better monitoring of child care institutions and rights violations.
• Tangible Outcomes: 
  • Sex Ratio at Birth improved from 918 (2014-15) to 930 (2023-24).
  • Maternal Mortality Rate declined from 130 (2014-16) to 97 per 1,000 births (2018-20).
  • Over 10.14 crore beneficiaries (pregnant women, lactating mothers, children under six, adolescent girls) are registered on the Poshan Tracker.

Strengths

• Transparency and Accountability: Digital systems reduce corruption and leakages by enabling direct benefit transfers and real-time monitoring.
• Inclusivity: Technology bridges the urban-rural divide, ensuring that even remote populations have access to government services.
• Empowerment: Women and children are not just recipients but are positioned as potential leaders and change-makers.

Challenges

• Digital Literacy: Older Anganwadi workers may struggle with new technology, preferring traditional record-keeping methods.
• Language Barriers: Software interfaces often default to English, which may not be accessible for all frontline workers.
• Technical Limitations: Issues like lack of auto-update or delete options in the Poshan Tracker can hinder data accuracy and correction.
• Infrastructure Gaps: Reliable internet and electricity are still inconsistent in some rural areas.

Way Forward

• Capacity Building: Continuous training for Anganwadi workers in local languages.
• User-Centric Design: Customising digital tools to be more intuitive and regionally adaptable.
• Infrastructure Investment: Ensuring robust digital and physical infrastructure in rural areas.
• Feedback Mechanisms: Regularly updating digital platforms based on user feedback from the ground.

Source: TH