Context
The Union Government has launched the Nirbhay Chetna Initiative to sensitise nearly 17.5 lakh elected male representatives on issues related to gender equality and women’s safety, with the objective of strengthening gender-responsive governance at the grassroots level.
About Nirbhay Chetna Initiative
- It is a first-of-its-kind national programme supported through the Nirbhaya Fund.
- The initiative is implemented by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
- It seeks to promote gender-sensitive governance by strengthening awareness, accountability, and community leadership among elected representatives.
- The programme focuses on sensitising elected male representatives to issues related to gender equality, women’s rights, safety, and security.
- A cadre of 28,500 Master Trainers is being developed at the State, district, and block levels to support nationwide sensitisation efforts.
- It encourages Panchayati Raj Institutions to foster safe, inclusive, and gender-responsive communities.
Key Components of the Nirbhay Raho Initiative
- Nirbhay Chetna promotes gender sensitivity and awareness regarding women’s rights, safety, and security among elected male representatives.
- Nirbhay Netri promotes leadership development, capacity-building, and legal awareness among elected women representatives.
- Nirbhay Drishti envisages the installation of CCTV cameras at strategic rural locations to strengthen technology-enabled safety infrastructure in Panchayats.
