This power point looks at policies and schemes for single-women in the 12th Five Year Plan (2012-2017) of India, and gaps therein.

1. Policies for single women under
the 12th Five Year Plan India
Ranjani.K.Murthy
Independent Researcher and Consultant
Gender & Development

2. Objectives
• To introduce the participants to what the 12th
Five year Plan proposes for
development/empowerment of women
• To carry out a participatory critique of the
above

3. 11th plan schemes for single women
• Priyadarshini- SHG based livelihoods – Bihar
and Uttar Pradesh
• Swadhar- shelter and short stay homes for
women in difficult circumstances
• Short stay homes under Central Social Welfare
Board

4. Process: 12th Five year Plan
• Sub group formed on inclusive development
• Focused on how to make the plan inclusive of
single women and other marginalised groups
amongst women

5. 12th plan goals: women’s agency and
child rights
• Improve freedom/choice
• Improve health and education
• Improve employability and assets
• Improve access to public services
• Meet concerns of single women
• Create safety net-globalization
• End violence

6. 12th plan macro economic policies for
single women
Single-women specific
• Increase in income tax exemption
• Child-care exemptions under income tax
• Allow transfer of pensions to children upon
death
General
• Exempt SHGs & women’s cooperatives from IT

7. 12th Five year plan policies for single
women
• Make proof of separation simple
• Lower the age eligibility for pension
• Increase the amount of pension
• Quota for single women-IAY and MNREGS
• Strengthen legal aid support

8. 12th plan legislation which have a
bearing on single women
• Right to Marital Property Act
• Equal guardianship of children
• Parents do not have a right to will away
property to sons

9. 12th Plan Mission that has a bearing on
single women
• National Mission for Empowerment of
Women which will focus on inclusive
development

10. Schemes recommended under 12th
five year plan for single women
• Organise single women at block and district
• Swadhar Greh– Swadar+short stay home-India
• Rehabilitation & economic package for
widows
• Entrepreneurship and leadership program

11. Missing
• Access to continued education
• Access of children to higher education
• Comprehensive health check up &
treatment
• Comprehensive child care facilities
• Urban housing for single women

12. Missing
• Land for rural single women
• Credit for single women
• Reservation for single women in govt.
schemes within 33% reservation for women
• Higher risk cover for life, health, and asset
insurance
• Full coverage of single women 19-55 in SHGs
• Reservation for single women in
employment

13. Missing
• Removing stigma against single women
• Political participation of single women
• ID card for single women
• Separate officer/section for single women
under DWCD