The Question of Gender Equality and Policy Analysis during Trinamool Congress Era in West Bengal | Sreerupa Saha

Abstract

Policy analysis is considered to be essential in any successful reforms like health promotion and public health, so does in the case of gender empowerment. After assuming power in 2011, empowering women has been a key focus of the West Bengal government. By introducing various schemes like Kanyashree Prakalpa, Lashmi Bhander, Sabla Scheme etc the state government has ensured that women lead a life of dignity and are treated at par with men. This chapter tries to highlight these prakalpa or schemes and bring out the relevance in the case of gender equality. Different initiatives have been taken to lighten the backwards position of women. To what extent these schemes help to bring up the remote women in villages into the broad daylight of equality with that of men, and help us to understand their position, is also under evaluation. Therefore, this article is divided into three segments: First, an introduction and understanding of the terms gender equality and policy analysis. Second, analysing the schemes of the Trinamool Congress government. Third, evaluation and conclusion.

Keywords: policy analysis, schemes, gender equality, men.

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Introduction: Understanding of the terms Gender Equality and Policy Analysis

Gender quality means attainment of optimal health status and well-being by women and men, throughout the life course and across diverse subpopulations. Integral component of this attainment is the elimination of all forms of violence against women, including the trafficking of women. It also means equity in the allocation of resources that ensures women’s and men’s access to appropriate health care according to their specific needs throughout all the life-cycle, including but going beyond sexual and reproductive health. Equity implies giving more to those who have less, in order to rectify imbalances in the outcomes.

Equal participation of women and men as decision-makers in matters related to their own health, the well-being of their families and communities, and the definition of health policy agendas. The individual and collective empowerment of women is seen both as a highly important end in itself and as an essential condition to achieve gender equality and sustainable development. Fairness in the distribution among women and men of the burden and rewards associated with health development work, both in the public sphere and within the domestic realm of the family.

Policy analysis is an important area of expertise for researchers, officials who formulate or evaluate policy implementation, health advocates, investigative journalists, and other policy stakeholders. Key competencies for policy analysis include skills in compiling best practices, conducting literature reviews, analyzing existing policies to identify where new policies are required, identifying policy barriers or contradictions between policies, and maintaining up-to-date relevance to policy key capabilities health policy project. Policy analysis requires skills in understanding the range of motivations of policymakers in decision making, communication skills to tell the story in support of a policy option, and advocacy skills to hold governments accountable for policy decisions.

The Department of Women Development and Social Welfare works towards the protection, equity and inclusion of populations that have been historically oppressed, neglected or excluded from development because of their gender, age, disability or situation. This includes women, senior citizens and other marginalised populations such as persons with disabilities, transgender persons, homeless persons and persons with drug / alcohol addiction. The Department