Bhartiya Janta Party is the major force in India today and women voters are acting as the harbingers of the BJP’s juggernauts. BJP is tracing back the ancient Indian footprints where women were empowered and their talent was harnessed for nation-building. And in another attempt to woo the women voters, the incumbent BJP government of Gujarat has announced ‘Suposhit Mata Swastha Bal Yojana’.
Read More- A total of 11 women have been inducted into PM Modi’s new expanded cabinet
Gujarat’s pro-women scheme: An attempt to woo Mahila voters
BJP has time and again designed election strategies keeping the Mahila voters in mind. Recently, BJP announced a women-centric scheme named ‘Suposhit Mata Swastha Bal Yojana’(SMSBY) in the poll-bound state, Gujarat.
The incumbent BJP government of Gujarat is all set to unveil the aforementioned scheme centered on ensuring healthcare for mothers and their infants. SMSBY scheme is constructed to focus on 100 crucial days and provide proper care and nutrition to both mother and child. This scheme will uplift the nutritional status of not only pregnant women but also mothers and children between the ages of 0-and 24 months.
Supervising officials claimed that the government will provide nutrition kits free of cost to both pregnant and lactating women as they need extra calories and protein for better nourishment of the foetus/infant as well as themselves. The nutrition kit will contain toor dal, chana, and edible oil, which aims at fulfilling 55 percent of the daily average requirement of protein and energy during pregnancy and lactation period.
This scheme is being looked at in context with the upcoming Gujarat assembly polls, but one needs to understand this is not one of incidence.
Also Read- Modi govt’s big push to enhance women safety; Smriti Irani announces Anti-Human trafficking units, women help desks to be set up
BJP and Women voters
BJP’s agenda of women empowerment can be traced back to the campaign days of the 2014 Parliamentary elections. PM Modi led BJP government at the centre as well in states have primarily focused on the upliftment of the women community.
PM Modi with his historic speech is the first prime minister of India to ask the parents to take responsibility of their son’s actions and put some restrictions on them as they put on their daughter.
Apart from the moral advocacy, BJP brought their agenda of women on the ground as well. BJP led government launched several schemes like the Ujjawal scheme to save women from the smoke, and the Swachh Bharat scheme in order to provide toilets to the women section. Apart from providing basic amenities, the BJP government has encouraged the girls to study through schemes like ‘Beti Bachao Beti Padhao’.
Strict law and order situations and free ration schemes too have attracted women to BJP and pulled them towards its ideology.
Read More- The Three Superwomen of India
PM Modi tracing back ancient India’s footprints
Indian civilization has never looked down upon women, and women held crucial positions and were involved in decision-making. Women were an integral part of Indian history and culture. Women in different capacities have played a decisive role in shaping narratives.
And the Bhartiya Janta Party is tracing back the ancient civilization, by empowering women, and harnessing their talent for nation-building has been central to the party’s policy.
PMModi is taking the legacy forward by entrusting women and assigning them responsibilities that they are capable of shouldering. PM has mentioned earlier, “Women empowerment is crucial to India’s growth. Days of seeing women as ‘home makers’ have gone, we have to see women as nation builders!”
PM Modi in his speech on BJP’s foundation day applauded the women for their participation in building and expansion and thanked women for the win in four states.
Women have been the pillars of the BJP’s success, especially in states like Uttar Pradesh and BJP’s women-centric schemes will prove to be game-changers not only for women’s situation but also for the party.
