Scope for improvement in women-related govt schemes:UN experts

Even women-related sectors such as health, nutrition and education could do a lot better on the gender front, a statement released by UN Women said.

"From our comprehensive review of these (government) schemes, it is clear that much more needs to be done to put the right approaches in place on issues such as economic participation of women," Regional Programme Director of UN Women South Asia, Anne F Stenhammer said.

In the analysis of Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM), the UN experts said the programme has in many instances resulted in displacement of traditional livelihoods of poor women.

"We recommend a thorough review of the policy for its impact on the livelihoods of urban poor at the inception stage itself," Gender Responsive Budgeting Specialist at UN Women, Yamini Mishra said.

Owing to women's roles as productive, reproductive and community managers, they tend to use public transport differently from men, the statement said.

Unfortunately, Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) does not take into consideration the implicit impact of the policy on women, it added.

Women do not even benefit appropriately from health, education and nutrition schemes and the status of frontline service providers in flagship programmes such as the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) is a concern, the statement said.