Sakhi Niwas Hostels | 11 Oct 2024

Recently, the Uttar Pradesh government launched a new phase of its Mission Shakti initiative, aiming to provide safe housing for working women.

18 new Sakhi Niwas hostels will be opened by October 2024, under Mission Shakti 5.0 in cities like Varanasi, Lucknow and Noida.
Program offers safe, affordable housing near workplaces for working women.
- Each hostel will accommodate 50 women, and married women can house children (up to 18 years for daughters, 12 years for sons).
Central and state governments co-fund the project.
"Nari Shakti 5.0" is a campaign by the Uttar Pradesh government.
- The aim is to enhance the safety and awareness of women and children.

About: Mission Shakti’ is a scheme of the Ministry of Women and Child Development aimed at strengthening interventions for women safety, security and empowerment.
- It seeks to realise the Government’s commitment for “women-led development‟ by addressing issues affecting women on a life-cycle continuum basis and by making them equal partners in nation-building through convergence and citizen-ownership.
Sub-Schemes: It has two sub-schemes - 'Sambal' and 'Samarthya'. While the "Sambal" sub-scheme is for safety and security of women, the "Samarthya" sub-scheme is for empowerment of women.
- Sambhal:
  - The components of 'Sambal' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of One Stop Centre (OSC), Women Helpline (WHL), Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP) with a new component of Nari Adalats - women's collectives to promote and facilitate alternative dispute resolution and gender justice in society and within families.
- Samarthya:
  - The components of 'Samarthya' sub-scheme consist of erstwhile schemes of Ujjwala, Swadhar Greh and Working Women Hostel have been included with modifications.
  - In addition, the existing schemes of National Creche Scheme for children of working mothers and Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana under umbrella ICDS have now been included in Samarthya.
    - A new component of Gap Funding for Economic Empowerment has also been added in the Samarthya Scheme.