National Commission for Women (NCW) – Objectives, Powers & Functions

It is the apex national level organization mandated to protect and promote the rights and legal entitlements of women in India.

This topic of “National Commission for Women (NCW) – Objectives, Powers & Functions” is important from the perspective of the UPSC IAS Examination, which falls under General Studies Portion.

Purpose:

• to promote and protect the rights and legal entitlements of women in India.
• It strives to create an environment conducive to the overall development of women
• to ensure that they are able to take their rightful place in the social, economic and political life of the country.

Year of Establishment: 1992

Ministry:

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is the nodal ministry for the National Commission for Women.

Organisation type:

The National Commission for Women is a statutory body of the Government of India, established under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990.

Functions:

• to investigate and examine all matters relating to the safeguards provided for women under the constitution or any other law,
• to evaluate the working of such safeguards,
• to take up cases of deprivation of women’s rights,
• to take steps for the protection of the rights of women guaranteed by the Constitution or any other law,
• to take up issues of common interest with the State Governments and Union Territories,
• to review the existing provisions of the Constitution and other laws affecting women and to make recommendations for their effective implementation,
• to take up such other matters as may be referred to it by the Central Government.

Powers:

• power to investigate and examine any issue relating to the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution or any other law.
• It also has the power to take up cases of deprivation of women’s rights and to make recommendations to the Central Government and State Governments for effective implementation of the safeguards provided for women under the Constitution or any other law.

Limitations:

The National Commission for Women does not have the power to pass binding orders or to award compensation to the aggrieved parties in cases of violation of their rights.

Achievements:

• The National Commission for Women has achieved significant success in protecting and promoting the rights of women in India.
• It has been instrumental in the enactment of several laws for the protection of women’s rights, such as the Protection of Women From Domestic Violence Act, 2005, the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013, and the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, 2006.
• It has also been successful in addressing issues related to gender discrimination, equal pay for equal work, and the empowerment of women.