Finance Minister had announced the Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) scheme during the budget speech of 2017-18. The scheme primarily aims at providing services for the benefit of women that deals with skill development, employment, digital literacy, health, and nutrition.
The Pradhan Mantri Mahila Shashaktikaran Yojana (PMMSY) Scheme has approved Mahila Shakti Kendra (MSK) for implementation from 2017-18 to 2019-20. The Scheme will serve as an interface for rural women to contact the government in order to get their entitlements. And to get empowered through education, training, and capacity building. Student volunteers will promote gender equality and the spirit of volunteerism in the community. These student volunteers will operate as "change agents" in their neighbourhoods and across the country.
The scheme is framed to create an environment for the women living in a rural community in which they realize their full potential. The government plans to provide immense support and strength to the women so that they can establish smaller business units. Also, the scheme is intended to create awareness of the roles to be played by these women and about the schemes and programs launched by the government.
The scheme is anticipated to work at various levels such as the National, State and District level.
NATIONAL-LEVEL
At the National level, it would deal with (domain-based knowledge support) so that it can promote the goals through the convergence of administrations of the states and UTs across the country. The scheme would also focus on capacity build-up and training to enhance gender issue understanding.
STATE-LEVEL
At the State level structures will provide them with technical support to the respective government on issues related to women. There would be a continuous evaluation of review ongoing policies, programmes and legislative activities for better accessibility by the women in need by the SRCW.
DISTRICT-LEVEL
The District level Centres will provide support to MSK and also give firm help to the people living BBBP in 640 districts to be covered in a manner. The District shall also provide support to PMMSK and also give a foothold to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP), Sakhi – One Stop Centres, Mahila Police Volunteers, Swadhar, Ujjawala, women helpline, and various other schemes for the betterment and encouragement of the women in society.
BLOCK-LEVEL
The most important initiatives will be at the block level wherein community engagement through student volunteers is planned in more than 100 backward districts where PMMSKs will be set up. The Student volunteers will take into consideration the awareness about government schemes/ programs. Training and capacity building for the empowerment of rural women through block-level intervention. In addition, They would assist the government in providing awareness about the various schemes. It is designed for the betterment of women and their status in society. And it would also educate them as to how can they approach the government to avail their entitlements.
The Central and State Governments will share the funding in a ratio of 60:40 respectively. The Central Government's contribution will be the foremost. However, the Union Territories will be entirely funded by the Central Government.
State Governments has been requested on different occasions to release the State for a share of funds. In a written reply by The Union Minister of Women and Child Development, Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani, it was written that as per Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme, District Level Centres for women are approved for all districts as per Census of India, 2011. In total, The funding is planned as per approved scheme guidelines.
For the fulfilment of the objective of convergence of action and cost efficiency, a common task force has been planned to be created at the district. State and national levels for systematic planning, monitoring and reviewing all the other schemes associated with MSK.
The challenges that the government came across while implementing the scheme were –
