Article Title: National Commission for Women
29-09-2022
Polity & Governance Prelims Plus
Why is in news? Former MP, first Chairperson of National Commission for Women Jayanti Patnaik passes away in Odisha
The National Commission for Women was established on January 31, 1992, under the National Commission for Women Act, 1990, to review the Constitutional and legal safeguards for women, recommend remedial legislative measures, facilitate grievance redress, and advise the government on all policy matters affecting women.
It enjoys all the powers of a civil court.
Presentation of Reports: It table reports to the central government, every year and at such other times as the commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of those safeguards.
Suo motto notice: It looks into complaints, and takes Suo Motto notice of matters relating to – deprivation of women’s rights, Non-implementation of the laws and Non-compliance of the policy decisions guaranteeing the welfare for women society.
Major limitations of National Commission for Women:
The NCW is only recommendatory and has no power to enforce its decisions.
Commission lacks constitutional status, and thus has no legal powers to summon police officers or witnesses.
It has no power to take legal actions against the Internal Complaint Committees that prevent grievance redressal of women facing harassment.
Financial assistance provided to the Commission is very less to cater to its needs.
It does not have the power to choose its own members. The power selecting members is vested with the Union government leading to political interference at various levels.
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