Kerala is likely to be the first state to tap the Union Budget’s Rs.1,000-crore Nirbhaya corpus, scouting for social innovation products such as electronic bangles, to boost gender safety.
The state has been toying with the plan of producing an electronic bangle, which could come to the aid of women and, now with the Nirbhaya fund, Kerala believes this could become a reality. When a girl activates the gadget, an SoS is automatically sent to the nearest police station or to the Women Jagratha Councils. It would work on the same principle as a cellphone, but will not be as expensive as it needs to be distributed widely. “Any technological intervention would be costly, but now that there are deep pockets of Nirbhaya, we can afford to support social innovation with the help of technology and realise better women safety,” social justice minister MK Muneer told FE. More details of the electronic bangle are not available right now, with the government having to identify the technology partner.
In Hyderabad, a bunch of researchers have been working on developing a lipstick-size application, that can work as crime-alerts. The electronic bangle gadget is seen as one with more attached portability. The state had been toothcombing a whole pile of ideas, which would need a lot of funds. Since the Nirbaya fund makes the gadget ideas more feasible, the social justice ministry is readying to revisit the plan.
“However, we are yet to check out if the e-bangle can be misused too. Since caution and prudence are the buzzwords in women security, the scheme would not be rushed before ascertaining their efficacy through a pilot project,” the minister said.
In terms of Centre’s Nirbaya funds, Kerala enjoys a headstart in that it had readied a R2-crore women safety plan, which – in a strange coincidence – was named Nirbhaya, even before P Chidambaram baptised his Budget announcment on women safety, “Nirbhaya” . The state already has a blueprint on organising self-defence workshops and for setting up more than one working womens’ hostels in each of the 14 districts.
“With Centre’s gender budget allocation logging R97,134 crore, some homework already done on the State’s own Nirbhaya scheme and other social welfare schemes will stand Kerala in good stead. In fact, we expect to put forward our schemes on these in April-May itself,” says the state minister. The Budget has also allocated R200 crore additionally for schemes to check discrimination against women and for bolstering the self-esteem of girls.