On October 30th, the National Commission for Women (NCW) and the National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) started a pan-India legal awareness campaign to teach practical knowledge about legal rights and remedies under various women-related laws.
The "Empowerment of Women through Legal Awareness" programme, which began in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, aims to reach all states and union territories across the country through regular sessions to educate women about the various mechanisms of the justice delivery system that are available to them for redressing their grievances.
Justice UU Lalit, judge of the Supreme Court of India, stated at the programme's launch, "The basis of these programmes initially has been that we are teaching teachers who will in turn be training various women in cross-sections of society and would make them aware of their legal rights."
Women and girls will be educated on their rights under numerous laws, including the Indian Penal Code, as part of this programme. The project will also educate people on how to approach and use the different channels available for grievance redress, such as the police, the executive, and the judiciary.
NCW chairperson Rekha Sharma said, "It has become imperative for women to be aware of the rights conferred upon them by the Constitution, as well as the procedures for redressing the situation or seeking justice if those rights are violated."
On August 15th, 2020, the commission began a pilot programme called "Legal Awareness Programme" in partnership with NALSA for women at the grassroots level. Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and Assam were among the states included by the pilot initiative.