Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala cabinet on Wednesday approved the Women’s Policy 2026 aimed at ensuring comprehensive gender justice and transforming the state into a fully women-centric society.
The cabinet meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, gave a nod to the new policy, which is a revised version of the women’s policy 2009 in tune with contemporary needs to shape “Nava Kerala” into a women-centric state.
The policy has been formulated by giving priority to various sectors in line with various contemporary needs, including women’s safety, labour rights, legal protection, tribal communities and coastal regions, it said.
In a statement, Health Minister Veena George said the draft was prepared by an 11-member Gender Council under the leadership of the Women and Child Development Department.
The core objective of the policy is to end discrimination faced by women irrespective of caste, religion or gender, and to ensure equal participation in all spheres of society, she said.
George said the policy proposes to ensure equal representation of women in governance, legislative bodies and high-level decision-making committees, and to implement gender justice in employment, education and health sectors.
“It also aims to promote gender-friendly and democratic spaces in families, educational institutions, cultural spheres and public spaces,” she said.
In the education sector, a special gender protocol will be formulated for institutions and lessons on gender equality will be included in the school curriculum in accordance with the new policy.
Measures such as strengthening self-defence and sports training for girls, establishing creches and breastfeeding centres in higher education institutions, and making campuses gender-friendly through staff training have been proposed under the policy.
The policy also envisages complete eradication of the dowry system within five years, she said, adding that innovative programmes will be introduced to equip women with skills in emerging technologies.
Healthcare institutions, from primary health centres to medical colleges, will be made women-friendly, and special measures will be taken for elderly women in view of the state’s changing demographic profile.
Special health and education packages will also be implemented in Dalit, tribal and coastal areas, George detailed.
A gender state monitoring committee headed by the Chief Minister will be constituted to review the progress of the policy.
A ‘gender resource person’ will be appointed in all government departments to ensure its effective implementation, George added in the statement.
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