Vatsalya Mela-2013

Women and Child Development Ministry  is organising  Vatsalya Mela,2013 from14th November to 29th November atDilli Haat, Pitampura and from 14th November to  30th November at Dilli Haat, INA. The National Resource Centre for Women, under the National Mission for Empowerment of Women (NRCW/NMEW), Ministry of Women and Child Development is organising a number of activities that create awareness on women’s issues and empower women at theVatsalya Mela, 2013.

Some of the important events are as follows:

Nari Ki Choupal

The Nari Ki Choupal is a unique forum for women and men from all backgrounds to come together and share their stories, experiences and learning as well as receive exposure to a multiplicity of government schemes and programmes based on women’s empowerment.

This colourful yet enlightening series of events kicked off with a Special Gram Sabha at Dilli Haat, Pitampura on 14^th of November, organised in collaboration with Action Aid India. The Sabha’s discussion was a heart-warming sharing of experiences by Sarpanchs from across seven states on declining child sex ratio, who deal with the problem at the grassroots level and show exemplary conviction in their belief of the value of the girl child. 

The subsequent days of Vatsalya Mela have seen a slew of cultural programmes with social messages at the Nari KiChoupal, with nukkad natak (street plays), puppet shows, folk dances, movie screenings, poster making competitions, fashion shows and lively interactive sessions organised in collaboration with leading non-government organisations. These programmes were based on the themes of Vatsalya Mela this year – Ahimsa Messenger – a programme of Ministry for Women and Child Development to empower women against violence and declining child sex ratio.

Some of the highlights that received an enthusiastic response at the Nari Ki Choupal included the screening of a film titled ‘Nanakpura Kuch Nahi Bhoolta’ on the theme of Domestic Violence, a fashion show featuring clothes made and worn by girls from disadvantaged backgrounds and a musical night on sanitation put up in collaboration with SulabhInternational.

The upcoming events of Nari Ki Choupal include a unique rock concert on women’s issues, organised in collaboration with Delhi School of Social Work, DU on 23^rd November at Dilli Haat, INA and an interactive theatre programme on land rights of women in collaboration with Women Power Connect on 24^th November,2013 at Dilli Haat, Pitampura.

Free Cancer Screening for Women

Cervical cancer is the most common female cancer in India and accounts for approximately 27% deaths worldwide. The illness is treatable if detected at an early stage, for which facilities are not easily available for most women in India. 

NRCW/NMEW in collaboration with the Indian Cancer Society (I Can) has organized free cancer screening at Dilli Haat,Pitampura on 20th, 22^nd and 26^th November, 2013 from 2 to 4p.m. as a special initiative of VatsalyaMela 2013.

A fully equipped mobile van of Indian Cancer Society including gynaecologists, ENT specialists and surgeons, who shall conduct haemogram, chest X-ray, PAP smear for women and clinical breast examination, general physical check up, ENT check up and full body examination is being stationed at the entrance of DilliHaat, Pitampura during the timings mentioned.

The first screening camp received an overwhelming response and a number of women from economically weaker sections benefitted from the facility.

Meghalaya Women Farmer’s Festival

To promote marketing of agricultural and horticultural produce of women farmers from Meghalaya, NRCW/NMEW is organizing the Meghalaya Women Farmers Festival in collaboration with the State Resource Centre for Women (SRCW) Social Welfare Department, Govt. of Meghalaya and National Skills Foundation of India (NSFI) at Dilli Haat, INA from 21^st to 26th November, 2013.

The objectives of this Festival are to provide a market and branding platform to women farmers with small production capacity through makeshifts stalls in an open market atmosphere and provide consumers of urban India a glimpse of the range of organic and fresh produce of women farmers.  This event can lead to establishment of strong market linkages for the produce of women farmers and provide a platform for exploring the market of organic products.

Full Credit: Ministry of Women and Child Development

Vatsalya Mela, 14 - 19 November 2012 at New Delhi

The Ministry of Women and Child Development is celebrating the Vatsalya Mela from 

14-19 November 2012 at the Dilli Haat in New Delhi.

 Smt. Krishna Tirath, Minister of State for Women and Child Development will inaugurate the Mela on 14th November at 3.00 pm.

The theme for this year’s Mela is ‘Safety and Protection of Women’ and ‘Child Rights’. 

The inauguration of the Mela coincides with the ‘Children’s Day’, celebrated in memory of the birth anniversary of the first Prime of India, Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru whose love and affection for children is well known. 

As the name suggests, this Mela is organized in recognition of the love of the mother for the child. The Mela provides an opportunity to the Ministry and its attached organizations to showcase their activities and programmes and policies to the public.

As many as 400 artisans, craftsmen and NGOs from different parts of the country who are working with the Ministry or its attached organizations are showcasing their activities this year. In addition, different activities are planned for all the six days of Mela. These activities have been arranged in cooperation with partner-NGOs working with this Ministry. 

The post-inauguration functions of the first day of the celebrations will include a street play cum dance titled on the Transformation of Girl child to an Empowered Woman, ‘Tare Zameen Par’ which will explore the infinite potential of the Indian child, ‘Khamosh Aawazein’, a street play on child trafficking, labour and abuse, and ‘Main bhi ek baccha hun’ a play on the life of children on Railway Children Child Marriage.