Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare

The Ministry of Women's Rights and Family Affairs was created in 1982. In July 1984 with the merging of the Social Welfare Division of the Ministry of Social Security, its appellation changed to Ministry for Women's Rights and Family Welfare. In October 1991, the Ministry was given additional responsibilities relating to the development of children and was re-styled Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare. As from that date the Ministry is mandated to cater for children 0-18 years with a view to bringing into focus issues concerning children which are not taken care of by other Ministries and to develop a coherent and coordinated action programme for the overall development of children.

Advertisements

In December 1995, the Ministry changed its name to become the Ministry of Women, Family Welfare and Child Development. In July 1997 the Social Welfare Division and the Sugar Industry Labour Welfare Fund were removed from the Ministry and merged with the Ministry of Social Security and National Solidarity. In September 2000, the Ministry was re-named as Ministry of Women's Rights, Child Development and Family Welfare.

The Ministry is mandated to cater for women's rights, child development and family welfare. It has been entrusted the responsibility to design and implement social policies and programmes, which promote women empowerment, child development as well as consolidate and safeguard family welfare. Actions of the Ministry are therefore aimed at creating the right conditions and environment for the harmonious development of the Mauritian children, women and their families.

The main objectives of the Ministry are: -

• To promote and defend women's rights as human rights, work for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and ensure that legal measures are taken to promote equality between men and women.
• To implement gender-sensitive macroeconomic policies and strategies, including those related to poverty alleviation.
• To promote the development and welfare of children from the very tender age in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and to promote family welfare.

The organizational structure of the Ministry comprises the following main units:

Women's Unit

In view of promoting the development and advancement of women, the Women’s Unit has been set up to serve as a focal point for women’s issues and functions through a network of 14 Women Centres. It has the main objective to promote the status of women and undertakes activities for the empowerment of women. It aims at eliminating all forms of discrimination against women and strengthen gender mainstreaming taking into account the reproductive, productive and social roles of women.

Family Welfare Unit

In line with one of the UN recommendations that States should set up appropriate mechanisms to implement policies and programmes in favour of families, the Ministry has set up a Family Welfare Unit since July 2003. The Family Welfare Unit has a network of 6 Regional Offices known as Family Support Bureaux (FSBx).

The Family Welfare Unit offers services for all members of the family through the Family Counselling Service at the Family Support Bureau. The Family Counselling Service which has existed since 1986 provides individual and mass counseling on all family related problems.

The decentralized services at the Family Support Bureaux are offered in a holistic way, whereby staff of the Family Counselling Service, Family Protection and Child Development work within the same premises with a view to minimize further trauma to victims of violence.

Child Development Unit

The Child Development Unit has to ensure the development and protection of children in the cohort 0-18 years through the implementation of policies in line with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and enforcement of legislation pertaining to children. The Unit has 6 Regional Offices.

Planning and research Unit

The Planning and Research Unit provides technical back up to the different Units and parastatal bodies operating under the aegis of the Ministry by designing policies, programmes and projects. It assists in the preparation of plans and projects as well as in their monitoring and continuous assessment

International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD)

The IFAD Unit is responsible for the implementation of poverty alleviation programmes, namely, the - Micro-Enterprise Scheme and Community Development Scheme funded by the International Fund for Agricultural Development.