¶ Women Empowerment

• Women Security
• Encourage Women in Education/Work: Easy mobility and convenience for women to encourage their participation in India's labour force
• Extra Money for their independence

¶ Research & Need for encouragement

Women participation in labour force in India stands at 23% only.
In Delhi, this percentage is even lower at just 11%^[1]

A report by McKinsey Global Institute has estimated^[2]:
--Just by offering equal opportunities to women, India could add US$ 770 billion to its GDP by 2025
--Yet, the present contribution of women to the GDP remains at 18%

India is the 3rd largest ecosystem in terms of Startups in the world^[2:1]
--Only 10% of them have been led by women founders

Post Pandemic, India’s gender gap has widened by 4.3%; owing to the dipping economic opportunities for Indian women^[2:2]

It is pivotal to have women-centric and women-friendly policies in place, with an aim to encourage and support women entrepreneurship in India

¶ Specific Policies/decisions by AAP Govts

1. Free bus ride for Women in Delhi & Punjab: achieve social inclusion of women by facilitating greater mobility, improving and facilitating women’s participation in all fields, and promoting public transport among women for better women security too
   Details here about this policy Free Bus Travel in Delhi [AAP Wiki]
2. Rs 1000 month to every women of age 18+ in Punjab - Implementation in Progress
3. 33% Women reservation in Govt Jobs in Punjab^[3]
4. Free School Shuttle bus service for girl students to check drop out rate in Punjab ^[4]
5. Gender equality budget 2023-24 by Punjab Govt^[5]: to eliminate gender based inequality and equal distribution of resources in the state
   
   

¶ Not just a Freebie: Free bus travel & its impact in Delhi^[1:1]

• Consistent increase in Women ridership in Delhi indicates success of the scheme^[6].
• The free bus ride has been used by over 100 crore times since its introduction^[7]
• On an average, this scheme has resulted in an annual saving of Rs. 3000 per family^[8]
• 80% of respondents from Delhi consider free bus service for women as a good initiative^[9]

More women in public transport i.e. more sense of security for fellow women passengers

73% of women using the free bus service belong to the 'working age group' of 20 to 40 years.

64% of the free bus trips made by women are for work or education.

_{sources: ^{[10][11][12][13]}}

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1. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/impact-incentivizing-public-transport-system-women-case-mahendru/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&utm_campaign=share_via ↩︎ ↩︎

2. https://www.ciiblog.in/the-role-of-women-in-indias-economic-growth-story/ ↩︎ ↩︎ ↩︎

3. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=113721 ↩︎

4. https://www.financialexpress.com/education-2/punjab-cm-announces-shuttle-bus-service-for-school-girl-students-to-check-drop-out-rate/2656766/ ↩︎

5. https://www.babushahi.com/full-news.php?id=161647 ↩︎

6. https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/pink-pass-sales-cross-100-crore-mark-in-delhi/articleshow/98034983.cms?from=mdr#:~:text=NEW DELHI%3A Pink passes%2C which,figures from the Delhi government ↩︎

7. https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/delhi/delhis-100-crore-question-what-does-a-free-bus-ride-mean-woman-8519082/lite/ ↩︎

8. https://ddc.delhi.gov.in/sites/default/files/multimedia-assets/report_impact_of_subsidy_in_delhi.pdf ↩︎

9. https://www.greenpeace.org/india/en/press/12654/80-respondents-from-delhi-consider-free-public-bus-services-for-women-a-good-initiative-greenpeace-india-study/ ↩︎

10. https://www.dailyo.in/variety/free-bus-ride-women-workforce-aap-delhi-women-women-in-workforce-arvind-kejriwal-public-transport-32173 ↩︎

11. https://epaper.timesgroup.com/timesspecial/news-current-affairs/what-free-bus-rides-mean-for-women/1687027526617 ↩︎

12. https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/128bcb06-0fc4-5c1d-9a2b-fc6e9ce47b03 ↩︎

13. https://navbharattimes.indiatimes.com/metro/delhi/other-news/delhi-pink-pass-power-over-100-crore-women-travelled-in-bus-for-free-know-details-here/articleshow/98034096.cms ↩︎