Hardeep Puri launches 3-week women-led swachhata campaign

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday launched Swachhotsav, a three-week women-led swachhata campaign under the Swachh Bharat Mission Urban.In a statement, the ministry said the campaign aims to recognise and celebrate the transition from women in sanitation to women-led sanitation.

Union Housing and Urban Affairs Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday launched 'Swachhotsav', a three-week women-led swachhata campaign under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Urban).

In a statement, the ministry said the campaign aims to recognise and celebrate the transition from women in sanitation to women-led sanitation. A series of events and activities will be organised across cities to celebrate women from all walks of life, who will provide leadership in making the mission of garbage free cities (GFC) a success, it said.

It was launched ahead of International Women's Day. According to the ministry, at the launch, the first edition of Women Icons leading Sanitation and Waste Management (WINS) Challenge-2023 was also announced. The WINS Challenge-2023 will recognise high-impact women entrepreneurs or women-led enterprises working to achieve urban swachhata. The nominations for the WINS Awards-2023 will begin on the International Women's Day.

In the statement, the ministry said that the 'Swachhata Yatra' will kick-off on March 10 and will conclude on March 30, which has been declared as International Day of Zero Waste by the United Nations General Assembly. Representatives of 34 states and Union Territories will be travelling to 24 states and UTs as part of the yatra, it said. It is a one-of-a-kind inter-state peer learning initiative that will encourage members of Area Level Federations (ALF) or Self-Help Groups (SHG) to travel to selected cities as 'Swachhata Doots'.

Also, during the yatra, Women Self Help Groups (SHGs) will be invigorated to vow their commitment to the vision of 'Garbage-Free Cities' through the pledge for swachhata, it said.

Swachh Mashaal March will set the tone for the 'Women-led Swachhotsav' on March 30, which will follow cleanliness drives to be held at public places, open plots, water bodies, railway tracks, public toilets in every ward of a participating ULB, the ministry added.