| Party: | Bharatiya Janata Party |
| Office: | National Chairperson of the National Commission for Women |
| Nationality: | Indian |
| Term Start: | 7 August 2018 |
| Term End: | 7 August 2024 |
Rekha Sharma is the formerChairperson of the National Commission for Women in India.[1] [2]
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Ms Rekha Sharma is currently the Chairperson of the National Commission for Women (NCW). As the Chairperson, her job is to advocate for gender equality, spearheading initiatives to further the cause of women's empowerment.
Empowering Law Enforcement: Changing Minds, Empowering Women
Ms. Sharma spearheaded an innovative collaboration between NCW and the Bureau of Police Research and Development. This collaboration aims to empower police personnel across the nation with empathetic responses to gender-based violence victims.
Fostering Economic Empowerment: Cultivating Entrepreneurs
Under Ms. Sharma's leadership, NCW launched a business course benefiting 5,000 aspiring women entrepreneurs.[3]
Navigating the Digital Landscape: Promoting Digital Literacy
NCW played a pivotal role in the "We Think Digital"[4] campaign. This digital literacy endeavour has touched the lives of 60,000 women,[5] equipping them with the skills to navigate the online realm safely and effectively.
Under her leadership, NCW failed to respond to complaints from women rights associations over numerous serious rape crimes perpetrated against Kuki women in the state of Manipur, India. Ms. Sharma failed to respond to written complaints emailed directly to her office on June 12 2023 filed by a Manipur Tribal Association headquartered abroad. The complaints clearly state the crimes and abuses faced by women, such as being, "disrobed, paraded naked, beaten and then encircled by a marauding Meitei mob and raped in public”, committed on May 4th.[6] There were no replies or acknowledgement from NCW of the complaints until a video showing the alleged crime became viral on Twitter. Critics argue that under her leadership, India has seen little to no progress on the women safety front, and the country still ranks among the least safe nations in the world for women.[7] In March 2024, Sharma faced further criticism from journalists from India and abroad for her response to a complaint about women's safety in India. Many women noted that they were appalled at Sharma's words, recounting the horrors of their travels in India.[8] [9]