Women Empowerment Programmes- a)Women Welfare Institutions 1) Educational Assistance including tuition fees, boarding, purchase of educational tools etc. to the inmates of Women welfare institution. 2) Vocational Training and financial assistance for self employment to inmates and ex inmates of women welfare institutions. 3) Financial assistance for marriage. 4) ‘SnehaSangamam’- Annual get together of ex inmates, show casing success stories 5) Counseling, medical expenses 6) To start tailoring unit 7) Shelter Homes for Women: 17 Shelter Homes are functioning across the State to provide immediate and emergency shelter to women facing domestic violence and fund may be given to these shelter homes forrent, food, clothing, medical expenses, salary for staff for running the home, vocational training, assistance for self employment counseling, behavioral training, legal aid, helpline, guidance etc. b) Other Women Empowerment Programmes 1) Monthly Financial assistance to mentally challenged women staying at their own homes for meeting their medical expenses. 2) Maintenance of the One Day Homes and working women’s hostel 3) Educational assistance to children hailing from women headed families. 4) Educational assistance to the children which either or both of their parents are no more. 5) Gender related awareness camps, seminars, training programmes 6) Extending institutional and non - institutional support to marginalized women- destitute widows, single women, HIV positive women and children of HIV affected patients. 7) Activities linked to formulating departmental gender action plan and women component plan 8) Providing facilities for starting day care centers for elderly women 9) State Resource Centre for Women under National Mission for Empowerment of Women 10) Training to Home Nurses and formulation of legal frame work for home nursing agencies 11) Assistance to relatives of shelter less destitute women/Widows who provide shelter and family environment for them 12) Widow Empowerment through Capacity Building 13) VanithaRetnaPuraskaram – Exeptional Achievement Award for Eminent Women in various Fields. 14) Comprehensive Plan of action for Prevention of Gender based Violence. 15) Awarenessprogramme on women empowerment and prevention of women abuse by various stake holders.