Section 15(1) in Andhra Pradesh Women's Commission Act, 1998
(1)The Commission shall perform all or any of the following functions; namely:-(i)inquire into any unfair practice, take decision thereon and recommend to the Government the action to be taken in the matter:(ii)cause investigations to be made by the Director on issues of importance concerning women and issues concerning unfair practice and to report thereon to the Government on the corrective measures to be taken:(iii)submit to the Government annual reports on:-(a)the lacunae, inadequacies, or shortcomings in the laws in force which effect the constitutional right to equality and fair treatment of women and also on the remedial legislative measures to be taken to meet the situation:(b)the monitoring of the working of laws in force concerning women with a view to identifying the areas where the enforcement of laws is not adequately effective or has not been streamlined and recommending executive or legislative measures to be taken:(c)monitoring the recruitments made to State Public Services and State Public undertakings and promotions within the said services and scrutinising the rules and regulations governing such recruitments and promotions with a view to reporting to guarantee equal opportunity to women in the matter of such recruitments and promotions:(iv)(a)inspect or cause to be inspect, by the Director or any officer of the Commission authorised by the Commission in that behalf, prisons, police stations, lock-ups, sub-jails, rescue homes or other places of custody where women are kept as prisoners or otherwise, or shelters for women or other places run by the Government or any of its agencies including agencies receiving aid from the Government for the purpose of offering rescue or shelter to women, or hostels intended for women or girls run by person and such other places wherein unfair practice to women is complained of an cause further inquiries to be made about the treatment that women and girls are subjected to at such places and to report to the Government for taking remedial action:(b)in cases where the Commission is of the view that any public servant has been grossly negligent or grossly indifferent in regard to the discharge of his duties in relation to the protection of the interests of women, recommend to the concerned disciplinary authority to initiate disciplinary action:(v)recommend to Government, the welfare measures to be adopted and implemented by the Government with a view to ameliorating the conditions of women:(vi)formulate a comprehensive and affirmative scheme for securing equal opportunities to women and devise a programme for implementing such scheme which shall be forwarded to the Government for approval thereof with or without modifications, implement the same:(vii)empower the Director to recommend to the appropriate authority to take prosecution proceedings in respect of offences committed against women under any statue providing for penalty for violation of the provisions of such statute:(viii)maintain comprehensive Data Bank relating to the social, economic and political conditions of women including comparative study, updating the same from time to the time making available such date for use in actions for vindication of the rights of women:(ix)recommend to Government to initiate legislation for removal of discrimination in the case of inheritance, guardianship, adoption and divorce or for matters relating to the safeguarding of the dignity of women and the honour of motherhood:(x)call for special studies or investigations into specific problems or situations arising out of discrimination and atrocities against women and identify the constraints so as to recommend strategies for their removal:(xi)participate and adivse on the planning process of socio-economic development of women:(xii)fund litigation involving issues affecting a large body of women:(xiii)make periodical reports to the Government on any matter pertaining to women and in particular various difficulties under which women toil:(xiv)undertake promotional and educational research so as to suggest ways of ensuring due representation of women in all spheres and identify factors responsible for impeding their advancement, such as, lack of access to housing and basic services inadequate support services and technologies for, reducing drudgery and occupational health hazards and for increasing their productivity:(xv)any other matter which may be referred to it by the Government.
