Women welfare key to Mamata Banerjee's return to power: Here's her report card

Being the first female Chief Minister of West Bengal, Mamata Banerjee has always been in the spotlight for issues around women empowerment. Here are a few things she did for women of her state and as the results suggest some of her schemes are reasons for her big comeback

• SAFETY
  In her current manifesto, women’s safety is given a lot of importance. New all-women police have been constructed. Out of 65, 30 are already functional right now. More women police personnel will also be hired in the coming five years

• SUPPORT GIRL CHILD
  Kanyashree was started by Banerjee in 2013 which literally means girl child. According to her girl child is the most precious asset one can have. The scheme aims at empowering girls and was also included as a subject in schools. The effort by the West Bengal government was lauded by UNICEF’s India representative Louis-Georges Arsenault.

• FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
  The Kanyashree program also focuses on giving financial assistance to the 27 lakh girls who participated in the scheme. It promises the girls high education and secured future for them to become responsible women in the future.

India's Female Chief Ministers Mamata Banerjee

• RESERVATION
  Banerjee also fought for reservation of women representatives in the parliament which she said should be 33percent. She always maintained that her part has 35percent female representatives in it.

• MUKTIR ALO
  Muktir Alo is also one of her strategies in her previous term to rehabilitate sex workers and trafficked women in Bengal. It started with a batch of 50 women who were taught the skills of spice grinding and block printing. Muktir Alo really means Light of Freedom.

The Trinamool chief, who won 184 seats in 2011, has significantly improved her tally and may end up winning over 210 seats in the 294-member assembly. Mamata expanded her support base with several welfare schemes for the youth and the students. Kanyashree scheme, which offers monthly scholarship of Rs 750 to girl students from financially weak families and the 'Sabuj Sathi'scheme under which cycles are distributed to students, added to her popularity.