Economy

How Team Modi’s self-help groups quietly empowered rural women

The Narendra Modi government is set to thrash out more measures to boost the self help groups empowering lakhs of women in the rural areas, as it sets its journey on the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal. While the SHG members have grown exponentially in the last few years, participation from the minority communities has also increased.

Giriraj Singh, Minister, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Giriraj Singh has already announced that he is toying with the idea of creating a Women SHG (Self Help Group) Bank which will fund innovative ideas and products.

An analyst who has extensively researched on Modi’s voter base said that one of the reasons for BJP’s big win in UP and Gujarat are the silent women voters.

“There is a quiet but very important change taking place in thousands of villages in India and this is being driven by women SHGs..an example of how things are changing was visible during the Covid 19 phase when these groups came out in open and supported in fighting the pandemic with the making of masks, educating people, distributing medicines,” a social worker who has been a member of an SHG in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district.

The Economic Survey this year highlighted that until 4 January, more than 16.9 crore masks were produced by SHGs under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihood Mission, a programme that aims at providing sustainable livelihood opportunities for the rural poor families (BPL families).

However, it also prescribed strengthening the functioning of the SHGs and their demonstration of resilience and flexibility during crises, including Covid, needs to be thus regularised for long-run rural transformation. This includes, among other things, addressing inter-regional disparity in the deepening of the SHG movement, graduating SHG members into microentrepreneurs, culturally contextualised skill development for moving up the value chain in products and services, and including the least privileged under the SHG umbrella, the survey said.

Modi and his team have pointed out that the new India’s growth story will have to transition from women’s development to ‘women-led development’.

Women empowerment or Nari Shakti has been one of the thrust areas of the Modi government. Last year, while delivering his Independence Day speech, Modi said that women’s enhanced participation will fuel India’s growth story.

According to official data, cumulative bank loans to SHGs stood at Rs 80,000 crore until 2014. It has now crossed over Rs 6.25 lakh crore with non performing assets (NPA) of just 2.08 per cent.

Also read: PM Modi salutes Nari Shakti on International Women’s Day

Mahua Venkatesh

Mahua Venkatesh specialises in covering economic trends related to India and the world along with developments in South Asia.

Recent Posts

PoGB: Protestors cite lack of government dialogue in Diamer-Bhasha dam dispute

The ongoing "Haqooq Do, Dam Banao Tehreek" protest, led by Amir Quaid, entered its 25th…

2 days ago

ISRO undocks Spadex satellites, paves way for India’s lunar exploration

The Indian Space Research Organisation on Thursday announced the successful completion of its SpaDeX mission's…

2 days ago

Taiwan reports 20 PLA sorties 7 naval vessels, 1 official ship near its airspace

Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence (MND) reported 20 sorties of People's Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft,…

2 days ago

PM Modi, Mauritius counterpart Ramgoolam agree to facilitate trade settlements in local currencies

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Mauritius counterpart Navinchandra Ramgoolam have agreed to facilitate trade…

2 days ago

“Baloch freedom fighters getting stronger,” says Baloch Human rights council as Pakistan Train standoff ends

Baloch Human Rights Council Information Secretary Khurshid Ahmed on Thursday said that the Jaffar Express…

2 days ago

Violence against minorities continues in Bangladesh, says Minority group

The Bangladesh Hindu Buddhist Christian Unity Council, the largest minority group in Bangladesh, claimed on…

2 days ago