Recently, the Prime Minister of India participated in the ‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti se Samvad’. During this event, he interacted with members of women Self Help Groups (SHGs) fostered under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).
Conference Highlights
In his remarks, the PM saluted the women SHGs for their exceptional contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic. Their numerous efforts included making masks and sanitizers, distributing food to those in need and spreading awareness about the virus.
As part of the proceedings, the Prime Minister released support funds intended for the SHGs. These funds are part of schemes like the PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme and for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). He also announced that the limit for loans available to SHGs without guarantee has been raised from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 20 lakh.
SHGs and Single Use Plastic
SHGs have a role to play in the country’s mission to eliminate single-use plastic bags. They can increase public awareness about these environmentally harmful bags and contribute towards finding alternatives. To this end, they can make full use of the Government’s online e-marketplace.
About Self-Help Groups (SHGs)
SHGs are self-governing, peer-controlled information groups comprised of people from similar socio-economic backgrounds and with the common desire for collective improvement. They were established in response to multiple issues plaguing villages such as poverty, illiteracy, lack of skills, and limited access to formal credit.
These issues are hard to tackle individually, and collective efforts are needed. This is where SHGs come into play as vehicles of change for the poor and marginalized. They encourage self-employment and poverty eradication.
Evolution of SHGs
In 1999, the Government of India introduced the Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) to promote self-employment in rural areas through the formation and skilling of SHGs. The programme was established as the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) in 2011, becoming a national movement.
Government Initiatives for Self-Help Groups
Several programmes have been initiated by the government to promote SHGs such as the Agriculture Infrastructure Fund, Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY), Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY), and North East Rural Livelihood Project Scheme.
The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has also launched ‘SonChiraiya’, a brand for marketing urban SHG products.
Government Initiatives for Women Empowerment
Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry: Under the new farm laws, there are no restrictions on the quantity women SHGs can store. They can now choose whether to sell produce directly from the farm or to set up a food processing unit and sell the produce with superior packaging.
Financial Inclusion: Over 42 crore Jan Dhan accounts have been opened with almost 55% of the account holders being women.
Education and Entrepreneurship Schemes
Various schemes like Vigyan Jyoti Scheme, GATI Scheme, KIRAN Scheme, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme, Mahila e-haat, Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP), Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme have been introduced to empower women in the field of education and entrepreneurship.
Legislation and Other Initiatives
Other initiatives include National Creche Scheme, One Stop Centre Scheme, Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG) across the country, POSHAN Abhiyaan, Ujjwala Yojana, and legislation such as The Prevention of Sexual Harassment At Workplace Act, 2013 and the New Labour Code.
(Source: PIB)
