Atmanirbhar Narishakti Se Samvad | 14 Aug 2021

Why in News

Recently, Prime Minister (PM) of India participated in ‘Atmanirbhar Narishakti se Samvad’ and interacted with women Self Help Group (SHG) members promoted under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM).

Key Points

• Highlights of the Conference:
  
  • The PM lauded the Self-Help Groups of women for their unprecedented services during the Covid-19 period.
    
    • For example, women’s unparalleled contribution in making masks and sanitizers and providing food to the needy and spreading awareness.
  • The PM released support funds to SHGs, for PM Formalisation of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme and for Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs).
  • The PM also announced that now the limit for loans available to SHGs without guarantee has been doubled to Rs 20 lakh.
  • In the pursuit of making the country free from single use plastic, SHGs can play an important role.
    
    • SHGs can raise awareness about single use plastic and work for its alternative.
    • In this context, SHGs can take full advantage of the online Government e-marketplace.
• About Self-Help Groups (SHGs):
  
  • SHGs are informal associations of people who choose to come together to find ways to improve their living conditions.
  • It can be defined as a self governed, peer controlled information group of people with similar socio-economic background and having a desire to collectively perform common purpose.
  • Villages face numerous problems related to poverty, illiteracy, lack of skills, lack of formal credit etc. These problems cannot be tackled at an individual level and need collective efforts.
  • Thus SHG can become a vehicle of change for the poor and marginalized. SHG relies on the notion of “Self Help” to encourage self-employment and poverty alleviation.
  • In 1999, Government of India, introduced Swarn Jayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana (SGSY) to promote self-employment in rural areas through formation and skilling of SHGs. The programme evolved as a national movement in 2011 and became National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
  • Other Initiatives to Promote SHGs:
    
    • Agriculture Infrastructure Fund
    • PM Formalization of Micro Food Processing Enterprises (PM FME) Scheme
    • Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY)
    • Ambedkar Hastshilp Vikas Yojana (AHVY)
    • North East Rural Livelihood Project
    • Scheme for promotion of Women SHGs (WSHGs) in backwards & LWE (Left Wing Extremism) districts of India.
  • The Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs has launched ‘SonChiraiya’ – (A brand and logo)- for marketing of urban SHG products. It also implements DAY-NULM (National Urban Livelihoods Mission).
• Government Initiatives for Women Empowerment in Various Fields:
  
  • Agriculture and Agro-Based Industry:
    
    • Under the new farm laws, women self help groups have no restriction on how much they can store.
    • Self help groups have the option whether to sell produce directly from the farm or by setting up a food processing unit and sell ​​with great packaging.
  • Financial Inclusion:
    
    • Jan Dhan Accounts: With more than 42 crore Jan Dhan accounts of which close to 55% of the accounts are of women.
    • DAY-NRLM: It envisages universal social mobilization by inter alia organising one-woman members from each rural poor household into Self Help Groups (SHGs).
  • Panchayats:
    
    • Mahila Sabhas in Gram Panchayat
    • Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA)
  • In Education:
    
    • Vigyan Jyoti Scheme
    • GATI Scheme
    • KIRAN Scheme
    • Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Scheme
  • In Entrepreneurship:
    
    • Mahila e-haat
    • Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP)
    • Support to Training and Employment Programme for Women (STEP) Scheme
    • New Labour Code
    • The Prevention of Sexual Harassment At Workplace Act, 2013
  • Other Initiatives:
    
    • National Creche Scheme
    • One Stop Centre Scheme
    • Scheme for Adolescent Girls (SAG)' across the country
    • POSHAN Abhiyaan
    • Ujjwala Yojana

Source: PIB