*Women’s financial independence gets a boost, ending dependence on moneylenders*
*Loans worth ₹11,378 crore sanctioned to nearly 9.75 lakh self-help groups*
*Since the launch of the mission, 11.85 lakh self-help groups have been formed, bringing 1.38 crore families under its ambit*
*Institutional credit under Yogi govt boosts rural women’s livelihoods and self-employment*
*From savings to enterprise, women receive sustained support; access to capital and markets strengthens the rural economy*
*Lucknow, October 31*
The Yogi government’s efforts to make rural women economically self-reliant and end their dependence on moneylenders are yielding significant results. Since the launch of the Uttar Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission, loans worth ₹11,378 crore have been sanctioned to more than 9.75 lakh self-help groups (SHGs), helping rural women become financially independent.
A total of 11.85 lakh self-help groups have been formed since the mission’s inception, bringing 1.38 crore families under its ambit.Improved access to institutional finance has provided women with financial support to start livelihood activities and expand small businesses. This system has significantly reduced their dependence on moneylenders.Under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, rural women are being connected with self-help groups and provided access to savings, credit, skills and markets.
This is enabling them to develop new sources of income in agriculture, animal husbandry, dairy production, food processing and the services sector. Collective savings within groups, coupled with institutional finance, are making self-employment more accessible to women. Arun Kumar, Mission Director of the State Rural Livelihood Mission, said, “The initiative has opened doors to entrepreneurship even for rural women who neither had substantial capital nor direct access to markets.
From agriculture-related activities to animal husbandry, dairy production, food processing, manufacturing of local products and the services sector, women are developing new sources of income. Their role is evolving from being additional earning members of their families to active participants in economic decision-making.”He added, “Emphasis is being laid on creating entrepreneurial opportunities for women associated with self-help groups.
Along with production, greater focus on packaging, branding and market linkages is creating opportunities for their small enterprises to expand.”Under the Rural Livelihood Mission, women form groups and save regularly. The system of internal lending within these groups and timely repayment not only helps meet financial needs but also instils financial discipline. This process subsequently lays the foundation for connecting women with banks and other institutional sources of finance.
Availability of capital for livelihood activities is helping women establish new businesses and expand existing ones. The self-help group framework has emerged as an important means of ending their compulsion to depend on moneylenders to meet financial needs. With the support of the Yogi government, women are developing businesses based on local requirements and available resources. Activities such as the production of spices, papad, pickles, millet-based products, food processing and animal husbandry are creating additional income opportunities in rural areas.
Skill development and market linkages are further strengthening these initiatives.The expansion of the State Rural Livelihood Mission has also played a significant role in extending institutional support to women. From 2013-14 to 2016-17, the mission was operational in only 104 development blocks across the state. Under the Yogi government, however, it is now being implemented in all 75 districts.
This community-based structure has provided women with opportunities to participate in managing institutions, overseeing economic activities and taking decisions. According to Mission Director Arun Kumar, village organisations strengthen coordination among self-help groups at the local level, promote financial discipline and support livelihood activities. Meanwhile, cluster-level federations serve as a bridge, connecting women with training, markets and institutional support.
