Meghalaya Women SHG Delegation Meets Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar in New Delhi

By: WE staff | Wednesday, 14 May 2025

• A 30-member women delegation of Meghalaya's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at New Delhi
• The Vice President welcomed the delegation to his residence on Tuesday

A 30-member women delegation of Meghalaya Self-Help Groups (SHGs), facilitated by the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM), called on Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at his official residence in New Delhi on Tuesday. The delegation was accompanied by senior State Rural Livelihoods Society officials and led by Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma.

In his social media message, the Chief Minister was delighted with the visit of the delegation, calling it "an honour and encouragement" to Meghalaya women. "From all corners of the state, SHG members have become symbols of strength and hope in their villages. Their determination and grit have not only broken glass ceilings but are also creating pathways for others," he added.

The trip, facilitated by the CM, is under a routine programme to provide national-level exposure to grassroot women leaders and to acknowledge their role in community development. According to an official release, the Vice President welcomed Meghalaya's initiative towards women empowerment, maternal health and nutrition, and women-driven growth.

The state has observed a sharp increase in the involvement of women through SHGs and local institutional setups. Whereas there were about 5,000 SHGs in 2015, now the number has increased to nearly 52,000 operational groups, involving over 5.2 lakh women. Furthermore, the number of women-headed Village Employment Councils (VECs) also increased fantastically between 2022 and 2024.

The latest achievement under this effort is the formation of Pla Tangka Cooperative Society-the very first apex women's financial institution in the state of Meghalaya-warranting economic empowerment and financial inclusion. The initiative is also aligned with the project's overarching aim of bolstering human development outputs through the help of leadership coming from grassroots groups.