SHGs Drive Women's Empowerment Across India

By: WE Staff | Friday, 24 November 2023

Atish Chandra, the Prime Minister's additional secretary, presided over a meeting with self-help groups (SHGs) at the Priyadarshini community hall in Visakhapatnam in a big push towards women's empowerment and socioeconomic development. Atish stressed the importance of SHGs in fostering women and advised them to take advantage of different government programs aimed at improving their socioeconomic condition.

"The government is on a mission to organize poor women into self-help groups, nurturing and supporting them in their economic activities." "The goal is to enable women to achieve a significant increase in income, improve their quality of life, and lift themselves out of abject poverty," said Atish Chandra. He emphasized the need of SHGs being well-informed on government programs aimed at empowering women.

Meanwhile, the Mathi brand was born as a result of Tamil Nadu Sports Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin's attempt to promote items from women's SHGs. The government established an e-commerce platform and the first Mathi shop in Chennai, promoting economic growth for SHGs turned producer collectives.

Furthermore, over 330 vibrant women entrepreneurs in self-help organizations across India are contributing to rural development. Water hyacinth, stinging nettle leaves, and abandoned materials are being converted into vivid goods, empowering women in Gujarat, Chikkaballapur, Bihar, Meghalaya, and Manipur, among other places. These projects seek to develop self-sufficient female entrepreneurs who will drive good change in rural areas.