In Pursuit of Increasing Employment and Employability of Women

Since gender is a cross – cutting issue, a number of Ministries  have introduced several programmes and schemes which contribute to economic and social empowerment of women.   The draft National Employment Policy (August 2008) recognizes , inter alia , the wide gap in opportunities , wages and security of women workers compared to men, discrimination and social disadvantages faced by women as well as lack of supportive structures to facilitate their employment as well reorganization of their contribution in economic activities .It emphasizes the need to ensure measures towards reduction of drudgery, augmenting labour potential, introduction of technology, decent working condition and higher productivity in sectors having high concentration of women workers. It underscores the need for educational and skill training for women workers.  It recognizes the need for special emphasis to ensure all labour regulations are subject to gender equality tests and those positively specifying equality and prohibition of discrimination should be strictly implemented.

            The Government has introduced a number of flagship programmes to enhance employment and income opportunities for poor people with special targets for women. It has also introduced a number of supporting social programmes to ensure enabling endowments of health education (including literacy) and skill building of marginalized population with special emphasis on women. Some of the key initiatives are as follows:

·         The Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act has been enacted to    enhance livelihood security in rural areas by providing 100 days of assured employment to every household.  It mandates that at least 30 per cent beneficiaries are to be women.  Latest data relating to implementation of the Scheme shows that close to 50% of the total beneficiaries of the Scheme are women against 30% prescribed. Of the 283.59 and 200.34 crore mandays employment days generated in 2009-10 and 2010-11, 136.40 and 95.30 employment days respectively were for women representing about 48% share. 

·         The Sampoorna Grameen Swarozgar Yojna (SGSY) in rural areas is a holistic livelihood programme focused on SHGs of households below the poverty line.  This is now subsumed under the National Rural Livelihood Mission.  The programme earmarks 40 per cent of labour opportunities for women.  Of the 20, 85,177 and 21, 09,796 Swarozgaris assisted in 2009-10 and 2010-11, 15, 02,285 and 14, 24,059 Swarozgaris were women representing 72.04% and 67.49% share in coverage.

·         The Swarna Jayanti Shahri Rozgar Yojna (SJSRY) an employment generation programme implemented in urban areas earmarks 30 per cent of labour opportunities for women.  Under this, Urban Women Self Help Programme (UWSP) stipulates a minimum of five women to form a Self Help Group for setting up gainful group enterprise with bank linkage.  A subsidy of Rs.3.00 lakhs of 35% of the cost of the project or Rs.60, 000/- per member of the group, whichever is less, is released with the balance coming from bank loan and margin money.  Revolving fund assistance is also provided to Thrift & Credit Societies (T&CS) at the rate of Rs.2, 000/- per member subject to a ceiling of Rs.25, 000/- per T&CS.  Against a target of 21,250 beneficiaries in 2009-10, 64,994 were covered in 2010-11, against a target of 25,000 beneficiaries, 15, 1887 beneficiaries were covered.

·         The Self Help Groups (SHGs) – Bank linkage programme of NABARD is aimed at financial inclusion by extending outreach to poor households in rural areas, making credit services available at their doorstep on a sustainable basis.  The Micro Enterprise Development Programme of NABARD is aimed at enhancing capacity of members of SHGs through skill upgradation in farm and non-farm sector.

·         Mahila Samriddhi Yojana (MSY)/Mahila Kisan Yojana (MKY) : National Scheduled Caste Finance and Development Corporation (NSFDC) introduced MSY in 2003-04 to provide loans upto Rs.25,000/- per unit at a concessional unit rate of 4% per annum with a repayment period of three years for SC women, which was enhanced to a loan ceiling of Rs.30,000/- from 2006-07.  Similarly, NSFDC launched MKY with effect from 1.5.2008 to provide term loans upto Rs.50, 000/- at 5% per annum interest rate to SC women for income generating ventures in agriculture and allied activities.  Under MSY/MKY Schemes, 35,635 beneficiaries were covered in 2009-10 with loans of Rs.46.45 crore and 15,528 beneficiaries in 2010-11 with loan of Rs.26.58 crore.

·         Similarly, National Backward Classes Finance and Development Corporation has MSY Scheme for women of backward classes with loan ceiling of Rs.25,000/- at 4% per annum interest and New Swarnima Scheme with loan ceiling of Rs.50,000/- at 4% per annum interest.  The coverage in 2010-11 under the above two schemes was33,680 and 5986 beneficiaries with loan disbursement of Rs.31.21 crore and Rs.7.26 crore respectively.

·         Likewise, National Handicapped Finance and Development Corporation allows rebate of 1% on interest rate to women with disabilities under MSY.  In 2010-11, Rs.4.74 crore was disbursed as interest rebate to 1,214 women beneficiaries.

·         The National Rural Health Mission (NRHM) provides quality health care for women, with provision for institutional deliveries to reduce MMR and IMR.  RCH-II is a comprehensive flagship programme under NRHM which aims to reduce social and geographical disparities in access to, and utilization of quality reproductive and child health services.

·         The reductions achieved in MMR and IMR in recent years, has to a large extent, been the result of the RCH-II programme implemented under the aegis of NRHM.  IMR has improved from 68(SRS2000) to 53(SRS2008) per 1000 live births.  There was a reduction in MMR from 301(SRS2001-03) to 254(SRS2008) per 1, 00,000 live births.

·         The Sarva Shiksha Abhiyaan (Education for All Campaign) launched in 2001-02 is a National Programme for universalisation of elementary education, which has a special focus on girls’ education and aims to target the ‘hardest to reach’ girls through residential schools, mid day meals and other incentives.

·         The National Literacy Mission or Saakshar Bharat Mission, with its objective of extending educational options to those adults who have no access to formal education, emphasizes on female literacy as a critical instrument for women’s empowerment.  The Mission aims to target 70 million adults in the next five years, out of which 60 million will be women. 

·         For strengthening education among ST girls in Low Literacy Districts, a revised scheme with effect from 1.4.2008 is being implemented in 54 identified low literacy districts with more than 25% ST population and less than 35% female literacy rate as per 2001 Census. Further, tribal blocks other than 54 identified districts, which fulfil the said criteria are also covered, with priority given to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PTGs) and Left Wing Extremism (LWE). The Scheme is implemented through Voluntary Organisations/NGOs as well as autonomous societies/institutions of State Governments/UTs and provide for only hostel at Block level for increasing regular, middle and secondary school attendance and primary school attendance at Panchayat level for upto 150 and 100 girls at each level respectively.  100% assistance is provided by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs for free education, boarding and lodging, books and uniforms, medical health, coaching incentives, awards, etc.  29272 and 21146 beneficiaries were covered involving financial outlay of Rs.40.00 lakhs and Rs.33.50 lakhs in 2009-10 and 2010-11 respectively.

·         A number of programmes for skill upgradation of women are being run by Ministry of Women and Child Development, Ministry of Labour, Mission of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, Ministry of Science and Technology, Ministry of Human Resource Development, etc.