Forum

The role of women is extremely important in a large and diverse country like India. Be it home, society or the country's economy, the contribution of women in every field is commendable. But for a long time they had to face lack of opportunities and resources. To overcome these challenges and make women self-reliant, the government has started many government schemes for women. Importance and challenges of women in India

Women make up nearly half of India’s total population, yet their participation in education, healthcare, employment, and business remains significantly lower compared to men. To address these challenges, various government schemes for women have been introduced, enabling them to contribute equally to society and the nation’s economy while becoming self-reliant.

1. Educational Challenges: In rural and underdeveloped areas, girls’ education is still not given enough attention. The school dropout rate is high, and for many girls, access to higher education remains difficult.
2. Economic Challenges: Due to limited opportunities in employment and entrepreneurship, women often struggle to become financially independent. Even when running small businesses, lack of financial support and capital becomes a major obstacle.
3. Social Barriers: Patriarchal mindsets, child marriage, gender discrimination, and domestic violence are among the biggest hurdles in the path of women’s development.

To overcome these challenges, the central and state governments have launched several government schemes for women, focusing on providing education, employment, healthcare, and social security.

Objectives of Government Schemes for Women

The government schemes for women launched by the Government of India are not limited to formal assistance; their true aim is to bring real change in women’s lives. These schemes cover areas such as education, healthcare, employment, and economic independence.

The main objectives of these schemes are as follows:

1. Promoting Self-Reliance: Government schemes empower women through skill development, financial assistance, and education, enabling them to make independent decisions and secure a stronger position within their families and society.
2. Encouraging Employment and Entrepreneurship: Several initiatives, such as Stand-Up India and MUDRA Yojana, specifically provide loans and business opportunities for women. This not only helps them become job seekers but also transforms them into job creators.
3. Providing Financial Assistance: Women are offered loans, subsidies, and government support on easy terms for both business and education. The goal is to strengthen their financial position and help them break free from the cycle of poverty.
4. Ensuring Social and Economic Empowerment: These schemes go beyond economic development, focusing also on women’s safety, health, and social equality. Programs like Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and the One Stop Centre scheme are crucial steps toward holistic empowerment of women.

Major Government Schemes for Women

1. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao Yojana (Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter Scheme): Launched in 2015, this scheme aims to improve the declining child sex ratio in the country and promote girls’ education. It not only encourages enrollment of girls in schools but also provides special facilities for their education and safety.
2. Stand-Up India Scheme This initiative is designed to empower women entrepreneurs as well as entrepreneurs from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. Under this scheme, loans ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore are provided to help them start new businesses, enabling them to become self-reliant and create jobs for others.
3. Mahila E-Haat The government has created a digital marketplace for women called Mahila E-Haat. Here, women can directly showcase and sell their products to customers. This platform ensures direct market access, helping them increase their sales and income.
4. MUDRA Yojana (For Women) Under the Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana, women can avail loans ranging from ₹50,000 to ₹10 lakh. The main objective of this scheme is to support women in starting small and medium-scale businesses, making them financially independent and self-sufficient.
5. Mahila Shakti Kendra Scheme Focused on the development of rural women, this scheme provides training, skill development, and awareness programs. It helps women not only become self-reliant but also grow stronger socially and economically.
6. Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana This scheme provides free LPG gas connections to women from economically weaker families. Its goal is to safeguard women’s health and reduce pollution caused by the use of traditional fuels for cooking.
7. One Stop Centre Scheme Launched to ensure women’s safety, this scheme provides legal aid, medical assistance, and counseling services all in one place. It offers immediate support to women who are victims of violence or harassment.

Special Schemes by State Governments for Women

• Madhya Pradesh – Ladli Laxmi Yojana This scheme focuses on encouraging the education of girl children by providing financial support at different stages of their schooling and higher education.
• Uttar Pradesh – Kanya Vidyadhan Yojana Under this scheme, financial assistance is provided to meritorious girl students to help them continue their higher education and reduce dropout rates.
• Rajasthan – Rajshree Yojana This initiative provides financial aid in installments at different stages of a girl child’s life, from birth to education, with the objective of promoting girl child welfare and empowerment.

Banking and Loan Schemes for Women Banks have also introduced special loan schemes to encourage women’s entrepreneurship:

• MUDRA Loan
• Startup India Loan
• Mahila Udhyam Nidhi

Digital India and Women’s Participation Through the Digital India program and various government schemes for women, women today are actively participating in online education, digital payments, and e-commerce platforms. These initiatives have not only expanded their sources of income but have also significantly boosted their confidence and self-reliance.

Benefits of Government Schemes for Women

• Increased opportunities for employment and business
• Improvement in education and healthcare
• Enhanced respect and safety at the social level
• Greater self-reliance and confidence

Challenges and Scope for Improvement While the schemes are impactful, their implementation sometimes falls short:

• Lack of awareness in rural areas
• Corruption and slow processes
• Need for a shift in social mindset

Success Stories Many women have benefitted from government schemes and become successful entrepreneurs. For example, a woman from Uttar Pradesh used the Stand-Up India loan to start her own bakery, and today she provides employment to dozens of women.

Remarks

The government schemes for women are truly bringing social and economic change in India. Through these initiatives, women are progressing in education, employment, and entrepreneurship. However, to achieve better results, both awareness and effective implementation need to be strengthened.