Swayamshree programme empowers over 3.8 lakh women in becoming Lakhpati Didis in MP: Official

Bhopal, Sep 13 (PTI) The Swayamshree programme in Madhya Pradesh has empowered more than 3.8 lakh women in the state towards becoming Lakhpati Didis, an official said.

The programme is a collaboration of Reliance Foundation and Gates Foundation with the Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihoods Mission (MPSRLM).

"Swayamshree has encouraged women to dream beyond traditional boundaries and has empowered more than 3.8 lakh women in the state towards becoming Lakhpati Didis. Over the past two years, MPSRLM has worked with lakhs of women organised into self-help groups, producer collectives and federations under the programme...," MPSRLM CEO Harshika Singh said in a release.

N Deepthi Reddy, Chief - Women Empowerment, Reliance Foundation said, "Our mission is to empower women entrepreneurs in rural communities across India. Working towards this objective through the Swayamshree programme, we are focusing our efforts in three states to develop innovative, replicable and scalable models to enhance women's agency and strengthen rural livelihoods.

In Madhya Pradesh, the key practices that have emerged from the programme offer models for scaling up for greater impact to empower women towards becoming Lakhpati Didis, she said.

The Swayamshree Conclave held in Bhopal on Friday brought together policymakers, development practitioners, industry leaders, non-governmental organisations across states, and representatives of women's collectives to discuss scaling of best practices to strengthen women's livelihoods.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of 'Lakhpati Didis' has created an important national momentum for women's economic empowerment. The Swayamshree programme builds on this vision by working with State Rural Livelihood Missions and grassroots partners to create sustainable income opportunities for women. The experiences from Madhya Pradesh underline how collaboration between government, philanthropy, and civil society can strengthen women's livelihoods at scale," Alkesh Wadhwani, Director - Growth Opportunity & Gender Empowerment, Gates Foundation, said on the occasion.

The Swayamshree programme aims to reach 10 lakh women across Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha with the goal of enhancing their household incomes up to a minimum of Rs. 1 lakh per annum, the release said. PTI MAS NP