Empowering Women, Transforming Villages

Rural development becomes meaningful when women are recognised not simply as beneficiaries of government schemes, but as entrepreneurs, decision-makers and leaders in their own communities. The Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission has built a strong foundation for that change. The challenge now is to ensure that this vast network of women-led institutions delivers stable incomes, viable enterprises and a stronger voice for women at the grassroots.

According to figures shared by the Government during the official review of JKRLM, more than 8.14 lakh women have been mobilized across all 20 districts, 285 blocks and 4,291 Gram Panchayats. They are organized into 96,595 Self Help Groups, 7,546 Village Organizations and 652 Cluster Level Federations. This is a significant achievement and reflects the growing reach of women-led institutions across rural Jammu and Kashmir. The scale is impressive, but numbers alone cannot define empowerment. The real test is whether women are earning more, controlling financial decisions, accessing markets and participating more confidently in village affairs. Self Help Groups and federations must gradually become independent, professionally managed and accountable to their own members rather than remain dependent on routine official directions. Government data also shows that JKRLM has provided more than ₹532 crore in capitalization support to community institutions and facilitated bank credit exceeding ₹3,449 crore through nearly 1.46 lakh credit-linked accounts. The reported non-performing asset level of just 0.91 per cent is particularly important. It reflects the financial discipline of rural women and disproves the outdated view that small women-led enterprises are risky borrowers. Banks should respond to this record with greater confidence. Mature groups must receive timely and repeated access to institutional credit without unnecessary delays. At the same time, credit alone is not enough. Women running enterprises need practical support in bookkeeping, digital payments, pricing, packaging, product quality, legal compliance and market expansion. Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo’s call for stronger convergence between JKRLM, Mission YUVA and the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme is therefore timely. Nearly six lakh Self Help Group members are proposed to be connected with entrepreneurship, skill development and self-employment opportunities according to their aptitude and interests. This convergence must be simple and visible at the village level. Women should not be forced to visit several offices for training, credit, registration, machinery and marketing support. YUVA Doots and field teams must stay involved until enterprises are actually established and begin earning. Training programmes that end with certificates but produce no income cannot be treated as success. Community Managed Training Centres can play an important role in this effort. The Government has rightly directed that they be made functional across all districts. These centres should provide regular training in enterprise management while also helping women lead campaigns on sanitation, nutrition, immunisation, school enrolment, hygiene and drug-abuse prevention. JKRLM’s role in agriculture is equally significant. Official figures show that the Mission supports 7.35 lakh Mahila Kisans across 5,255 villages through more than 3,300 Community Resource Persons, including Krishi Sakhis, Pashu Sakhis and Van Sakhis. More than 64,000 farmers have enrolled on the Daksh Kisan Portal, while over 22,000 have been certified. These community workers can serve as an effective link between rural families and government departments. Their training should be regularly updated, and their contribution should lead to better farming practices, improved animal care, diversified livelihoods and higher household incomes. Under the Start-up Village Entrepreneurship Programme, the Government has reported the promotion of 11,879 enterprises against a target of 14,244. Bank credit of more than ₹21.77 crore has been facilitated for 1,907 enterprises, while ₹20.26 crore has been used through the Community Enterprise Fund. The remaining gap must be addressed, but quality should never be sacrificed merely to achieve targets. The Lakhpati Didi initiative has reportedly helped 2.40 lakh rural women reach Lakhpati status, while the target is to increase the number to 3.64 lakh by 2029. This is encouraging, but these income gains must be independently verified and sustained over time. A temporary rise in earnings should not be presented as lasting economic security. Women-led food outlets and Food Street Associations developed through the Kudumbashree partnership also carry strong potential. The proposed regional aggregation centres in Jammu and Srinagar can improve packaging, branding, storage and marketing of Self Help Group products. These facilities must also serve women from remote districts fairly.

JKRLM has created an impressive institutional network. The next step is to turn that scale into lasting economic strength. With easier credit, reliable markets, professional support, honest evaluation and stronger links with Panchayati Raj Institutions, women-led organizations can become the most dependable force for rural transformation in Jammu and Kashmir.