Women’s organizations, gender equality and Odisha’s women empowerment steps – OPSC OAS Mains GS Paper I PYQ

📝Model Answer

Introduction

Women’s organizations — ranging from grassroots Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to national bodies like the National Commission for Women — have played a pivotal role in advancing gender equality in India, while state governments like Odisha have complemented this through targeted welfare schemes such as Mission Shakti and the Subhadra Yojana, together shaping a multi-layered approach to women’s empowerment.

Role of Women’s Organizations in Promoting Gender Equality

1. Economic empowerment through SHGs: Organizations built around Self-Help Groups (with nearly 90 lakh SHGs and about 10 crore women members nationally) have enabled access to credit, savings, and livelihood opportunities, reducing women’s economic dependency.
2. Advocacy for legal and policy reform: Women’s organizations like SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association) have played a key role in shaping legislation, such as the Street Vendors Act, 2014, by amplifying the voices of marginalised working women.
3. Awareness on rights and legal literacy: Grassroots and civil society organizations have spread awareness on laws relating to domestic violence, dowry, sexual harassment at the workplace, and property rights, enabling greater legal consciousness among women.
4. Political participation and representation: Women’s organizations have pushed for greater political representation, supporting reservation in local bodies (Panchayati Raj) and advocacy for the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam (women’s reservation in legislatures).
5. Health and nutrition interventions: Organizations and community networks have supported maternal health, nutrition, and menstrual hygiene programmes, improving health outcomes for women and girls.
6. Skill development and entrepreneurship: Many organizations provide vocational training and market linkages, enabling women to move from subsistence work to sustainable entrepreneurship.
7. Grassroots social change: By building collective bargaining power and solidarity among women, these organizations have helped challenge patriarchal social norms at the community level, from child marriage to unequal wages.
8. Limitations – top-down vs bottom-up approach: While bottom-up organizations like SEWA emphasise participatory advocacy, many state-led schemes (including some in Odisha) have been critiqued as top-down, cash-transfer-driven models with limited direct participation of women in policy design.

Steps Taken by the Government of Odisha for Women’s Empowerment

1. Mission Shakti: Launched in 2001 and later given directorate/department status, it has built a network of SHGs providing credit, market linkage, and economic activities, benefitting lakhs of women across the state.
2. Subhadra Yojana: A flagship scheme (launched September 2024) providing ₹10,000 annually (₹50,000 over five years) via Aadhaar-linked direct benefit transfer to eligible women aged 21-60 from economically weaker sections.
3. Subhadra Plus and allied initiatives: Expansion of the scheme through sub-programmes like Subhadra Sakhi, Subhadra Sangh, and Sujogya Subhadra, along with "Subhadra Surakshya" for women’s safety and security.
4. Lakhpati Didi initiative: A target to create 25 lakh "Lakhpati Didis" (women earning over ₹1 lakh annually) through SHG-based livelihood support, along with the Lakhpati Didi Sahayika Yojana.
5. Financial support for SHGs: Doubling of the SHG revolving fund and increase in Community Investment Fund, along with interest subsidies on bank loans up to ₹10 lakh for SHGs.
6. Health and maternal welfare schemes: Implementation of Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (PMMVY) and the state’s Mamata Scheme for maternal and child health, alongside strict enforcement of the PC\&PNDT Act to curb sex-selective practices.
7. Skill and safety-focused programmes: Initiatives like the Sudakshya Scheme (technical/vocational education for girls), the Khushi Scheme (menstrual hygiene), and the Veerangana Scheme (self-defence training for adolescent girls).
8. Support for minority and vulnerable women: The Mahila Samriddhi Yojana provides microfinance loans at lower interest rates for minority and underprivileged women to promote entrepreneurship.

Conclusion