UP Ensuring A New Fabric Of Self-Reliance For Women

India has become the best example of Vibrant Democracy in the contemporary world. To make this democracy a decisive force, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the government has taken decisive steps at the national level from the year 2014 and Uttar Pradesh has followed the same under the leadership of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath from the year 2017. As a result, our country is playing an important role in not only changing social dynamics with security, respect and self-reliance, but is also playing an active role in social and political economy and development of nation and the state.

If we look at the international studies and discussions in the last two decades of the 21st century, then gender equality will be seen as a main theme in it. The dimensions related to this are the allocation of resources, their stake (share), their role in management and their role in the production and distribution of the economy. From these dimensions perhaps their stake in equity or resources (not just in income) is the dimension that brings about a qualitative change in the lives of women. The earlier governments might not have thought in this direction but in the last five to seven years the old concept has been completely changed. For example, we can take the Prime Minister's Ownership Scheme under which the ownership of houses is being given mostly to women. It is noteworthy that under this scheme, the Uttar Pradesh government has given ownership to about 30 lakh houses in which 25 lakh are women. This is a great example of women empowerment.

In the medieval and British colonial times, the matriarchy never became a decisive variable in the mechanism of allocation and distribution of theeconomy due to rules based on traditions derived from the systems created then. The result was that even if she reached the limit of self-reliance, she could not even cross the limit of dependency. Although there has been a marked change in the last decade of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st century, it still wasn't sufficient to break the barriers that had to be broken through the polity. Post 2014, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the country and in 2017 Chief Minister Yogi started eliminating these barriers in the true sense in Uttar Pradesh. Prior to 2017, healthy and clean environment and things like efficiency, freedom of work and availability of opportunity and suitable space for work and facilitation as per requirement were secondary in Uttar Pradesh. Yogi Adityanath changed the work culture of governance in the state and financially facilitated women business professionals, women entrepreneurs and craft women including self-help groups, established law and order at a high level and provided the best business environment.

Yogi government from the very beginning implemented concrete programs, schemes with the vision of women's safety, prosperity and self-reliance. For example, in the context of the Prime Minister's clarion call of 'Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao', Mukhyamantri Kanya Sumangala Yojana was launched. This scheme has proved to be decisive not only in balancing the sex ratio but also in providing the basis for the daughter to become self-reliant. Under this, the government will transfer money to the girl's account at the time of her birth, then at the time of completion of one year of age, at the time of schooling, at the time of admission in first class, at the time of admission in sixth class, in 9th class and then at the time of admission in graduation… etc.

So far, money has been transferred under this scheme in the bank accounts of about 10 lakh girls. Under the Beti Bachao-Beti Padhao scheme, 1.8 crore girls have been benefitted. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission of the Government of India, crores of toilets were constructed in the direction of providing cleanliness and protecting the dignity of women. The gas connections given under the Ujjwala scheme have not only provided protection to women from carbon borne diseases but have also made them feel proud and self-respect. In fact, small facilities in India's socio-economic structure earlier drew the line between rich and poor. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, by giving free gas connections under the Ujjwala scheme, ended this dividing line and instilled a sense of self-respect among women.

Another step of the Yogi government towards making women self-reliant is the appointment of Banking Correspondent Sakhi (BC Sakhi) in each Gram Panchayat. It is noteworthy that there are more than 58,000 village panchayats in the state. Seeing the importance of the state government's scheme, the Prime Minister considered it (Banking Correspondence Sakhi Yojana) as a factor of big change in the lives of women in Prayagraj. This banking friend will give the money sent by the government to the daughter of the village at home in the village itself. In lieu of such transactions, the concerned bank will pay commission to BC Sakhi and the state government will pay an allowance of Rs.4000 per month. Many such schemes have been started like Chief Minister's Mass Marriage Scheme, Sant Ravidas Education Assistance Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Sukanya Samridhi Yojana, Safe City Project, Pradhan Mantri Svanidhi Yojana, Shabari Sankalp Abhiyan, Chief Minister Saksham Suposhan Yojana, Kishori Balika Yojna etc. which are making women empowered and happy.

Women who are educated and skilled need direct employment opportunities. The government has worked extensively in this direction. Between March 2019 and September 2021, more than one lakh women have been provided government jobs, about 58 thousand are getting employment as BC Sakhi and many are also being given preference in village secretariats.

But the small, micro and medium industries (MSMEs) have provided much more opportunities than this. In fact, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath considers the MSME sector to be the backbone of the state's economy. Therefore, to make this sector dynamic, the process was simplified by making governance transparent and accountable with a single window system, as evidenced by the fact that Uttar Pradesh ranked 14th in 2017 in Ease of Doing Business and 6th in GSDP whereas today Uttar Pradesh ranks second in Ease of Doing Business as well as in Gross Domestic Product (GSDP). Along with the entrepreneurs of the state, the skilled youth also got the benefit of this, including women.

The Government of Uttar Pradesh has done extensive work for self-help groups and rural women entrepreneurs in the last four and a half years. On 21st December, Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of 202 units related to nutrition manufacturing and while transferring an amount of Rs 1,000 crore to the bank accounts of 16 lakh women members of women self-help groups, self-help groups were called champions of self-reliant India. It is noteworthy that before 2017, this liquor mafias were in the possession of manufacturing units for nutrition food and not women, adolescent girls and children. Chief Minister Yogi ended it and gave rights to self-help groups. Now the Self Help Groups will buy food items at the local level, will procure it and ensure its supply by manufacturing nutritious food.

This will have the following benefits. Firstly, the manufacture of nutrition has now gone out of the hands of the mafia and went into the hands of Matrishakti (mothers). Second - the manufacture of quality nutrition will be better for the health of women and children. Thirdly, this will create a chain of purchase-procurement-production-distribution at the local level, which will serve to add value to the local economy. Forth, at least 15 to 20 women work in self-help groups i.e one lakh self-help groups, which have been given this right in the first phase, will work to make women self-reliant by giving employment to about 15 to 20 lakh women.

Overall, women in Uttar Pradesh are going to write a new script for inclusive, harmonious and rapid development in the state by moving towards self-reliance with security and respect.

(Dr. Rahees Singh is an expert in Economic and Foreign Affairs)