Women in the villages of Firozabad are no longer confined to household chores alone. Through the National Rural Livelihood Mission, lakhs of women across the district are now earning on their own and strengthening their families' finances. Where the responsibility of running a household once rested almost entirely on men, and poor families rarely saw any real improvement in their finances, women's groups formed village by village are now changing that picture.
Groups Being Formed In Village After Village
Deputy Commissioner for Self-Employment Tulika Srivastava said homemakers living in villages are being linked to self-employment through groups formed in every village. Each group brings together around 20 women. These groups are the gateway through which women get access to the livelihood mission's schemes and support, directly benefiting families with weak financial conditions. The model has gradually spread to most villages in the district.
Free Training From Tailoring To Beekeeping
Under the National Rural Livelihood Mission, the government provides free training to women in a range of skills. Through the groups, women are trained in tailoring, running beauty parlours, beekeeping, making incense sticks and agarbattis, pickle-making and preparing glass toys, among other trades. After completing the training, many women go on to start their own small businesses using these skills and begin earning from home, freeing them from dependence on anyone else.
Some Women Earning In Lakhs As 'Vidyut Sakhi'
Besides training, some women are also working as 'sakhi' in various government departments. Among them, some have become 'vidyut sakhi' and are now earning in lakhs of rupees. According to Tulika Srivastava, joining these groups has changed the lives of lakhs of women across the district so far, and the department is continuously working to bring more women into groups so they can become self-reliant and run their own livelihoods. She said this process is ongoing, with new women joining every month.
District Has 8,797 Groups, Over 1.22 Lakh Women Linked
According to the figures, around 8,797 groups are being run by women in Firozabad district, with 1,22,000 women linked to them and working. More than 7,000 of these groups have already been provided funds of up to Rs 1.5 lakh to help expand their work. Besides this, around 13,620 women from these groups have become 'Lakhpati Didi' so far. Joining these groups has led to a significant improvement in women's financial condition, along with a stronger social standing.
Special Campaign To Bring In Left-Out Families
The department is now trying to reach women from poor families who are still excluded from the scheme. Camps are being set up at various places to identify such women and connect them to groups. Holding a ration card is a mandatory condition for a woman to join the livelihood mission. Tulika Srivastava said that on the orders of the District Magistrate, a campaign will now also be run at the gram panchayat level, so that more and more women can join groups and bring about both social and economic change in their lives.
