Empowering Rural Women: DAY-NRLM Regional Workshop Charts a Course for Health and Livelihood Advancement

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana - National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM) organized a two-day regional workshop whereby the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) invited 17 State Rural Livelihoods Missions (SRLMs) together with prominent stakeholders. The primary focus was on devising a comprehensive roadmap to enhance food, nutrition, health, and WASH (FNHW) outcomes for over 9.98 crore members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and their households across India. The workshop saw the presence of esteemed guests, including the Chief Guest, Dr. Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil, Minister of Medical Education & Skill Development, Entrepreneurship, and Livelihoods, Karnataka.

Uma Mahadevan, Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Skill Development Entrepreneurship and Livelihood, Karnataka, and Smriti Sharan, Joint Secretary, MoRD, also graced the occasion.

Recognizing Women's Contribution to Poverty Alleviation

Dr. Sharanaprakash Rudrappa Patil acknowledged the pivotal role played by women in the success of poverty alleviation programs. Emphasizing the potential of income-generating activities, he suggested that SHG women could engage in producing sanitary napkins, providing them with sustainable livelihoods. Dr. Patil highlighted the importance of marketing SHG products and establishing links with banks to strengthen the collective power of women.

Harnessing the Power of Women Collectives

Uma Mahadevan applauded the potential of women collectives, envisioning SHGs as influential entities in 6000 Gram Panchayats in Karnataka. She emphasized the role of SHGs in promoting behavior change, making women influencers in executing daily activities. Mahadevan stressed that FNHW interventions through women collectives have the potential for significant convergence.

Addressing Multidimensional Poverty through FNHW

Smriti Sharan set the context for integrating FNHW into DAY-NRLM, highlighting that multidimensional poverty is a significant impediment to lifting people out of poverty. FNHW interventions, she stated, are essential for moving towards a nutritionally sufficient nation and enhancing livelihoods for women. Sharan expressed the MoRD's commitment to collaborating with Line Ministries to contribute significantly to improved nutrition, health, and sanitation in rural communities.

Conclave Objectives and Achievements

The conclave aimed to consolidate learnings from ongoing SHG efforts under DAY-NRLM, focusing on improving health, nutrition, and WASH status in rural communities. Women-led SHGs and their federations were recognized for promoting health-seeking behavior, creating agri-nutri gardens, and facilitating access to entitlements and services.

The participants discussed streamlining collaborations with line departments and development partners to support existing FNHW interventions. Additionally, ideas were exchanged for innovations and research to amplify the efficacy and reach of SHG efforts.

Officials from different State Rural Livelihoods Missions, Women and Child Department, Health, Drinking Water and Sanitation, along with Community Resource Persons (CRP), shared their valuable on-ground experiences, shedding light on the extensive activities undertaken by women-led SHG networks to improve the status of nutrition and health in rural communities.