Women Development Programmes
1. Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) (1982)
One of the women development programmes implemented in the country is the Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas (DWCRA) programme launched during September 1982. This programme is partly supported by United Nations International Children Emergency Funds (UNICEF) and is jointly financed by Union and State Governments. It operates in conjunction with IRDP (Integrated Rural Development Project) and TRYSEM (Training for Rural Youth in Self Employment).
DWCRA aims (objective) at ‘motivating and assisting women to engage themselves in a productive activity for earning a substantial income as well as to improve the quality of their own and children’s life’. Thus, though the economic activity is the priority, the social betterment of the women and their children is also aimed at.
Main features of this programme
a. Women of identified poor families are organized into groups of 15-20 each for taking up income generating activities suited to their skills and aptitude.
b. Group members are given training usually under TRYSEM
c. One time grant of Rs.15, 000 is provided for each group as ‘revolving fund’ for purchase of raw materials, marketing, child care etc. This amount is shared equally by Union and State Governments and UNICEF. d. Each group selects one of its members as group organizer who is to help women in the selection of economic activities suited to their skills and aptitude, procurement of raw materials etc.
e. Besides engaging in economic activity, each group is expected to be recipient of benefits of other development and welfare programmes.
f. Multi-purpose centre are being set up to serve as the central place for the working of women groups.
The list of income-generating activities undertaken under the scheme are: tailoring, embroidery, ready-made garments, pickle making, papad making, bakery products, candle making, soap making, chalk making, envelop making, match box making, knitting, weaving, basket making, agarbathi making, poultry, dairy, piggery, goat rearing, bee keeping, mushroom production, fruit and vegetables processing, etc.
2. Stree Shakti Yojana / SHG (2000-2001)
The Stree Shakti Yojana was launched by Government of India during 2000-2001. This programme is meant for rural women below poverty line covering landless women, women who are divorced, SC/ST families and women having disabled members/drug addicts in the family.
The Chief Minister is the Chairman and the Minister for Women and Child Welfare is the Deputy Chairman for the Stree Shakti Yojana. At district level, Commissioner is the Chairman and the Assistant Director of Women and Child Welfare, and District Officers are the members of the committee.
At taluk level, taluk panchayat president is the Chairman and officers of the concerned Department are the members of the committee. Anganawadi worker will extend co-operation for the first 6 months to work and manage, and after 6 months the Anganawadi workers only supervise the work
Major aims/objectives of the programmes includes :
• Strengthening the process of creating suitable atmosphere which could achieve financial progress and social status of women
• Forming 1,00,000 Stree Shakti groups throughout the state during 2000-2001 and stimulating confidence and self dependence on them and making them able to have control over the financial resource 46
• Increasing the income of poor women by engaging them in income generation activities and creating financial stability among them and thereby achieving eradication of poverty
• Channelizing various departments in one direction to provide opportunities to get the benefits of development works of various departments to the members of women group and taking measures for availing loans.