Women And Income-Generating Activity: Need And Status – OpEd

Women’s participation in income-generating activities is a crucial aspect of promoting economic growth, gender equality, and societal development. These activities empower women by providing them with financial independence, enhancing their decision-making power within households, and enabling them to contribute to community and national development.

a. Common Income-Generating Activities for Women:

Agriculture and Farming: Women often engage in crop cultivation, animal husbandry, and agro-processing. Initiatives like kitchen gardens or selling surplus produce at local markets provide sustainable incomes.

Crafts and Handicrafts: Traditional crafts, textile work, jewellery making, and weaving are popular and culturally significant forms of income generation, particularly in rural areas.

Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs): Women establish small businesses like tailoring, beauty salons, food stalls, and retail shops.

Self-Help Groups (SHGs): Collective initiatives enable women to pool resources for activities like microfinance, cooperative farming, or small-scale manufacturing.

Freelancing and Remote Work: With the rise of digital technologies, many women now work as freelancers in fields like content creation, graphic design, virtual assistance, or online tutoring.

Service-Oriented Role: Women often find income in caregiving (e.g., childcare, eldercare), domestic work, and hospitality.

Entrepreneurship: Women-led start-ups and social enterprises are on the rise, tackling challenges and creating employment opportunities.

b. Challenges Faced by Women in Income Generation:

Limited Access to Finance: Women often lack collateral or face discrimination when seeking loans or financial support.

Skill Gaps and Education: Inadequate access to education and vocational training can limit women’s employability.

Cultural and Social Barriers: Traditional gender roles may restrict women’s participation in certain economic activities.

Safety and Mobility: Lack of safe transportation and workplace harassment are significant obstacles.

Work-Life Balance: Balancing domestic responsibilities with work is a persistent challenge.

c. Strategies to Support Women in Income Generation:

Skill Development and Training: Providing access to vocational training, digital literacy, and leadership programs.

Access to Capital: Promoting microfinance, grants, and women-focused credit schemes.

Policy and Legal Support: Enforcing equal pay, maternity benefits, and anti-discrimination laws.

Technology and Digital Platforms: Encouraging women to use e-commerce platforms and participate in the gig economy.

Awareness and Advocacy: Campaigns to challenge stereotypes and promote gender equality in economic participation.

Background of income-generating

Income-generating activities (IGAs) refer to economic initiatives or projects that provide individuals or groups with a source of income. Historically, IGAs have been critical in addressing poverty, especially in marginalized communities, by empowering people to become financially self-sufficient.

These activities are particularly significant for women, who have historically faced economic exclusion and dependency due to societal norms, limited education, and unequal access to resources. The focus on income generation for women gained momentum with global movements for gender equality, poverty alleviation, and sustainable development. Initiatives like microfinance programs, vocational training, and entrepreneurship development emerged to address systemic barriers to women’s economic participation.

Need for Income-Generating Activities:

a. Economic Independence: IGAs enable women to earn their own income, reducing financial dependence on others and increasing their autonomy.

b. Poverty Alleviation: IGAs provide families with a stable income, improving living standards and reducing reliance on external aid.

c. Gender Equality: Encouraging women’s participation in economic activities challenges traditional gender roles and fosters equality in both public and private spheres.

d. Skill Development: Involvement in IGAs often involves learning new skills or applying traditional ones in innovative ways, enhancing employability.

e. Empowerment: Financial independence enhances women’s decision-making power within households and communities, enabling them to influence broader societal changes.

f. Contribution to Economic Growth: Women’s participation in the workforce adds to national productivity and boosts economic development.

g. Improved Social Outcomes: Research shows that women who earn an income are more likely to invest in their children’s education, health, and overall well-being.

h. Diversification of Income Sources: In vulnerable communities, IGAs reduce dependence on a single source of income, offering resilience against economic shocks like job loss or natural disasters.

i. Community Development: Collective IGAs, such as cooperatives or self-help groups, foster community cohesion and shared economic benefits.

j. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): Supporting IGAs aligns with SDGs, particularly those related to gender equality, decent work, and poverty eradication.

Supporting activities

Government schemes play a pivotal role in promoting income-generating activities (IGAs) by providing financial assistance, skill training, and enabling environments for individuals and communities, especially women, to achieve economic self-reliance. The overview of key government schemes and the current status of income generation in India include:

a. Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). Objective: Empower rural women by forming Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to provide access to microfinance and skill development. Impact: Over 8 million SHGs have been formed, with significant contributions from women. Promoted small-scale businesses in agriculture, animal husbandry, and handicrafts.

b. Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY): Objective: Provide financial support to micro and small businesses, particularly women entrepreneurs. Key Features: Loans under Shishu, Kishor, and Tarun categories for various stages of business growth. Impact: Approximately 68% of beneficiaries are women. Enhanced access to credit for small enterprises.

c. Stand-Up India Scheme: Objective: Encourage entrepreneurship among Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs), and women by providing bank loans. Key Features: Loans range from ₹10 lakh to ₹1 crore for new ventures. Impact: Thousands of women entrepreneurs have benefited.

d. Skill India Mission (Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana – PMKVY)Objective: Provide vocational training to youth and women to enhance employability in various sectors. Impact: Over 50% of the enrolled candidates in some programs are women. Focus on job-linked skills like tailoring, digital literacy, and retail.

e. Mahila E-Haat (Under Mahila Shakti Kendra): Objective: Promote digital platforms for women entrepreneurs to showcase and sell products/services. Impact: Offers a cost-free marketing platform for women artisans and SHGs.

f. Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G): Objective: Provide employment through construction activities under the housing scheme. Impact: Encourages women to participate in masonry and construction work.

g. National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM): Objective: Enable urban poor, particularly women, to access opportunities for sustainable livelihoods. Impact: Focuses on skill development and financial inclusion for urban women.

h. Support to Training and Employment Program for Women (STEP): Objective: Provide training in employable skills and ensure economic empowerment of women. Impact: Covers sectors like agriculture, handicrafts, and food processing.

Status of Income-Generating Activities in India:

a. Growth of Women Entrepreneurs: Women constitute around 20% of entrepreneurs in India, primarily in micro and small enterprises. The SHG model has been instrumental in rural areas, contributing to job creation and financial inclusion.

b. Impact of Digital Transformation: With government initiatives like Digital India, more women are leveraging e-commerce and digital platforms for business.

c. Challenges Persist: Despite progress, women still face barriers like limited access to capital, gender norms, and inadequate market linkages.

d. Economic Contribution: Women’s contribution to the workforce remains lower than the global average, with labour force participation at around 23% (as of recent estimates), emphasizing the need for continued support to income-generating programs.