Basirhat Gul
The women’s role in guiding India’s development towards Vision 2047 is vital and transformational. As the nation aspires to be an industrialized country on the first centenary anniversary of gaining independence, women’s empowerment has emerged as the cornerstone of inclusive growth. It is impossible to achieve true development without equal opportunity and women’s participation in every sphere of life. Empowering women is not only an issue of social justice, but also empowering the strength of half the population to accelerate the growth of India.
In the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir, this process has taken on a specific importance. The socio-economic condition, cultural norms, and long periods of turbulence in the area have worked to keep women behind the scenes in public life. But over the past decade or so, government efforts have started to redefine these boundaries. Kashmiri women are beginning to take on new roles as entrepreneurs, teachers, professionals, and community leaders. Their success stories are tales of resurgence and revival, and these come very close to India’s larger vision of inclusive growth under Vision 2047.
The Viksit Bharat 2047 vision sees an India that is prosperous, self-sufficient, and socially inclusive. In this order of things, women’s empowerment is one of its unstated cornerstones. To achieve developed nation status, women in the nation will transition from beneficiary to equal partner in development. In J&K, the transition is prompted by a range of national and state schemes for women’s education, livelihood, entrepreneurship, and security, each of which is opening up avenues for women to break out of stereotypes.
One of the best programs is Mission Shakti, which integrates two major sub-schemes, Sambal and Samarthya, to address women’s safety, security, and economic empowerment. Through this, District Hubs for Empowerment of Women (DHEW) and State Hubs (SHEW) are one-stop shop centers offering legal aid, counselling, entrepreneurship training, and access to government benefits. Thousands of J&K women have been empowered over the past two years through these hubs in terms of self-employment, skill training, and entrepreneurship development.
UMEED, an initiative of the J&K Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM), has been a game-changer in rural women’s lives through its Self-Help Group (SHG) movement. Over 7 lakh women have been structured into 80,000 SHGs, which have helped them to get access to micro-credit, enterprise training, and group business opportunities. Successful enterprises have been set up by large numbers of SHG members from their concepts in the fields of handicrafts, dairy, poultry, and food processing. These institutions not only raised women’s incomes but also built confidence, solidarity, and social awareness, enabling them to participate actively in local government.
To this, MGNREGA has provided safe rural employment to more than 5 lakh women of J&K in recent years. It gives economic security and dignity to those women who were confined to household chores earlier. A number of women have utilized the income in bringing up their children, opening small businesses, or becoming part of SHGs, converting wage employment to long-term empowerment.
Education is even the passport to empowerment. The UT has ensured girl child education awareness against gender discrimination through Beti Bachao Beti Padhao (BBBP). Local awareness campaigns and scholarships under BBBP in Budgam, Kupwara, and Baramulla districts have led to a tremendous increase in the school attendance of girls. Educated women are now applying for higher studies in medicine, IT, and law, which were considered inaccessible to them earlier.
Economic empowerment has been enhanced even more under initiatives such as StandUp India, the Pradhan Mantri Employment Generation Programme (PMEGP), and Prime Minister’s Vishwakarma Scheme (PM-Vishwakarma). StandUp India has disbursed loans to women in J&K for entrepreneurship in food processing, retail, and manufacturing units, with loan amounts reaching one crore rupees. PMEGP with credit-linked subsidy and training to support thousands of small entrepreneurs, including women. Similarly, PM-Vishwakarma focuses on empowering skilled artisans and craftswomen in traditional Kashmiri crafts such as shawl weaving, papier-mâché, and woodcarving to improve production and open up access to wider markets.
The Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Grameen Kaushalya Yojana (DDU-GKY) and the Skill India Mission have also provided additional prospects of employment for women. District skill centers of Anantnag and Pulwama districts are providing training for women in tailoring, digital services, hospitality, and healthcare. Dozens of trainees are now earning income through self-employment or by becoming part of private enterprises, showing that skill development is a vital link to economic empowerment.
For financial inclusion, the government has initiated schemes like the Mahila Samman Savings Certificate (MSSC), offering secure investment avenues with attractive interest rates for women. Coupled with Jan Dhan Yojana, which makes access to formal banking and digital payments available for women, these initiatives are empowering them to save, invest, and plan.
Technology is also doing its share. Platforms like the Nari Shakti Portal and Mahila-e-Haat provide web space for women entrepreneurs to market their products, interact with consumers, and receive training modules. Women in Srinagar and Pulwama, for instance, have begun to sell organic products and handmade crafts online, despite geography and mobility constraints.
These empowerment programs are gradually pushing away the stereotypes that once labelled Kashmiri women as passive or dependent. The emerging story is one of self-confidence, leadership, and independence. From running cafés in Srinagar to managing dairy cooperatives in Kupwara, women are reclaiming public spaces with courage. They are no longer passive recipients of development; they are developers, role models, and change agents themselves.
But the problems persist. Backward regions such as Gurez, Keran, and Machil still suffer from a lack of access to such schemes with regard to terrain, connectivity, and awareness. Women entrepreneurs face challenges of poor market linkages, digital illiteracy, and gender norms. Moreover, not having gender-sensitive data in detail makes it difficult to determine correct progress and plan interventions appropriately.
The above problems can be managed through a multi-dimensional approach. The first is to create awareness and offer access via mobile outreach camps and e-facilitation centers. The second is creating market and e-commerce linkages for rural products to facilitate women entrepreneurs in scaling up their businesses. Third, gender budgeting has to be enhanced to deal with the participation of adequate funds for women’s schemes. Fourthly, coordination with the local panchayats and NGOs will help monitor the enforcement and enhance community participation. Finally, education and attitude transformation should be continuous so that empowerment is not limited to economic activity but to social, political, and cultural participation.
Women’s empowerment in Jammu and Kashmir is a hallmark of India’s journey towards Vision 2047. Various initiatives by the government, from Mission Shakti to PMEGP, BBBP to UMEED, have collectively built an ecosystem where women can educate themselves, take charge, and progress. Every empowered Kashmiri woman is an example of strength, development, and gender equality. Not just are they working towards the vision of a successful India, they are building it. The women from Kashmir are the embodiment of Nari Shakti, the power that will lead the country confidently into its centenary year of independence.
(The author can be reached at bismabisma320@gmail.com)