Women power

Our girls have made us proud once again. The latest Periodic Labor Force Survey has revealed that the percentage of working women in Jammu and Kashmir has increased in the last three years, particularly post-pandemic. Compared to 26.5 percent in 2018-19, the Labor Force Participation Rate (LFPR) of females of all age groups in Jammu and Kashmir has increased to 32.8 percent in 2021. It is much higher than the national LFPR of 25.1 percent of females of all age groups. Currently, the male LFPR in Jammu and Kashmir is 55.8 percent. Rural women in Jammu and Kashmir contributed more to the LFPR compared to their urban counterparts. In rural Jammu and Kashmir, the LFPR of females is 35.3 percent compared to 22.3 percent in urban areas. As per the survey, 46.8 percent of females in the 15-59 age group contributed to the workforce in the union territory. The work population ratio of women has increased to 22.7 percent. Jammu and Kashmir government is making proactive interventions to encourage women’s participation in governance, business, and other sectors. A gender-inclusive ecosystem is being created so that women have better access to education and economic growth. National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) has come in handy to help women to chase their dreams. Under Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana National Rural Livelihoods Mission, an amount of Rs 997.91 crore has been disbursed among the women Self-help Groups (SHGs) of Jammu and Kashmir since 2014. There are more than 56,000 SHGs in J&K and as many as 5 lakh women are associated with these groups. About 55 percent of gram panchayats have been covered under women’s SHGs in Jammu and Kashmir. Under the Tejaswini scheme, female entrepreneurs are paid financial assistance to the extent of Rs 5 lakh. Mission Youth too provides Rs 50,000 or 10% of the project cost as a subsidy. Besides, the interest component of the loan is also sponsored by Mission Youth as a special incentive. The repayment of the loan is technically interest-free for young female entrepreneurs who apply for assistance under the scheme. Besides, Saath, Umeed, Mumkin, and Hausla, are making women socially and economically independent. `Hausla’ is one such comprehensive program, which aims to promote women’s entrepreneurship. however, more needs to be done. We need to cut down on red tape and create a single window system for processing the cases. A deadline should be set and all paperwork should be completed within the stipulated time. The process should be made easy and less cumbersome so that women are encouraged to apply for loans and other financial assistance to set up their units.