Shimla, June 17: Women in rural areas are steadily moving towards economic self-reliance through village organisations and entrepreneurship initiatives, Women’s Social Education Organiser Lalita Kumari said during a meeting of Aryavart and Saksham Village Organisations held at Mashobra Gram Panchayat in Shimla district on Wednesday.
Addressing the gathering, Lalita Kumari highlighted the role of the Gender Resource Centre (GRC) in promoting gender equality and women’s safety. She informed participants that a contribution of ₹100 per month is being collected from each village organisation under the initiative to support women’s safety-related activities.
She said women were briefed about opportunities for starting small-scale enterprises to strengthen their economic condition. According to her, an increasing number of rural women are venturing into dairy farming, vegetable cultivation and other income-generating activities. Several women have also launched stalls selling homemade products and decorative items crafted from pine leaves.
Kumari noted that products prepared by women associated with village organisations are being showcased at prominent fairs across Himachal Pradesh, helping them expand their market reach and boost their earnings.
The participants were also informed about skill development programmes offered by the Rural Self-Employment Training Centre (RSETI), including beauty parlour, computer and other vocational courses aimed at enhancing women’s employability and self-reliance.
During the meeting, LVDC Savita Negi, Area Coordinator Parveen Verma and Mission Executive Vaishali Thakur provided detailed information on various government welfare schemes designed for the socio-economic empowerment of women.
Around 25 women, including village organisation office-bearers Reena Kumari and Joshila Satya, attended the programme.
