The initiative taken by the Chhattisgarh Government to empower women by organising them in Self Help Groups (SHGs) has proved a success.
As many as 23,794 SHGs are successfully accomplishing the work of providing ‘Ready-to-Eat’ food, fresh food and breakfast to more than 49,000 Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centers run by the Women and Child Development (WCD) Department.Among these SHGs, as many as 1,568 are engaged in preparation and distribution of Ready-to-Eat meals (nutrition dietary supplements) while 22,226 SHGs are engaged in providing breakfast and fresh food.
The Anganwadi and Mini Anganwadi centers are providing nutrition dietary supplement to more than 2,54,9000 children, pregnant and lactating women.All these activities at one hand are helping the women in becoming organised and independent and on the other hand State is benefiting from the commitment shown by the women towards work and honesty of these women.Showing full faith in women, the State Government has handed over the complete work of preparation and distribution of mid-day meal in school to the SHGs.
Besides this the SHGs are also engaged in preparation of school uniform, mushroom production, production of papad, badi, murabba, daliya, silk production, lac farming, bamboo craft, woodcraft, animal husbandry etc. income generating works.The women SHGs also play an important role in the campaign against malnutrition. Apart from becoming independent and organised, the women of the State are gradually raising voice against social evils.
It was due to initiative taken by women, hundreds of liquor shops have been closed by the Government. To encourage women and to provide financial assistance to them, the Chhattisgarh Mahila Kosh is running schemes like loan scheme, Swavlamban scheme , skill development scheme, entrepreneurship awareness scheme.