Mission Shakti : Understanding Women Empowerment

 Understanding Women Empowerment through Mission Shakti

Women Empowerment has become most critical overall development area globally.Women Empowerment leads to better maternal health ,improved child nutrition ,large economic growth,inequality and education to the lower part of the society.The Governement of Odisha focused on women’s empowerment from marginalized communitis through self help groups(SHG),So in 2001 special programme initiated as “Mission Shakti”.

It has become india’s biggest women centric poverty allevation programe since two decades.It empowered more than 60 lakh womens for which womens are actively participate in decision making process at household and community level.Mission Shakti completed 20years of womens transformation journey in odisha on International Women’s Day this year.Let us have a look on the article how this programme positively impacted the life of lakhs of deprived women.

Scooty distribution  to Mission Shakti Workers

The Origin Story

It was 1999 Super Cyclone when 10000 people died and over lakhs of people lost their livelihood.Relief efforts to rural communities by few womens enabled government to understand the women empowerment .for which Women Centric Poverty allevation program was recurring feedback during that time in Andhra Pradesh SHGs bank account was linked with different community development programs which was started to show the positive results.From these success stories it motivated government to launch the Mission Shakti Programme on March 8,2001 which focused socio economic empowerement of rural women through community based organisation.

Mission Shakti is primarily driven by SHGs in odisha.The typical SHG consists of 10-20 women from economically backward households who pool their savings on a regular basis. The seed capital provided by the SHG is leveraged through linkages with mainstream financial institutions to obtain loans and funding for initiating income-generating activities. SHGs also serve as a delivery mechanism for schemes related to food security, skill development, financial inclusion, digital literacy, etc. By organizing women into collective entities, Mission Shakti puts them at the forefront thus enabling bottom-up, community-led development.

Mission Millet by Mission Shakti

 Evolution Over Two Decades

During the initial few years, Mission Shakti focused on promoting and handholding SHGs while nurturing women leadership from the grassroots. Once the SHG movement gained traction, the number of women mobilized under different programs saw massive growth. By 2024, over 75 lakh, women had been organized into more than 4.5 lakh SHGs along with thousands of vibrant SHG federations across the state.

The UPA government recognized Mission Shakti’s early success by selecting it for additional funding support under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM). This further bolstered the institutional architecture and capacity building programs designed specifically for women. Mission Shakti marked its 10th anniversary in 2011, aptly defining the decade as one of “Silent Empowerment”.

The next decade witnessed Mission Shakti’s expansion into multiple new areas even as it consolidated the SHG network. There was renewed emphasis on improving last-mile service delivery across schemes through Mission Shakti platforms. To accelerate financial inclusion, targeted initiatives like ‘Mission 1 Lakh’ were taken up to enable SHGs to access credit facilities from banks. Odisha’s sizable tribal population and regions also came into specific focus with programs tailor-made to local needs.

By 2024, Mission Shakti counted over 75 lakh women from 4.53lakh SHGs under its umbrella besides 4.53lakh SHG federations. As it completed two decades, the journey so far re-affirmed Mission Shakti’s status as a game-changing intervention to empower rural Odisha through women-led grassroots institutions. 

Mission Shakti Cafe by SHG

                                        Key Impact Areas

Economic Empowerment

At the core, Mission Shakti aims to make rural women economically self-sufficient through sustained livelihood opportunities. Financial assistance to SHGs has enabled members to initiate a range of income-generating activities - small businesses, goat/poultry rearing, agriculture/horticulture, handicrafts etc. So far, ₹5000 crore worth of credit has been rotated between SHG members catalysing women entrepreneurship.

 Currently government of odisha allocated 750 crores of budget for Mission Shakti and 2760 crore spend for women empowerment,1179 crore rupees financial assistance has been provided to women in 2024-2025 F/Y.

For aspiring women entrepreneurs, dedicated programs like ‘Mission Shakti Karmajibi’ and ‘Mission Shakti Online’ offer end-to-end support - working capital, skill training, loans as well product marketing via e-commerce platforms. Rural women are also being encouraged to form farmer producer companies and co-operatives to bolster incomes. Such initiatives have started bearing fruit strengthening financial stability. 

Mission Shakti Community Nursery

Social Development

By serving as a platform to deliver government assistance, Mission Shakti has significantly aided human development indicators related to poverty reduction, food security, healthcare, sanitation and education. During the pandemic, Mission Shakti SHGs manufactured and distributed masks & sanitary pads while also spreading awareness about vaccines & containment measures.

Over the years, focused action by Mission Shakti towards eradicating hunger, promoting school enrolment of girls and better reproductive healthcare has led to both individual and community level progress. Today, empowered Mission Shakti women are at the forefront advocating for positive social change and equitable development in their villages.

Political Empowerment

Right from participative decision-making for micro-planning at the Panchayat level to directing the utilization of public resources, Mission Shakti has opened up leadership avenues for women. Training programs are conducted regularly to groom SHG office bearers on governance procedures, account keeping as well as their rights & entitlements.

These capacity building measures have resulted in over 2.5 lakh SHG members getting elected to local governing bodies like Gram Panchayats. Their presence has brought fresh perspective into debates on public service delivery besides vocalizing women-centric issues. With such political empowerment, Mission Shakti women have proven to be drivers of grassroots democracy.

Mission Shakti Organising Different Event.

Challenges Ahead

Despite the remarkable progress so far, Mission Shakti faces barriers that need to be focused attention for the program to rise further -

- Expanding activities and credit access to newer geographies and marginalized communities
- Improving last-mile connectivity to training programs on finance, governance, technology, marketing etc.
- Attracting rural women youth into grassroots institutions to support inter-generational transition
- Building resilience among women's collectives to manage economic and natural shocks like the pandemic or climate change
- Leveraging digital platforms and tools to upgrade financial literary, business acumen as well as real-time monitoring

By addressing these gaps, Mission Shakti can consolidate past gains while maximizing its outreach to benefit many more underserved women across Odisha.

Conclusion

As Mission Shakti embarks on its third decade, the stage is set for rural Odisha’s women-led SHG network to drive the state’s development and inspire the whole nation. The trail has been blazed for inclusive, participative growth centered around financial inclusion and social change. Mission Shakti’s multifaceted impact on women empowerment also offers valuable learning for large-scale government programs globally that seek transformation starting from the grassroots.

(Photo credit:Odisha Mission Shakti)