Una ADC: NGOs key to women empowerment

UNA, NOVEMBER 15

Una Additional Deputy Commissioner Dr Amit Kumar today said that non-government organizations (NGOs) were playing an important role in women empowerment and more was needed to be done to bring about socio-economic uplift of the rural women folk.

The ADC was speaking at the inaugural session of the two-day exposure visit of Swan Women Federation by delegates from Jagriti Women Agro Federation formed and supported by the Ambuja Cement Foundation, Darlaghat.

The delegates were executive members of the Jagriti Federation, which has about 225 self-help groups, whose members belong to the families living in the areas where mining of clinker used in the construction of cement takes place.

Dr Amit Kumar said Swan Women Federation is an Una-based body of rural women, numbering about 13,000 and has been involved in several activities like micro credit and finance for income generation activities, livelihood enhancement, awareness generation, value addition of farm produce and health related issues of women and children.

Chairperson of the Swan Woman Federation, Subhadra Devi said their organization supports more than 1000 self-help groups. Their main activities include production and processing of spices like turmeric, red chilli and coriander.

President of the Swan Women Cooperative Society, Raj Kumari said the members were provided micro finance facilities through the society, which has a capital of over Rs 15 crores and loans amounting to about Rs 8 crore have been forwarded till date to members of SHGs for income generation activities.