Federation of SHGs empowers women in Una district

Rajesh Sharma

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Una, September 3

The Swan Women Federation, an umbrella organisation of over 1,000 women self-help groups (SHGs) in 102 panchayats of Una district, has been providing financial assistance to its members to boost their livelihood, provide education to their children, enhance their living standard and support other social causes.

Since November 2015, the federation has been advancing loans to its members at rates much lower than bank interest against just a proposal in the group’s proceedings register, stating that the group stands a guarantor for the repayment of the loan. Till date, about 3,500 rural women have taken loans of Rs 8.25 crore.

The federation is an offshoot of the Swan River Integrated Watershed Management Project, which was implemented in the district with the financial assistance of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from 2006 to 2014.

During the project period, 425 SHGs were constituted in 50 panchayats. After the completion of the project, women, under the banner of the Swan Women Federation, continued with their activities and formed the Swan Women (Multipurpose) Cooperative Society in 2015 for financial inclusion of women through livelihood activities.

Secretary of the cooperative society Sunita Sharma said women members undertake small savings activities and their share of the working capital in the society stood at Rs 16 crore now.

Paramjit Kaur, member of Guru Nanak Dev SHG at Samnal village, said she took a loan of Rs 1.5 lakh in three instalments to start a boutique and is earning Rs 10,000 a month. Narinder Kaur, a member of the Jagriti SHG at Pandoga village, borrowed Rs 40,000 last season for procuring potato seeds and her family earned a profit of Rs 2.5 lakh.

Nirmala Devi of Nangal Salangri village said she took Rs 20,000 for the delivery of her daughter, while Sunita Devi of Rainsary village said she borrowed Rs 50,000 for the cremation of her mother-in-law. There are several examples of women taking loans for the purchase of cattle, repair of cattle sheds, toilets and kitchens, paying fee for the education of their daughters and sons, purchasing farm inputs, financially assisting their husband’s businesses and the list was endless, said Raj Kumari, president of the cooperative society.

Federation chairperson Subhadra Devi said their organisation also ran a spice processing unit in the name of “Swan Spices” at Badhera village, which is duly registered and licensed under the FSSAI.

Improving members’ living standard

Since November 2015, the Swan Women Federation, an umbrella organisation of more than 1,000 women self-help groups (SHGs) in 102 panchayats of Una district, has been providing financial assistance to its members to boost their livelihood, provide education to their children and enhance their living standard.