Umeed scheme helps women become self-reliant in Ramban

Unemployed women in the Sangaldan block of Ramban district have become self-reliant through the Umeed scheme of State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM), starting businesses like tailoring and cosmetics.

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They now support other women, supplement their family income, and access bank loans easily without guarantors.

A beneficiary said, “Our group has been associated with Umeed since 2018. I opened a shop after taking a loan under the scheme. I carry out tailoring work as well as run my shop. Our jobs are going well and our children are also able to study well. Every woman in the group is doing something of their own due to it.”

The Umeed scheme of J&K Rural Livelihood Mission (JKRLM) has been working relentlessly to engage women from marginalised sections of society into gainful livelihood ventures.

Earlier, women in Rajouri started small businesses under the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) as a part of women empowerment in 2023.

One of the members associated with the Umeed scheme said it has helped in eradicating unemployment among the women in the area.

“We made people aware about the NRLM Umeed scheme and at present all the women in the panchayat have joined this scheme due to which unemployment has been declining rapidly,” she said.

The statistics of women entrepreneurs of Jammu & Kashmir utilising the benefits under Umeed scheme has been among top ten states and UTs for performance and giving employment to other women who are financially weak.

The Umeed programme is a Centrally-sponsored scheme to encourage women to be self-dependent and self-sufficient. It also encourages women to make small savings so that their Self-Help Groups (SHGs) eventually become bankable at a reduced rate of interest.