Mission Shakti, a transformative journey for female empowerment that started 22 years ago in Odisha, is set to begin a new innings towards faster growth and bigger benefits for the state of Odisha, and its women in particular.
Skilling is key to transforming homemakers into entrepreneurs (For representation)
The programme was launched in 2001 with a straightforward vision: To alleviate poverty, the state must build from the ground up, from every home, through the homemaker. Mission Shakti organised the state’s women into clusters and provided platforms that allowed them to grow independently. Women’s self-help groups (SHGs) existed in Odisha since the 1990s, but never got the attention and institutional support they deserved to transform into what is now being called a silent revolution. From ₹11,000 crore in institutional credit to SHGs last year powered by zero-interest loans up to ₹5 lakhs, to industrial parks and Mission Shakti bazaars all over the state, chief minister Naveen Patnaik has backed the initiative strongly.
Prema Das, a member of Divyajyoti SHG from Bisra, Sundargarh, represents this transformation. From being a housewife with dreams to representing Odisha at the prestigious SIAL food trade show in Paris, she has traversed a long journey. Today, with the support of the state government, she has led her group to set up a Millet Mission Shakti Cafe with a turnover of ₹1 crore per annum.
She is not the only one. Creating a 360-degree model, right from handholding to linking with supply chains and markets, the state has designed a unique model of outsourcing government procurements and provisioning of services to SHGs. Fifteen departments are actively participating in hospital diet management, electricity metre reading, pisciculture, urban works, nursery raising in forests and take-home ration, among others. Entrusting all the 5T schools (named such because they embrace the values of transparency, technology, teamwork, time, and transformation) to SHG federations for watch and ward and maintenance activities with inbuilt supervision charges is one of the many steps benefiting 1.5 million SHG members.
Running an outlet of steel appliances that generate a turnover of ₹50 lakh per annum, Sushila Sahoo of Nari Shakti SHG has adopted multiple livelihood activities such as supplying mid-day meals to schools, grocery supplies to government hostels with nearly 3,800 students in all, watch and ward of 5T schools, and stitching school uniforms.
Skilling is key to transforming homemakers into entrepreneurs and the government, in association with reputed partners, is collaborating to cover all blocks with high-quality training in emerging areas of beauty and wellness, fashion design, agri-entrepreneurship, cafe management, and hospitality sector services. At the business end of the system is Mission Shakti Bazaar, the exclusive chain of retail stores for SHG products, to be set up in 500 locations across the state with a state-of-the-art boutique store in Bhubaneswar. But financial independence is just a small part of the Mission Shakti story. The real story lies in the identity, in respect and dignity of women. It enables women to come out in public spaces and claim their rightful roles as natural leaders of the community. For a group that never had access to power or identity or recognition, Mission Shakti now provides a platform for them to flourish. Women are now partners in every field, working for the progress of the state.
Sasmit Patra is Rajya Sabha MP, Biju Janata Dal. The views expressed are personal.
E-Paper
