India-27th Session May 2017-Empowerment of women

Para 26) The Stand-Up India scheme facilitates loans of value up to INR 100 million to at least one SC or ST borrower and one-woman borrower per bank branch for setting up a green field enterprise in manufacturing, services or trading sector. Para 97) India attaches highest priority to ensuring safety and security of women and is committed to eliminate all forms of discrimination against women and to ensure their holistic empowerment. Para 98) Women constitute a substantial section among those benefitting from various policy initiatives. For instance, women accounted for almost half the total number (49.6%) of enrolments under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana in 2019-2021. Women constituted 42% of the total number of beneficiaries who have availed treatment under the scheme till March 2022. Over 90 million LPG cylinders have been released till July 2022 under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, a scheme that envisaged distribution of LPG connections only in the name of women below poverty line. Out of 25 million houses that have been built under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, women will have co-ownership rights in 20 million houses. 68% of the beneficiaries of the 320 million loans given under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Scheme are women. As of March 2022, 450 million accounts have been opened under the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana, of which more than half (56%) or 250 million belong to women, mostly in rural areas. During Covid-19 pandemic, the Government has dispensed INR 310 billion to women in their Jan-Dhan Accounts. Under the NREGA Scheme, in the FY 2021-22, out of total person-days generated, 54.72% were women. Para 99) The Government of India is running the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana: National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM) which reaches out to the most vulnerable sections of women and promotes community based institutions, Self Help Groups (SHG), etc. and ensures capacity building, financing, skilling and promotion of livelihoods through supporting various self-employment & enterprises based opportunities. In doing so, the programme has benefited the SHG members with capitalization support of INR 173 billion. Cumulatively, more than INR 4,800 billion have been accessed by SHGs since 2013-14.