SHILLONG: 2 May 2023 (PTI Source)
Meghalaya's Chief Minister, Conrad K. Sangma, announced on Friday that the state government has come up with a groundbreaking program that aims empowerment of women by focusing on economic activities. Speaking at a seminar held in Tura in Don Bosco College- "Representation of Women of North East India in Multi-Disciplinary Discourse" - the Chief Minister highlighted the importance of financial independence for women through the Self-Help Group (SHG) movement.
Sangma addressed the issue of young women at high risk due to childbirth without proper spacing of three years and some even giving birth to more than five children by the age of 23 years. He emphasized the need for a long-lasting solution that ensures the health and well-being of mothers. To address this concern, the government has introduced the Safe Motherhood Program, which aims to financially empower women via activities that help generate income for them, initiated via SGH (Self Help Group).
According to Sangma, Meghalaya has made tremendous progress in this regard as the state has around 95% of rural women as part of the Self Help Group movement. Over 4 (four) lakh women are under the SHG movement in the state, which was about 35,000 before 2018. He further stated that the government has a positive outlook on providing various opportunities to enable the economic empowerment of women.
Sangma acknowledged that various problems are confronting women, but the government is working towards providing effective solutions to those problems. He stressed the importance of having a positive mindset in approaching the issue and coming up with solutions that bring real change. "It is a challenge, but we have to come up with an approach to ensure real change," he added.
The economic empowerment of women is of paramount concern for the Meghalaya state government. With initiatives like the Safe Motherhood Program and the Self Help Group movement, the government is taking the necessary steps to ensure that women are financially independent and contribute positively to the economy.