‘Multi-dimensional approach needed to promote women’
LUCKNOW: Deputy chief minister Keshav Prasad Maurya said here on Monday that a multi-dimensional approach from different government sectors was needed for development and empowerment of women.
Maurya expressed these views at a national conference organised by Assocham’s Stand-up India – Standup Women- ‘Driving India’s Economic Development’.
The objective of the event was to promote entrepreneurship among women, SCs and STs by enabling them secure easy loans.
Addressing the gathering, Maurya said: “"There will be an end to ill governance and ‘gundaraj’ in the state and development will be seen everywhere. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been trying to promote innovations at the ground level.”
“This scheme (Standup India, Standup Women) will transform lives of dalits and tribal communities. Under the scheme, SC/ST and women entrepreneurs will be provided loans between Rs10 lakh and Rs1 crore for setting up new enterprises,” informed Maurya. “It will help in creating 2.5 lakh entrepreneurs throughout the country as every bank branch will be required to provide two such loans to a dalit or a woman,” he added.
“The scheme aims to empower every Indian and enable him/her to become self-sufficient . It seeks to convert job-seekers into jobcreators,” said Maurya.
Women entrepreneurs were excelling in an entrepreneurial ecosystem and if they were given proper support then they would do very well, he said
Under the Standup India scheme launched in 2016-17 to support entrepreneurship among dalits, tribal and women, over 16,000 new enterprises have come up in areas such as food processing, garments and diagnostics, among others.
According to the sixth economic census, there are 8,05,0819 establishments under female entrepreneurs in the country. Tamil Nadu has the highest percentage of female entrepreneurs at 13.5% out of the total establishments. Union territories and north-eastern states are at the bottom, as per a report released at the event. According to the report, UP Information Technology and Start Up policy is formulated to facilitate all stages of IT industry, micro, small and medium enterprises by providing best of the incentives with conducive policy framework. In addition to developing tailored products and services and a ‘womenfriendly brand’, financial institutions could align policies, procedures and systems to become more accessible to women entrepreneurs, said experts at the event.