Three-Day National Consultative workshop on SHE-LiFE begins in Srinagar
Srinagar, : Dr. Rajeshwari S.M., Director of Rural Livelihoods-I at the Ministry of Rural Development, emphasized the importance of creating a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem for rural women during the inaugural session of the SHE-LiFE workshop in Srinagar.
This initiative aims to empower women to transition from subsistence livelihoods to becoming confident business owners. The workshop, hosted by the Jammu and Kashmir Rural Livelihoods Mission, gathers various stakeholders to discuss guidelines for promoting women-led livestock and farm enterprises across India. Addressing the inaugural session Dr. Rajeshwari highlighted the significant achievements of the DAY-NRLM, noting that over 10.05 crore women have been organized into more than 94 lakh Self-Help Groups, which are further federated into Village Organizations and Cluster-Level Federations. The institutional framework has facilitated substantial bank credit while maintaining a low non-performing asset rate. The mission’s Vision 2031 aims to transform rural households into entrepreneurial hubs through finance, skilling, mentorship, market access, technology, and business support. Raman Wadhwa presented the SHE-LiFE framework, which is set to be implemented from 2026 to 2031, focusing on enabling rural women to own formal, market-linked enterprises in various sectors. The initiative will leverage DAY-NRLM’s extensive grassroots network and will include a structured capacity-building program, bank credit support, and collaboration with various government schemes. A dedicated digital system will track the entrepreneurial journey from selection to market linkage. Dr. Shubhra Sharma, Mission Director of JKRLM, underscored the evolution of NRLM towards sustainable community-owned enterprises and the critical transition represented by SHE-LiFE. She called for integrated support from government departments and financial institutions to empower women as business owners. The workshop’s first day included discussions on identifying eligible women entrepreneurs, financial processes, and shared experiences from women entrepreneurs in Kashmir, aiming to develop actionable guidelines for SHE-LiFE. The consultation will continue until September 24, gathering insights from various stakeholders to enhance the initiative’s implementation.
