6 government programmes for Indian women that could come to your rescue

Manisha Shah is the founder of a homemade pickle business in Mumbai. Thanks to the multiple lockdowns and disruptions in her supply chain during the pandemic, sales took a nosedive. For this single mom, supporting her family seemed tougher than ever. “It was a struggle to make ends meet, I had to dip into my limited savings,” she rues. Shah was forced to consider an option no parent should ever feel compelled to — “At one point, I even considered getting my daughter to drop out of her school since I couldn’t pay her fees. Even now, I am just about staying afloat.” She’s likely never considered applying for one of the many government schemes for Indian women, designed to rescue them from scenarios like these.

India ranks low – at 135 out of 146 countries – in terms of gender parity, as per the Gender Gap Report 2022 of the World Economic Forum. The areas covered include economic participation and opportunity, education, health and survival, and political empowerment. While we come up tops in primary and tertiary education enrolment, our country is ranked the lowest in health and survival. It can lead to several challenges at a household and enterprise level.

For women like Shah, asking for help — especially financial support that often comes with barbed wires attached — can seem like failure. We understand that it could be awkward asking Judgmental Jijaji the process of applying for a loan and have him mansplain it to you. Our investigation led to a list of six government schemes for Indian women, which you can avail of yourself, or help someone you know.

6 government schemes for Indian women we should be talking about

What: Sukanya Samriddhi Account
Who is eligible: A girl below the age of 10
How does it help: Legal or natural guardians can open this account to fund a girl’s higher education and marriage. It offers an interest rate of 7.6%, which is fully exempt from tax. The minimum that must be invested in a financial year is Rs 250, while the maximum can be Rs 1,50,000. The deposit too qualifies for a deduction under section 80C. The deposited amount can be withdrawn by the account holder (the girl) to fund her higher education, or it can be permanently closed if she gets married after the age of 18.
For more details: Visit any major public or private bank

What: Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana
Who is eligible: Pregnant and lactating women of 19 years of age or above
How does it help: Under this maternity benefit scheme, a cash incentive of Rs 5,000 is given to pregnant and lactating mothers for the first child of the family. The amount is deposited in three instalments directly in the woman’s bank or post office account after specific conditions (related to maternal and child health) are met.
For more details: Log on to pmmvy-cas.nic.in

What: National Overseas Scholarship (NOS) Scheme
Who is eligible: Girls/women belonging to scheduled castes, denotified nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes, landless agricultural labourers and traditional artisans category
How does it help: It provides financial assistance to low-income students for pursuing a Master’s degree and Ph.D courses abroad. Interestingly, 30% of all scholarships available are reserved for girls/women. To be selected, the age of the candidate should not be more than 35, and the total family income should not exceed Rs 8 lakh per annum.
For more details: Log on to nosmsje.gov.in

What: Stand-Up India
Who is eligible: Any woman above the age of 18
How does it help: It promotes entrepreneurship by facilitating bank loans between 10 lakh and 1 crore to one woman per bank branch for setting up a greenfield enterprise (new projects that are built from scratch). This enterprise may be in manufacturing, services or the trading sector. In case of non-individual enterprises, at least 51% of the shareholding and controlling stake should be held by the woman entrepreneur.
For more details: Log on to standupmitra

What: Sakhi Niwas (or Working Women Hostel)
Who is eligible: Any woman above the age of 18
How does it help: Working women or women in training for a job (preference is given to disadvantaged sections) can avail of accommodation at nominal rates. Only women whose income does not exceed Rs 50,000 per month in metros and Rs 35,000 per month in other cities are entitled to these hostels’ facilities. There are also day care facilities available for children. The maximum duration of stay is three years, but in exceptional cases, it can be extended up to five years.
For more details: Log on to sakhi niwas

What: Women’s helpline
Who is eligible: Any woman
How does it help: The helpline provides 24-hour emergency and non-emergency response to women affected by violence, both in public and private spaces by linking them with appropriate authority such as the police, a government-run One-Stop Centre or hospital. Women can also avail legal services. The helpline supports women in distress with rescue vans and counselling services, and also provides information about welfare schemes across the country.
For more details: Women can dial 181 short code to avail services