Women Empowerment and SHG Support

NIWAD Trust has always placed women’s empowerment at the center of its mission, recognizing their critical role in driving grassroots development and ensuring family well-being. By creating safe, supportive platforms for women to come together, share experiences, and grow economically and socially, NIWAD has facilitated the formation of hundreds of Self-Help Groups (SHGs), Joint Liability Groups (JLGs), and Federated Collectives (FCs). The SHG Training Programme implemented under NABARD’s ODAP initiative in 2012 laid the foundation by equipping 200 rural women with essential skills in group dynamics, financial literacy, and income-generating activities.

Between 2012 and 2023, NIWAD implemented the Producers’ Initiative in two phases with the support of NABARD, Chennai. In the first phase (2012–2014), over 2,000 women engaged in SHGs and JLGs were trained and supported with financial linkages and entrepreneurship development. The second phase (2020–2023) expanded the outreach to an additional 4,500 women, offering them handholding support to access credit, develop micro-enterprises, and engage in collective production and marketing. These initiatives played a key role in improving household incomes, fostering economic resilience, and building confidence among rural women.

In addition to rural outreach, NIWAD has contributed to urban women’s empowerment through the Urban Community Development Network (UCDN) under the SJSRY scheme. From 2012 to 2014, with the support of Municipal Administration, NIWAD reached 1,200 women in urban SHGs, training them in vocational trades, enterprise planning, and leadership skills. Across all programs, NIWAD emphasizes long-term sustainability by nurturing women leaders, facilitating financial inclusion, and linking women’s groups to mainstream markets and institutions. These efforts reflect our unwavering commitment to gender equity, economic independence, and community-led development.