In a significant effort to empower rural women and youth, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) has signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) with UNICEF YuWaah to create livelihood opportunities and enhance female workforce participation in rural India. The three-year partnership aims to connect women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) with employment, entrepreneurship, and skill development programs.
The SOI was signed by T.K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoRD, and Sharada Thapalia, Deputy Representative (Operations), UNICEF India, in the presence of senior officials from both organizations. This collaboration aligns with the Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme outlined in the 2025-26 Union Budget, the Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.
Under this initiative, digital infrastructure will be strengthened through pilot projects such as “Computer Didi Centers” and “Didi ki Dukan,” to be established in five blocks across Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, and Rajasthan. If successful, this model could be scaled to benefit 35 lakh women across over 7,000 blocks nationwide.
Kumar emphasized that the initiative is particularly apt, as one-third of the 10 crore SHG members are youth, who will play a crucial role in driving this program forward. Sharada Thapalia noted that MoRD’s extensive SHG network provides a robust social infrastructure that can reach those in need of these opportunities.
The partnership will also introduce the “Youth Hub,” an aggregator platform for jobs, skilling, and volunteering, as well as scalable models to create “Lakhpati Didis,” promoting women entrepreneurs in rural India.
