Project Background
This project, previously led by Dr Nisha Pandey, focused on strengthening women’s economic participation in rural India through skill development, entrepreneurship support and sustainable livelihood promotion. It addressed persistent challenges such as low female workforce participation, informal income sources and limited access to finance and markets.
Objective
To assess how skill development, entrepreneurship training and community institutions like Self Help Groups can drive women centred rural transformation.
Methodology
The study used a mix of baseline assessments, structured training modules, financial literacy sessions and continuous mentoring through SHGs. Two frameworks were applied for evaluation: the Entrepreneurship Skill Building Framework and the Readiness Inventory for Successful Entrepreneurship.
Key Insights
- Skilling initiatives improved employability, confidence and business readiness.
- Women led enterprises contributed to household income stability and local economic resilience.
- Major gaps remained in market linkages, formal credit access and post training enterprise support.
- Socio cultural barriers continued to influence scale and sustainability.
Policy Learning
The study recommended building women focused skill to enterprise ecosystems that link training with finance, market access and institutional support. It highlighted that women’s economic empowerment is a strategic investment in sustainable rural development.