Patna, September 14: (ABN) Twenty years ago, a powerful force of women emerged in the villages of Bihar, writing a new chapter of progress through their hard work and determination. This is the story of Jeevika (Bihar Gramin Jeevika Parishad), whose two-decade journey has brought revolutionary changes to the lives of rural women, integrating them into the mainstream of society.

Twenty years ago, women’s labor was a significant part of the economy, but their participation in economic decision-making was negligible. Visiting banks, taking loans, or trading in markets were not part of women’s lives. Since the establishment of Jeevika (Bihar Gramin Jeevika Parishad) in 2006 and the launch of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) in six blocks across various districts, the picture has changed completely.

Currently, 1.81 crore households in the state are associated with 13.06 lakh Self-Help Groups (SHGs). Additionally, 77,787 village organizations and 1,683 cluster-level federations are strengthening community networks. Women have currently obtained bank loans worth approximately 76,549 crore rupees through SHGs. Their financial discipline is so strong that the current Non-Performing Asset (NPA) ratio is quite low. 6,771 bank sakhis function as a strong link for financial services in villages. Large-scale digital transactions are being conducted through these bank sakhis. Rural women have today firmly established themselves as skilled entrepreneurs in sectors such as agriculture, livestock, dairy, tailoring, mushroom production, and food processing. Operating Jeevika Didi kitchens in hospitals and government offices, and the Kushiki Mahila Milk Producer Company, prove that rural women are successfully advancing in every arena from production to management and marketing.

This journey of empowering women is now reaching new heights with the Likhpatti Didi campaign. Under the target of creating 94.71 lakh Likhpatti Didis by March 2029, more than 50.40 lakh women have been included in this category so far.

Earning up to 1.5 lakh rupees annually from banking services, fruit sales, and tailoring: Jeevika Didi Babli Devi from Khroudha Panchayat in Thakurganj block of Kishanganj joined the group in 2018 and opened a fruit shop. In 2021, she became a bank sakhi and ran a Customer Service Center with a loan of 30,000 rupees. Today, she is self-reliant and earns more than 1.5 lakh rupees annually from banking, fruit sales, and tailoring.

Anju Kumari, a resident of Villu village in Clair block of Arwal, joined Jeevika in 2018. She runs a Customer Service Center in collaboration with Kaveri Gram Sangathan. She conducts transactions worth more than 2.5 lakh rupees daily. Anju states that she provides financial advice to sisters as a bank sakhi.

Amina Khatun from Dosti village in Sheohar, who has traveled the journey from a thatched roof to a business worth 20 lakh rupees, is today an example of women’s industrialization. After joining the Aal-e-Haazri Jeevika Self-Help Group in 2017, she took a loan of 40,000 rupees. Today, she earns a net profit of 5-6 lakh rupees annually from her sweet shop.

Minister for Rural Development and Information & Public Relations, Shri Sharan Kumar, stated that former Chief Minister Shri Nitish Kumar provided education to girls and created a conducive environment for women’s empowerment. He took a major step to establish peace in society by imposing a ban on drugs.

He promoted progress by providing 35 percent reservation for women in government jobs and 50 percent in the election of municipal representatives. Jeevika Didis are making society economically self-reliant. They are fulfilling the vision of national development and a clean and prosperous Bihar.