by Porismita Sharma

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2023, the Government of Madhya Pradesh introduced the “Ladli Behana” Scheme. It was set out with a goal to raise the economic & social standing of women to foster and support their empowerment. In order to maintain a steady flow of monthly economic support, the Scheme provided for direct financial assistance to women, especially to the ones from socially & economically marginalised sections of the society. By emphasising its focus on women from the low-income groups in both rural and urban areas, the Scheme has taken steps towards accomplishing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly on gender equality, poverty alleviation & financial inclusion.

BACKGROUND

Women- particularly from the marginalised sections of the society- face severe economic challenges, primarily due to their limited access to resources, brim employment prospects and weak social support networks. Factoring in their reliance on the male counterpart for financial support makes them the most vulnerable, as it restricts their capacity to make financial decisions on their own. The “Ladli Behana” Scheme was introduced in response to these persistent issues. By directly assisting women financially and encouraging their financial independence, consequently enhancing their social status. The Scheme aims to address gender based economic disparity. The primary aim herein is to provide for a steady source of income to women, especially ones from the marginalised sections of the society, to reduce inequities. This in essence strengthens the agency of women and their involvement in household decision making is increased as a result of this financial empowerment.

KEY FEATURES

Numerous important Programs have been introduced under the “Ladli Behana” Scheme. The key provisions include:

1. Financial aid of Rs.1250 per month is made available to women from low-income households, who are between the ages of 23 and 60 through Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT). This aid increases their financial stability and provides them with more freedom to exercise their own economic & personal choices.

• A simple application process is adopted by the Government to determine the eligibility of women under this Scheme. This has countered the administrative obstacles and aided in reaching out to the actual recipients.

3. Women belonging to the Schedule Tribes (STs), Scheduled Castes (SCs) and other backward castes (OBCs)– groups that are prone to social and economic disadvantages – are among the marginalised communities and are given more priority under the Scheme.

4. The Scheme incorporates Financial Literacy Training to improve the impact of the financial aid provided. These initiatives enable the recipients to prudently handle their finances and encourages well-informed spending and saving choices.

KEY ISSUES:

Despite its promises, the program faces several challenges:

1. Insufficient coverage:

While the monthly aid of Rs.1250 offers relief, it is insufficient to address rising living costs, especially in urban areas. As a result, it may fall short of achieving meaningful economic independence for women. The design of the scheme excludes certain demographics, such as unmarried women below 21 or above 60 years of age, and those whose family income exceeds Rs.2.5 Lakh. These exclusions, some policy experts argue, disallow the scheme to adequately address the needs of vulnerable women in the State.

• Implementation Behaviour:

There are a lot of challenges including the identification and confirmation of the qualified beneficiaries, especially in the rural areas where registration of documents is often deficient. A lot of eligible women may not be able to get involved in the program because of the difficult practices. The scheme has encountered several hurdles due to issues with KYC (Know your Customer) that has led to rejection of applications, leaving eligible women without support.

• Sustainability of Funding

The initiative of this program is the future sustainability depends on continuous funding. The state government’s financial limitations generate questions which concerns the program’s budgetary allocations regularity and significance.

• Inadequate Stakeholder Coordination:

The effective communication between multiple stakeholders is mandatory for effective skill development. The execution of these programs requires cooperation between the local communities, NGO’S and Government agencies which would improve the overall impact they have.

RECOMMENDATIONS

It is essential to go beyond DBT in order to guarantee the “Ladli Behana” Scheme achieves its aim of long-term empowerment and economic independence of women. Although DBT provides for a short-term respite, a holistic strategy that combines financial aid with stakeholder participation, particularly in skill-development and financial awareness is necessary to promote long-term results.

The following suggestions could be incorporated to improve the Scheme:

1. The efficiency of the Scheme can be increased by modifying the monthly financial aid to take inflation and living expenses into account, particularly in the urban regions. A more substantial aid would contribute to a more efficient reduction of economic vulnerabilities. Women then would have more liberty & financial stability as a result.

•  To reduce the Beneficiary Identification, A community driven approach helps to involve the grassroots organisations, Self-Help associations and local authorities can potentially accomplish this. This would ensure the accuracy of the identification by including the marginalised groups by minimising the likelihood of their exclusion.

• The strategic plan prioritises skill development programs that cater to the requirements of local communities also the labour market which can ultimately enhance women’s employability. By assuring, sustainability, laying emphasis on training and including stakeholders, ongoing training and putting beneficiaries with potential customers. This will allow individuals to transform their skills into long term revenue streams.

CONCLUSION

The “Ladli Behana Scheme” is an important program in Madhya Pradesh which targets economic disparities and enhances women’s empowerment. Through integrating monetary aid with skill development programs, the scheme gives women from socially and economically marginalised backgrounds a way to overcome the obstacles and getting access to social and economic mobility.

In order to reach full potential, the scheme however addressed the concerns which ensures adequate financial coverage, accelerating implementation by processing and securing the sustainable funding also enhancing stakeholder participation. These enhancements and ongoing support “Ladli Behana” scheme have the potential to become a national model for women’s empowerment projects, bringing a revolutionary transformation with similar though patterns across India.

REFERENCES

1. Government of Madhya Pradesh. (2023). Ladli Behana Scheme Official Guidelines. Retrieved from https://www.mp.gov.in

2. National Institute for Transforming India (NITI Aayog). (2023). Gender Equality and Financial Inclusion in India. Retrieved from https://www.niti.gov.in

3. Ministry of Women and Child Development. (2023). Women Empowerment Schemes in India: A Policy Overview. Retrieved from https://www.wcd.nic.in

4. World Bank. (2023). Financial Inclusion and Women’s Empowerment. Retrieved from https://www.worldbank.org

5. UN Women. (2023). Strategies for Empowering Women through Financial Assistance. Retrieved from https://www.unwomen.org

6. Centre for Policy Research. (2023). Monitoring and Evaluation of Social Welfare Schemes. Retrieved from https://www.cprindia.org

7. Economic Times. (2023). Many Left Out in Ladli Beena Scheme in MP due to red tape. Retrieved from https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/elections/assembly-elections/madhya-pradesh-assembly-elections/many-left-out-in-ladli-behna-scheme-in-mp-due-to-red-tape/articleshow/105102242.cms?utm_source=chatgpt.com&from=mdr