The Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) YuWaah have signed a Statement of Intent (SOI) to empower rural women and youth across India. This three-year partnership focuses on creating livelihood opportunities by connecting women from Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to jobs, self-employment, entrepreneurship, and skill-building initiatives, thereby boosting female labour force participation in rural areas.
As part of the collaboration, efforts will be made to strengthen digital infrastructure through the establishment of Computer Didi Centers and Didi ki Dukan in five blocks across five states, namely- Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Rajasthan.
This pilot project has the potential to scale up and reach 35 lakh women across more than 7000 blocks after being successful.
The SOI was signed by Shri T.K. Anil Kumar, Additional Secretary, MoRD, and Ms. Sharada Thapalia, Deputy Representative (Operations), UNICEF India. Speaking at the signing ceremony,
T.K. Anil Kumar said, “This partnership has come at a very opportune time as it aligns with the Rural Prosperity and Resilience Programme announced in the Budget 2025-26. It is particularly significant because nearly one-third of the 10 crore SHG members are youth, who will play a central role in this initiative.”
Sharada Thapalia said, “MoRD’s extensive network of over 10 crore SHG women serves as a powerful social infrastructure that can be leveraged to reach those who need this opportunity the most.”
The partnership will also feature innovative initiatives, such as Youth Hub, a cutting-edge aggregator platform for jobs, skilling, and volunteering. Additionally, scalable models will be tested to create thousands of Lakhpati Didis, furthering the Government’s vision of empowering women entrepreneurs.
Smriti Sharan, Joint Secretary, MoRD, Dr. Monika, Deputy Secretary, MoRD along with team members of MoRD and UNICEF YuWaah were also present on this occasion.
