Support to Training and Employment Program (STEP) for Women

Support to Training and Employment Program (STEP) for Women 

As per the 1991 Census, there are 407.1 million women representing 47.1 percent of Country’s total population. Of those 91.40 million are in work force and 90 percent of them are in the informal sector with no legislative protection and with worst condition of working. The National Commission for Self Employed Women and Women in the Informal Sector (1988) which made a situational review of women in the informal Sector had suggested introduction of protective measures which would ensure guarantee of employment and income generation minimum wages, welfare and support services, training and upgradation of skills, etc. Towards this end, a program for women (STEP) was launched in 1986 as one of the measures to ensure well-being of women in the traditional informal sector.

 OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME

 The Objective of the STEP scheme is to provide skills that give employability to women and to provide competencies and skill that enables women to become self-employed/entrepreneurs. It can be summerised as-

Ø  Mobilising women in small viable groups and making facilities available through training, access         to credit and other inputs.

Ø  Provide training for skill up gradation

Ø  Enabling groups of women to take up employment-cum-income generation programs of their               own, or to access wage employment.

Ø  Provide support services for further improving and employment conditions of women and for              access to health care, literacy, legal literacy, and other information.

Ø  This program will provide training in Animal Husbandry & organic farming and in various other         fields in which they can excel and earn their basic wage.

               BENEFITS OF SUPPORT TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM

Ø Support to training and employment program to improve the performance of women workers        by enhancing the quality of work in which they are engaged.

Ø Women will be prepared for getting the technical jobs.

Ø Poor women who do not have the opportunity of formal skill training, such women will be            able to persue desired training.

Ø STEP will provide competencies and skills that enable women to become self-                              employed/entrepreneurs.

Ø Scheme also plans to provide Government funded financial assistance to the NGOs for                  imparting training to the poor & needy women for their skill upgradation.

Ø It will upgrade the status of rural women and their families.

WAYS TO EMPOWER WOMEN:

v Providing education

v Self-employment and self-help groups

v Providing minimum needs like nutrition, health, sanitation, housing

v Other than this, society should change the mentality 
     towards the word ‘women’

v Encouraging women to develop in their fields they are 
    good at and make a career

Eligible Organizations/ Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs):

· Institutions or organizations set up as Autonomous Organization or as a society registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860 or Indian Trusts Act, 1882 (Not for profit).

·   Voluntary organizations or Non-Government Organizations registered under the Societies Registration Act, Indian Trust Act carrying out activities which promote the objectives of the STEP program.

·    Co-operative Societies

    However, the organization must be in existence at least for 3 years, and have carried out activities for imparting skills related to employability and entrepreneurship for at least 3 years.

SECTORS/TRADES COVERED:

The assistance under STEP Schemes will be available in any sector for imparting skills related to employability and entrepreneurship including -

ü  Agriculture

ü  Horticulture

ü  Food Processing

ü  Handlooms

ü  Tailoring, Stitching, Embroidery, Zari etc

ü  Handicrafts

ü  Computer & IT enabled services along with soft skills 

    and skills for the work place such as spoken English

ü  Gems & Jewellery

ü  Travel & Tourism

ü  Hospitality

The scheme plans to benefit women who are in the age group of

16 years and above across the country including rural women.

Financial Assistance under STEP:

#	Cost Item	Ceiling per beneficiary                  (3 month course)	Ceiling per beneficiary                      (6 month course)
1	Training Cost	Rs. 14,000/-	Rs. 20,000/-
2	Food & Travel Cost	Rs. 4,000/-	Rs. 8,000/-
	Total Cost	Rs. 18,000/-	Rs. 28,000/-

    PROJECT DURATION:

       A particular project will be for a maximum duration of 18 months, including time set aside for             post-training activity evaluation.

     SUMMARY

Empowerment of women essentially mean improving the social, political and economic status of women, especially the traditional underprivileged one.  It means creating an environment where women are free from any kind of physical, mental abuse, Exploitation, and prejudice that they are the most vulnerable section in the society. Recognising the importance of women in the economic growth of the nation, the Government of India along with State Governments has been taking several efforts since post-independence period to uplift women from their conditions in general. Attempts has been made by Indian Government to address the issues through employment, empowerment, labour force participation, education, gender equality and entrepreneurship.  The focus of Government is progressively shifting towards promoting women entrepreneurship to motivate women to participate in the economic activities. The study examines the perspective of women who are getting benefitted through various government  schemes  implemented  in  assistance  with non-governmental organizations. The impact observed is in terms of such as financial assistance, training facilities, infrastructure and its awareness, motivation, confidence, increase in the rate of women opting for entrepreneurship. Studies have shown that such initiatives are boosting self-confidence, increasing the purchasing power and decision making power, leading to their empowerment. It, therefore, addresses the economic, socio-cultural, inter-personal, psychological, political and legal domains of women empowerment.

Government's STEP scheme, aimed at providing employability skills to women, has covered over 24,000 beneficiaries so far in the current fiscal.

SUPPORT TO TRAINING AND EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM (STEP) for Women will be a success program.

            Blog by Ms Megha Bhatnagar & Ms Devanshi Patel, 2nd Sem, AIB, Amity University, Jaipur