BHUBANESWAR: Prafulla Samal, Minister, Women and Child Development and Mission Shakti dept, inaugurated the state level event to observe International Women’s Day at Soochana Bhawan here Friday.
The event was themed ‘Think equal, build smart, innovate for change’. The theme focuses on innovative ways in which we can advance gender equality and the empowerment of women, particularly in the areas of social protection systems, access to public services and sustainable infrastructure.
The guests on this occasion were Sandhyabati Pradhan, Chairperson, State Commission for Protection of Child Rights, Latika Pradhan, Chairperson, Odisha State Social Welfare Board and Sreemayee Sweta Snigdha Mishra, Chairperson, Mahila Vikas Samabaya Nigam.
For successful implementation of the ICDS programme, three districts were adjudged as the best performing, which were felicitated by the Minister. The three best performing districts were Ganjam, Gajpati and Balasore. An amount of Rs 25,000 as cash award and certificate was presented to each of the district.
Mission Shakti was launched March 08, 2001 by Chief Minister of Odisha to empower women by organising them into Self Help Groups. The brainchild of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Mission Shakti has now turned into a silent revolution transforming the lives of women, their families and the spaces they inhabit.
Patnaik January 05, 2019, at the SHG convention at Puri reduced the rate of interest on loans to SHGs to zero percent. Every SHG today is eligible to take up to Rs. 3 lakh loan at an effective rate of zero percent. The difference is borne by Government of Odisha. During the current year 49 crores have been given to the concerned SHGs through multiple banks.
