63.5% Odisha women own land, home

The Government of Odisha has undertaken key initiatives aimed at promoting women’s economic empowerment and equality in the State.

Odisha is the only State in India where 63.5 per cent women own immovable assets like land and homes, against the national average of 35 per cent. Record 1 million tribal girls have been provided scholarships for education. Half a million tribal girls are in the Government-run hostels. Additionally, girls get Rs 8,000 as monthly allowance to stay in school.

Taking forward their narrative of women-friendly governance, the Odisha Government launched a State-wide campaign to provide freesanitary napkins to every school girl in Government schools. In addition to school-going girls, the Odisha Government will also provide sanitary napkins to women in rural communities at Re 1 each. This is the most-recent campaign named Khushi.

This apart, 3.5 million women have been benefitted by the Mamata Yojana. The success of the scheme is evident from the fact that Odisha boasts India’s lowest Infant Mortality Rate (IMR). About 50,000 babies are saved every year in Odisha due to lower IMR.

Five million women stand empowered by Mission Shakti, a women self-help-group movement. Women are granted loans at 1 per cent. 25,000 women entrepreneurs and SHG members were also, very recently, digitally trained by Facebook.

Women athletes are nurtured and the State sent six athletes to the Rio Olympics. In a bid to ensure skill development of women, the State bears the cost of education, hostel and monthly allowance for all girls enrolling into Odisha’s Industrial Training Institutes.