President Women Upliftment Programme inspiring Bajura women to aspire

Prem Raule / Bajura, March 25: Women in Bajura district, which is in the last position in the Human Development Index (HDI) in the country, are being encouraged and assisted to become self-reliant through enterprises since the President Women Upliftment Programme (PWUP) came into effect since this fiscal year.

A total of 35 women from 24 VDCs and one municipality in the district are taking part in the three-month training on sewing and knitting launched for the first time under the PWUP.

The government’s drive launched during the stint of the first female President of the country, Bidya Devi Bhandari, aims to support the capacity enhancement of women excluded from the mainstream of social, economic and political development by providing them life skill training and engaging them in income-generating activities.

Of the total Rs 990 million released for the implementing wing of the Ministry of Women, Children and Social Welfare – Department of Women and Children – Rs 554 million is allocated to 30 districts falling behind in the HDI, including Bajura.

The amount will be spent for providing job-oriented skills to women from the Dalit, backward and ethnic communities.

Radhika Adhikari of Bandhu VDC-6 has walked two days from her place to reach the district headquarters to learn from the skill-oriented training.

Adhikari aims to launch her own enterprises of weaving Radipakhi (traditional woolen rug) after the training which is imparted to the participants for free of cost.

Firm on her training and plan thereafter, she said, “I will launch my own enterprise and generate income to look after my family of six.”

Manda Devi Jaisi, 29, of Jukot-4 shared that she came for the training to tear apart the conception that women’s place is in the home. She is hopeful that the training would help women realize their potentials and enable a comfortable life to the women from backward communities.

According to her, there were no any such training programmes for women neither in her village nor in the district headquarters.

Likewise, 33-year-old Sagun Khati of Kuldevmandau-3 has been breadwinner of her family consisting three children since she lost her husband at a young age.

“I was having a hard time to look after the family single-handedly by working a physically demanding job. After the training, I look forward to running handloom enterprise and improve the living condition of my family,” said an excited Khati who had been working as a labourer.

The training is expected to be conducted at Rs 1.6 million. RSS