BENGALURU: The Union budget-stressed on the importance of empowering women, with Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announcing that one woman in every Self Help Group (SHG) will be made eligible for a loan of up to Rs 1 lakh under the Mudra scheme.
However, women activists said this won’t help, and will put additional burden on women in rural areas, as the amount will be used for domestic purposes.
In Karnataka, there are over 30,000 villages where lakhs of women are part of SHGs. Women activist Brinda Adige slammed the proposal saying, “A woman taking a loan at an SHG will be forced to use the money for her family. This means she has to repay it, and that becomes a burden. In most cases, men will not be given the responsibility.”
KS Vimala, from All India Democratic Women’s Association, said “A loan will not help them much. The government should help them by providing a better market to sell their goods,’’ she added.