KOZHIKODE: Realising that the primary objective of bringing women out of the houses and eradication of poverty has been achieved in the last 25 years, Kudumbashree will now focus on the young women power through the newly formed auxiliary groups (AGs). The aim is to address the acute unemployment among educated women in the state and gender issues, besides entering into professional sectors.
The first AG was launched in September last year. The number of groups has now increased to 19,555, comprising more than three lakh members in the 18-40 age group. “The thrust is to address unemployment among the educated women and various gender-related issues. The young women are facing crippling problems in the form of dowry, domestic violence, sexual abuse, etc.
So, AGs will act as a supporting system to discuss all these and come up with a solution. But the focus on AGs does not mean traditional Kudumbashree’s mission is overlooked,” says Kudumbashree Mission executive director P I Sreevidya.
According to her, startup incubation centres will be launched by AGs in select places with the backing of the Kerala Startup Mission and K-Disc. “No Kudumbashree member can join the AG and more than a member from each household can enrol under it. Every ward will have an AG which could have a maximum of 50 members,” explained Nishad C C, Kudumbashree mission state programme manager.
“The AGs’ area of operation will be different from that of traditional Kudumbashree groups. If a group has a few BDS-qualified members, then it can set up a dental clinic,” added Nishad. Interest-free loans should be arranged for AGs to start enterprises.
“When the Kudumbashree Mission started a quarter of a century back, only a single member from a household was allowed to be a member of the mission. So, there was a big shortage of young women in the Kudumabshree. That was bridged by the formation of the auxiliary groups,” said a Kudumbashree source.