Context:

• Kerala's Kudumbashree program, empowering women in poverty, faces critical juncture.

Origin and Evolution:

• The State Poverty Eradication Mission, later renamed Kudumbashree Mission, was launched in 1998.
• Started as an experiment with thrift and credit societies in Alappuzha and Malappuram districts.
• NABARD's support boosted the informal banking system and attracted other financial institutions.
• It gained recognition across 20 states in India for its model of linking community organizations with local governments

Diverse Impact:

• Women constitute 54% of local body members in Kerala, with around 70% of them affiliated with Kudumbashree.
• Kudumbashree expanded beyond credit programs, promoting self-employment, entrepreneurship, and skilling.
• Engaged in various sectors like community restaurants, branded products, micro and small-scale industries.
• Nodal agency for multiple Central and State schemes, vocational training, and job placement.

Challenges and Future Direction:

• Kudumbashree faces the challenge of meeting the aspirations of the tech-driven new generation.
• Emphasis on skilling educated members of auxiliary groups for employment and entrepreneurship.
• Criticism of gendered vocations and the need to provide women with more time for personal growth.
• Calls for deeper social change to assert women's rights and move beyond victim protection.