Unnathi programme launched during silver jubilee of Kudumbashree

In news– President of India has inaugurated the silver jubilee celebration of ‘Kudumbashree’ and also launched ‘Unnathi’, an umbrella programme.

What is ‘Kudumbashree’ ?

Kudumbashree is the poverty eradication and women empowerment programme implemented by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) of the Government of Kerala.
The name Kudumbashree in Malayalam language means ‘prosperity of the family’.
The name represents ‘Kudumbashree Mission’ or SPEM as well as the Kudumbashree Community Network.
What is commonly referred to as ‘Kudumbashree’ could mean either the Kudumbashree Community Network, or the Kudumbashree Mission, or both.
It was set up in 1997 following the recommendations of a three member Task Force appointed by the State government.
Its formation was in the context of the devolution of powers to the Panchayat Raj Institutions (PRIs) in Kerala, and the Peoples’ Plan Campaign, which attempted to draw up the Ninth Plan of the local governments from below through the PRIs.
Kudumbashree has a three-tier structure for its women community network,
- Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs) at the lowest level.
- Area Development Societies (ADS) at the middle level, and
- Community Development Societies (CDS) at the local government level.
The community structure that Kudumbashree accepted is the one that evolved from the experiments in Alappuzha Municipality and Malappuram in early 1990s.
In 2011, the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India recognised Kudumbashree as the State Rural Livelihoods Mission (SRLM) under the National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM).
It is arguably one of the largest women’s networks in the world.
While the community network is formed around the central themes of poverty eradication and women empowerment, its main features include democratic leadership, and support structures formed from the ‘Kudumbashree family’.
The Kudumbashree that began as a poverty alleviation mission had become a women empowerment model known around the world.
A large number of women representatives in local bodies had entered public life through their involvement in Kudumbashree.