In a major celebration of women empowerment, the Punjab government will honour 14,100 rural women entrepreneurs across the state on March 18 as part of International Women’s Day celebrations.
Under the leadership of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Punjab State Rural Livelihood Mission has announced large-scale events at constituency, district, and state levels to recognize the achievements of women associated with Self-Help Groups (SHGs).
Awards at Three Levels
Rural Development and Panchayats Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond stated that 100 women entrepreneurs from each constituency will be honoured, totaling 11,700 women at the constituency level.
At the district level, 100 women from each of the 23 districts — amounting to 2,300 entrepreneurs — will also receive awards.
At the state level, a special committee will select the top 100 women entrepreneurs, each of whom will be awarded ₹25,000 in recognition of their outstanding contributions.
Massive Growth in SHGs Since 2022
The minister highlighted that the celebrations reflect the significant institutional and financial reforms undertaken over the past four years.
Between 2022 and 2026, 28,734 new Self-Help Groups have been formed, nearly matching the 29,053 groups created between 2011 and 2022. During the last four years alone, 2,90,213 new members have joined SHGs — a number comparable to the previous eleven years.
Strengthening Institutional and Financial Support
From 2022 to 2026, 2,427 Gram Sangathans have been established to strengthen grassroots institutions. The government has released ₹53.03 crore as Revolving Funds during this period, compared to ₹28.59 crore previously.
Additionally, substantial funds have been disbursed under the Community Investment Fund, and SHGs have secured loans worth ₹631.76 crore — several times higher than earlier figures.
The large-scale recognition event underscores the Punjab government’s commitment to promoting rural entrepreneurship and strengthening women-led economic growth in the state.
