The Economic and Social Upliftment of Women in Bihar: Government Role of Government Schemes in Inclusive Development

Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 Issue 6 [NovDec] Year 2025 445 © 2025 Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne, Dr. Suman Kumar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Research Article The Economic and Social Upliftment of Women in Bihar: Government Role of Government Schemes in Inclusive Development Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne 1, Dr. Suman Kumar 2* 1 Assistant Professor, Department of Economics, S.M. College, Bhagalpur, T.M. Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India 2 Head, Department of Economics, T.N.B College, Bhagalpur, T.M Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India Corresponding Author: *Dr. Suman Kumar DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17999922 Abstract Manuscript Information The empowerment of women has become one of the pillars of inclusive and sustainable development, especially in economically and socially inferior states like Bihar. The Government of Bihar, in partnership with the Government of India, has adopted a very broad spectrum of women-focused schemes over the past 20 years to increase the degree of female involvement in education, work, business, health and government. The paper examines the role of women in economic and social empowerment in Bihar as a result of the intervention by the government in the form of Self-Help Groups(SHGs) under Jeevika, Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana, Mahila Samakhya, reservation of women in Panchayat Raj Institutions, and financial inclusion programs. The study uses secondary data as well as policy reports and trend-based analysis to determine that the participation of women has increased household incomes and social indicators and enhanced grassroots governance. The paper also ends with a policy roadmap to further women-led development in Bihar. ▪ ISSN No: 2583-7397 ▪ Received: 13-10-2025 ▪ Accepted: 27-11-2025 ▪ Published: 20-12-2025 ▪ IJCRM:4(6); 2025: 445-449 ▪ ©2025, All Rights Reserved ▪ Plagiarism Checked: Yes ▪ Peer Review Process: Yes How to Cite this Article Ratne RV, Kumar S. The economic and social upliftment of women in Bihar: role of government schemes in inclusive development. Int J Contemp Res Multidiscip. 2025;4(6):445-449. Access this Article Online www.multiarticlesjournal.com KEYWORDS: Bihar economy, Government schemes, social upliftment, SHGs, Women empowerment. Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 Issue 6 [NovDec] Year 2025 446 © 2025 Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne, Dr. Suman Kumar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ INTRODUCTION The female population of Bihar is approximately half of the population, but in the past, they were not involved in economic and social life, as most of them were lowly literate, poor, and bound by patriarchal traditions and had no institutional facilitation. As the state has realised this structural imbalance, it has progressively altered its developmental approach to women cantered government and inclusive development. The women in Bihar have, over the last few years, shifted from being passive beneficiaries of the welfare schemes to active players in the economy, social change and local governance. The role of the government schemes in transformation is catalytic because of efforts by the government to transform the education, skill development, financial inclusion, and political participation. Women's inclusion in the development processes has not only enhanced gender equity but also increased the level of development at the household and community levels. REVIEW OF LITERATURE • Sen (1999) defines development as the growth of human capacities and freedom and agency of women as the key outcome of development. Sen believes that when women have better education, health, and economic empowerment, the welfare of an individual and the group's social development improve. As it has been noted, especially female literacy enhances decision-making power in the household and human capital formation in the long term. • World Bank (2012) has set empirical evidence that shows that investments in women's education and health produce high social returns. Educated women tend to engage in the labour force, guarantee improved health and nutrition within their families and invest in the education of their children. The report underlines the fact that gender equality helps in reducing poverty and inclusive growth, particularly in developing regions. • Kabeer (2015) emphasises that collective institutions like Self-Help Groups (SHGs) can contribute to better economic empowerment of women. The bargaining power and social visibility of women are heightened through access to credit, savings and livelihoods-based groups. The paper asserts that SHGs can be used as avenues of economic participation and social change, especially in rural areas. • Agarwal (2018) underscores the fact that the involvement of women in local organisations and economic cooperatives will result in improved governance and management of resources. The participation of females in the grassroots decision-making process enhances the policy sensitivity to issues of health, sanitation and education requirements, and in this process, the social development outcomes are strengthened. Government Initiatives That Are Woman-Centric and the Effect They HaveJeevika, Economic Empowerment Jeevika has played a revolutionary role in mobilising rural women into Self-Help Groups. With the availability of microcredit, savings, and training in skills, women have been involved in agriculture, dairy, food processing, tailoring, and minor trade. SHGs no longer rely on moneylenders and have a better household income. Literary Education and Feminine Literacy Promotional programmes like Mukhyamantri Kanya Utthan Yojana, free bicycles, uniforms, and scholarships have also done a lot to enhance school retention and higher education enrolment by girls. With education, early marriage has been postponed, and the employability has been enhanced, which has strengthened the role of women in economic and social life. Female Work Participation The education and training of skills, livelihoods through SHGs and employment programs by the government have made women more involved in paid labour. There is an increased level of participation of women in agriculture, education, health services and micro-enterprises. Health and Social Well-Being Maternity health care has been enhanced through schemes like Janani Suraksha Yojana and PM Matru Vandana Yojana. There are great gains in institutional deliveries, and this has made maternal and infant mortality lower and the overall welfare of women better. Political Participation Bihar has seen more women in government practice, as 50 per cent of the seats in Panchayati Raj Institutions are reserved for women. Women leaders are healthy, sanitary, and focus more on drinking water and education, resulting in more inclusive developmental outcomes. Data Trends and Graphical Analysis Table 1: Women Empowerment -Key Indicators in Bihar (2015-2024) Indicator 2015 2020 2024 Female Literacy Rate (%) 53 61 67 Women SHG Members (Million) 4.5 8.2 10.5 Female Work Participation (%) 18 22 26 Institutional Deliveries (%) 63 79 89 Source: Economic Survey of Bihar, Nfhs, Jeevika Reports. Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 Issue 6 [NovDec] Year 2025 447 © 2025 Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne, Dr. Suman Kumar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Interpretation: The trend indicates that women's literacy has been continually increasing, and this indicates that the education of girls is just getting more and more investment, and there is better access to education. Interpretation: The fast growth of SHGs signifies an increase in the level of financial inclusiveness and joint economic involvement among women. Interpretation: The increase in female work participation shows better livelihood prospects and an understanding of the economic roles of women. Interpretation: The sudden rise in the number of institutional deliveries makes a point towards the increased access and awareness of maternal healthcare. The Dilemmas, Openings and government interventions towards Awareness on Female empowerment in Bihar Dilemmas of Women's Participation and Empowerment Even with significant improvements, women in Bihar still have several structural and socio-economic issues that restrict their full role in the socio-economic development. Low education and skills mismatch, especially in rural settings, are one of the main challenges. Despite the enhancement of female literacy, several women have no access to higher education and skills that are relevant to the market, which limits their access to formal and better-paying jobs. The issue of early marriages and household roles also interferes with educational progress. The other significant challenge is scarce job opportunities. A big percentage of women are still stuck in non-productive and unpaid informal labour. Unavailability of childcare, restrictions in mobility and security make women less capable of maintaining regular paid work or in the business sector. The social norms and gender bias that have been found in the patriarchal world still affect the decision-makers in the household and community. The economic input of women is not taken seriously, and the opposition to women's leadership is still evident in some parts, so women cannot be able to participate effectively in governance, even with the political reservations. Also, the lack of awareness and being offline is an obstacle to receiving government schemes by women. Most of the women, especially marginalised ones, do not have a clue about the benefits available or have challenges accessing online platforms that are needed in the registration and delivery of services. Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 Issue 6 [NovDec] Year 2025 448 © 2025 Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne, Dr. Suman Kumar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Women-Led Development in Bihar: Opportunities Nevertheless, Bihar is one of the states that offers great opportunities to enhance the economic and social roles of women. Massive growth of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through Jeevika has developed a robust institution of development that is female-led. SHGs also allow entrepreneurship, collective bargaining, financial inclusion, and the development of leadership (especially in rural regions). The increasing focus on education and health outcomes can provide long-term opportunities. Enhanced literacy among women and maternal health have added to the productivity, employability and social confidence of women, which has facilitated increased involvement in economic activities and governance. The emergence of political involvement of women with 50 per cent reservation in Panchayati Raj Institutions has created opportunities in which women can shape the priorities of development on the local level. Such aspects as sanitation, drinking water, health, and education have demonstrated positive results of female leadership. Besides, new opportunities emerge through the rise in digital and financial inclusion. Digital literacy programs, mobile banking, and Direct Benefit Transfers (DBT) may improve the empowerment of women to control resource allocation and the reliance on the middleman. Government Initiatives toward Awareness and Inclusion By understanding that policy provision is not the only measure to empower women, the Government of Bihar and Government of India have taken a number of steps to increase awareness on the part of the women. SHGs, Anganwadi workers, ASHA workers and local institutions have all been actively promoted by the government to conduct community-based awareness programs. These are grassroots-level players that push information about education incentives, health schemes, nutrition schemes and financial inclusion schemes. Awareness is usually disseminated using Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) approaches. The low literacy and digital access women are reached with the use of wall paintings, street plays, village meetings, and local media campaigns. The growth of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) has made women beneficiaries more open and transparent with direct linkage to bank accounts. This has enhanced transparency of the schemes, minimised leaks and empowered women financially. Capacity-building and training, especially within Jeevika, is another aspect that the government has focused on to teach women's rights concerning the law and financial matters, the use of digital tools, and leadership. Such initiatives increase awareness and, at the same time, create confidence and agency. CONCLUSION The role of women has evidently emerged as a revolutionary item in the economic and social development of Bihar. The facts used in this paper indicate that the role of women has greatly changed to active participants in education, livelihoods, health, and governance due to the intervention of special government actions. Women have been able to enjoy more opportunities for resources, decision-making, and economic opportunities through initiatives like Self-Help Groups under Jeevika, incentive programs in education for girls and maternal health programs, financial inclusion programs and political reservation of places in local institutions. The positive changes in literacy among women have fortified human capital formation and increased the capability of women to contribute effectively to the workforce and communityrelated matters. Being able to gain more work and earn higher household incomes has led to decreased poverty vulnerability, made households more economically resilient, and enhanced their labour participation. At the same time, advances in maternal health and delivery in institutions have enhanced the well-being of women so that they can continue with their engagement in productive and social activities. The increasing number of women representing the institutions of Panchayati Raj has further strengthened the aspect of inclusive governance; more emphasis has been put on education, sanitation, health, and basic services on the grassroots level. The results verify that women-focused development is both socially fair and economically effective in that it produces high social returns and developmental benefits in the long term. These successes, however, must be maintained through constant policy reinforcement, good creation of awareness, and institutional fortification. It will be necessary to scale up successful initiatives, deal with regional inequalities, and combine skill development and emerging digital and market opportunities. Finally, women's empowerment is the key to attaining inclusive and sustainable development in Bihar, as the active role that women play enhances the economic performance, social integration, and democratic governance. REFERENCES 1. Agarwal B. Gender equality, food security and the sustainable development goals. Curr Opin Environ Sustain. 2018; 34:26–32. 2. Government of Bihar. Economic Survey of Bihar 2021–22. Patna: Finance Department, Government of Bihar; 2022. p. 145–182. 3. Kabeer N. Gender, livelihoods, and inclusive growth: Evidence from South Asia. J Int Dev. 2015;27(8):1251– 1264. 4. Sen A. Development as Freedom. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1999. p. 35–53. 5. World Bank. World Development Report 2012: Gender Equality and Development. Washington (DC): World Bank Publications; 2012. p. 77–110. Int. Jr. of Contemp. Res. in Multi. PEER-REVIEWED JOURNAL Volume 4 Issue 6 [NovDec] Year 2025 449 © 2025 Dr. Resham Vijay Ratne, Dr. Suman Kumar. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY NC ND).https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ 6. World Bank. Enhancing Women’s Participation in Economic Development. Washington (DC): World Bank; 2020. p. 41–68. World Bank Group. Creative Commons (CC) License This article is an open-access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. About the corresponding author Dr. Suman Kumar is the Head of the Department of Economics at T.N.B. College, T.M. Bhagalpur University, Bhagalpur, Bihar, India. He is an experienced academician with expertise in economic theory and applied economics, actively engaged in teaching, research, and mentoring at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.