**Executive Summary**
This document, posted on February 4, 2026, by PIB Delhi, highlights the National Cooperation Policy 2025's emphasis on women's inclusive participation in cooperatives for empowerment and economic growth. It details initiatives undertaken by the Ministry of Cooperation and related agencies, including financial assistance provided by NCDC to women cooperatives. It also covers awareness on financial products and services.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **National Cooperation Policy 2025:**
* Emphasizes the inclusive participation of women in cooperatives.
* Aims to empower women through legal status, enabling policies, digitalization, financial access, and sectoral expansion.
* Positions cooperatives as vehicles for social equity and economic growth, with women as priority stakeholders.
* Outlines sector-specific cooperatives for women, including dairy, handicrafts, food processing, and textiles.
* **Ministry of Cooperation Initiatives:**
* Collaborates with agencies like NABARD and NCDC to strengthen cooperatives and empower women.
* SHGs under DAY-NRLM are informal, but their Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) are registered under cooperative acts, with 10,381 CLFs registered.
* NCDC plans and promotes programs for women in various sectors, providing financial assistance.
* **NCDC Financial Assistance:**
* FY 2022-23: Rs. 1000.00 crore released, benefitting 2,30,833 members.
* FY 2023-24: Rs. 756.11 crore released, benefitting 1,27,646 members.
* FY 2024-25: Rs. 1754.60 crore released, benefitting 3,15,211 members.
* **Financial Literacy Initiatives:**
* National Livelihood Mission undertakes financial literacy initiatives through trained Financial Literacy Community Resource Persons (FL-CRPs).
* 56,727 women SHG members have been trained and deployed as FL-CRPs.
* FL-CRPs conduct trainings and awareness programs on financial inclusion.
* During FY 2025-26 (up to December), 2.94 crore SHG members were trained on financial inclusion.
* **NCCT Training Programs:**
* Since 2021, trained 3,12,006 women participants through programs focused on leadership development, financial literacy, governance, and managerial competencies.
**Impact Analysis**
**Women in Cooperatives**
*Impact:* Women are intended to be empowered through increased participation in cooperatives, access to financial resources, and skill development.
*Action Required:* Actively engage in cooperative initiatives and leverage available resources and training programs.
**Self-Help Groups (SHGs)**
*Impact:* SHGs gain access to resources and support through NCDC programs and financial literacy initiatives.
*Action Required:* Participate in financial literacy programs and utilize available resources to strengthen financial management and decision-making.
**Ministry of Cooperation and Partner Agencies (NABARD, NCDC, NCCT)**
*Impact:* Responsible for implementing policies and programs to support women's participation in cooperatives and promoting financial literacy.
*Action Required:* Continue to develop and implement effective initiatives, monitor program outcomes, and provide ongoing support to women in cooperatives.
Key Entities Referenced
National Cooperation Policy 2025: A policy emphasizing the inclusive participation of women in cooperatives, aiming to empower them through various means and positioning cooperatives as vehicles for social equity and economic growth.
Ministry of Cooperation: The central ministry responsible for promoting and strengthening cooperatives, including initiatives for women's empowerment within the cooperative sector.
National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC): A statutory corporation under the Ministry of Cooperation that plans and promotes programs for women in cooperatives and provides them financial assistance.
Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM): A national mission involving self-help groups (SHGs) that are informal groups owned and managed by women members, with some of their cluster level federations (CLFs) registered under cooperative acts.
National Council for Cooperative Training (NCCT): An organization collaborating with the Ministry of Cooperation to strengthen cooperatives and empower women through training programs.
Ministry of Cooperation
Women's Cooperative Institutions And Economic
Empowerment
Posted On: 04 FEB 2026 6:12PM by PIB Delhi
The National Cooperation Policy 2025 emphasizes inclusive participation of women in cooperatives,
aiming to empower them through according legal status, enabling policies, digitalization, financial access,
and sectoral expansion. It positions cooperatives as vehicles for social equity and economic growth, with
women as priority stakeholders. The policy also outlines certain sector specific Cooperatives such as dairy,
handicrafts, food processing, textiles, community services, etc. for women. In furtherance of policy, the
Ministry of Cooperation, in coordination with various Central agencies such as National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development, National Cooperative Development Corporation (NCDC) a statutory
Corporation under the administrative control of Ministry of Cooperation, National Council for
Cooperative Training (NCCT) and in collaboration with Ministry of Rural Development has undertaken
several initiatives for strengthening cooperatives and empowering women through the cooperative
movement.
The SHGs as part of Deendayal Antyodaya Yojna National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM ) are
informal groups owned and managed by the women members. They are not registered under any norms.
However, the Cluster Level Federations (CLFs) of these SHGs are registered under the cooperative Act.
So far, 10,381 CLF have been registered under the State Cooperative Act, the Multi-Cooperative Act or
the Mutually Aided Cooperative Act across the country.
Additionally, NCDC plans and promotes programmes for women for production, processing, marketing,
storage, supply chain, export and import of agricultural produce, foodstuffs, industrial goods, livestock,
commodities and services like tourism, rural housing, renewable energy, banking, hospital & healthcare
and education etc. on cooperative principles by providing them financial assistance. The financial
assistance provided by NCDC to women cooperatives during the last three years is as under:
FY Assistance Released (in Rs. crore) Beneficiary Members
2022-23 1000.00 2,30,833
2023-24 756.11 1,27,646
2024-25 1754.60 3,15,211In order to enhance awareness on financial products and services in rural areas, the National Livelihood
Mission has been undertaking extensive Financial Literacy initiatives through trained Financial Literacy
Community Resource Persons (FL-CRPs). As on date, 56,727 women SHG members have been trained
and deployed as FL-CRPs across the country. These FL-CRPS conduct regular trainings and awareness
programmes at the community level on various aspects of financial Inclusion, including the use of banking
services, savings, credit, digital financial transactions, insurance, pensions, etc. Their engagement is
designed to improve financial behavior, strengthen access to formal financial services, and enable
informed decision-making at the household level. During FY 2025-26, up to December, 2.94 crore SHG
members have been trained on different facets of financial Inclusion through this mechanism.
Additionally, NCCT after incorporation of Ministry of Cooperation has trained 3,12,006 women
participants since 2021 trough long-term and short-term programmes focused on leadership development,
financial literacy, governance and managerial competencies, thereby enhancing women’s participation in
cooperative management.
This information was given by Union Minister for Home and Cooperation Shri Amit Shah in a written
reply in Rajya Sabha.
***
AK/AP
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