Women Empowerment through Skills Development: The Role of RUDSETIs Ramakrishna K.1,3, Dr. Sudhakar A.2 1Ph. D. Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, Hyderabad-500085 2Professor of Commerce And Registrar, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Open University, Road No. 46, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad-500033 3Deputy Dean, Institute of Livelihood Research and Training, Basix Social Enterprise Group, 3rd Floor, Surabhi Arcade, Troop Bazar, Bank Street, Koti, Hyderabad-500001 Online published on 22 June, 2018. Abstract It is said in Manu Samhita (Chapter II, Para 145) Upadhyaayan-dasacaryaacarryanamsatam pita; Sahasramtupitrnmatagauraveratiricyate, which means that-“! Guru who teaches Veda is 10 times superior to an ordinary teacher and the father is 100 times more than a teacher, but the Mother is 1000 times more superior to the father.” This vividly speaks how our ancient saints and culture held a woman in high esteem and recognized her not merely a mother but as a superior scholarly Institution. Unarguably, women are the nuclei of families; more so in rural India. They are not just confined to household chores but they play a very important role in grooming the children and shaping their future, upholding and preserving our traditions and culture. While everything about women in the past and in history is dark and dismal, women of late are seen in the forefront both in economic and social activities. Several NGOs, Voluntary Organizations, Training Establishments such as Rural Development and Self-Employment Training Institutions (RUDSETIs) have been conducting customized and innovative skill-building training programs, Entrepreneurship Development programs (EDPs) which contribute to economic empowerment of women through self-employment. This paper studies various types of EDPs conducted at one of the RUDSETIs in Andhra Pradesh, India which have been contributing to the skill and economic development of women and their empowerment vis-à-vis the skill development initiatives taken up by the Government of India to make India a global reservoir of skilled youth in the years to follow. Top Keywords Entrepreneurship Development, Inclusive Growth, Skill Development, Women Empowerment. Top |