Tata Steel Foundation Empowering Women in Baliapal

 “Our flower vases and fruit baskets are our most sought-after products for which we receive bulk orders from shopkeepers,” said Mamata Jena as she deftly held a Sabai grass blade and needle, twisting and tightening it around the edges to form the base for a new handicraft.

Mamata, an active member of the Subarna Saheli Handicraft Self-Help Group (SHG), is part of a quiet yet powerful revolution of women empowerment spreading through the villages of Baliapal area of Balasore district.

To enable livelihoods and foster empowerment among women from rural and tribal communities, Tata Steel Foundation, under its Gender & Community Enterprise division, has initiated over 144 women-led SHGs, involving over 427 women across Baliapal and Basta blocks in Balasore district in various small-scale businesses and production units. These include processing of pulses (dal), mushroom cultivation, Sabai handicraft, pisciculture, milk value-added products and much more.

A standout example is the Radharani SHG, which runs a Milk Product Processing Unithere 13 women from Pratappur village under Pratappur panchayat of Baliapal block produce products like paneer, ghee, chennapoda, yoghurt, and rabdi. In the last fiscal year, the women of Radharani SHG collectively earned a profit of approximately INR 74,000, benefiting from a diverse network of market linkages that ensured their products reached far and wide within their area. “Each member of our SHG earns a profit of INR 5,000 every month, which goes a long way in covering extra costs, paying our children’s school fees, and managing household expenses,” says Basanti Rout, Secretary of the Radharani SHG.

Similarly, over 165 women from 70 SHGs have participated in trainings to refine their craft on sabai grass, producing over 22 different types of beautiful handicraft items, such as flower vases, fruit trays, pen stands, table mats, mugs, and bowls. In the past year, they have collectively earned around INR 2 lakh.

Another example of their work is the Appliqué Centre, which consists of 18 SHGs with a total of 30 women. They have earned an impressive profit of INR 29 lakh in one year through applique products such as bedsheets, pillow covers, lamp shades, frame bindings, and wallets helping them bag the Best One District One Product (ODOP) award for the financial year 2023–24 by Government of Odisha.

Initiatives like these are integral to Tata Steel Foundation’s broader objective of empowering women from rural and tribal areas by providing skills training, market linkages, and financial literacy. The impact of these initiatives is profound, with household incomes rising and women gaining financial independence and confidence.