STREE project launched in Dhamtari to boost rural women’s livelihoods

RAIPUR: In a push towards rural women’s empowerment, NIT Raipur, the Dhamtari district administration and BRP government polytechnic college on Wednesday signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding to implement the STREE project aimed at building sustainable livelihoods for women in the district.Officials said the project aims to make 300 rural women self-reliant through skill development, with special focus on women from deprived, tribal and agriculture-based communities. Training will cover kosa silk cocoon processing, fibre extraction, modern weaving techniques, product design, entrepreneurship development and market linkages.The project — skill development through technological resources for empowering economic growth of women (STREE) — will be implemented over 36 months with financial support of around Rs 90 lakh under the department of scientific and industrial research’s TDUPW-A2K+ programme of the Union ministry of science and technology.The MoU was signed at the Dhamtari collectorate by NIT Raipur director N V Ramana Rao, collector and district magistrate Abinash Mishra, and the principal of polytechnic college. Collector Mishra said Dhamtari has strong potential in handloom and farm-based livelihoods, and the project would help refine local skills through scientific and technical support. This would improve women’s incomes and strengthen their socio-economic position.