Jal Jeevan Mission spurs women's workforce participation: Report

A recent research report by the State Bank of India has revealed the transformative impact of the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) on rural India, particularly on women's socio-economic empowerment.

- ABHINANDAN MISHRA

The study has found that across the country, an overall 8.3 percentage point reduction in households fetching water from outside premises has led to a 7.4 percentage point increase in women's participation in agriculture and allied activities.

States such as Bihar and Assam have demonstrated exceptional progress, with female workforce participation rising by over 28 percentage points, highlighting the cascading benefits of reliable access to tap water in relatively poor states.

Launched by the Government of India on 15 August 2019, the Jal Jeevan Mission, a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, aims to provide functional tap water connections to every rural household.