How Bihar’s Jeevika Didis are driving change, one step at a time

When Gudiya Kumari enters a room, respect follows. People point and whisper, “Jeevika didi has come.” 

However, this level of respect was unimaginable just a few years ago. Gudiya recalls a time when she felt invisible, known only as someone’s wife or daughter-in-law, with no identity of her own.

In a country where the economic participation of women stands at 18% of GDP, well below global averages, empowerment schemes are essential to create a more equitable economy where women have equal access to opportunities, resources, and the power to make decisions.

In Bihar, a quiet revolution is empowering women. Through the Jeevika Didi initiative, lakhs of women are gaining financial literacy, starting enterprises, and transforming their communities. 

It is part of the Government of Bihar’s broader project, JEEViKA—the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Project, implemented by the Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society. Launched in 2006-07 with support from the World Bank, it aims to form self-help groups (SHGs) among rural women and enhance their income, financial inclusion, and empowerment.

So far, 10.6 lakh SHGs have been formed in the state, demonstrating that given the opportunity, support, and recognition, women can rewrite their stories, starting with just 10 rupees, a dream, and the willingness to work hard.

In the bylanes of Phulwari Sharif block in Patna district, several women are reaping the benefits of the Jeevika Didi programme, changing their lives from economic dependency to entrepreneurship, and community ownership. 

Twelve Jeevika Didis shared their stories of transformation with YourStory Founder & CEO, Shradha Sharma. They speak of self-reliance, dignity, and hope.

The 10-rupee beginning of big dreams

For these women, the journey towards financial independence and respect came with a weekly saving of just Rs 10, less than the cost of a cup of tea.

For Manisha Kumari, Sita Devi, and Gudiya, those ten rupees changed their lives, for the better.

“I joined the Jeevika Didi programme in 2014. Initially, I was a bit hesitant, but the CRP didi convinced us. My husband supported me to join Jeevika,” Manisha says.

That weekly contribution to the Vikas Grama Sangathan (Village Development Organisation) became the foundation for something larger. Small loans followed, first Rs 10,000, then Rs 15,000, and eventually Rs 50,000. What began as a modest sattu-besan business for Manisha grew into an enterprise selling masala, wheat flour, and oil.

Sanju Devi did not have a bank account before she joined the Jeevika Didi programme.

“The CRP didi invited me to join a group by paying ten rupees. I managed to gather women to make 10 groups. Later, I was selected for a loan. With the money, I opened a small shringar (fancy store) shop,” she shares.

For Safeena Khatoun too, a mere savings of 10 rupees to enlist in a group brought opportunity.

“My husband is sick most of the time. We hardly had any money, even for food. Also the education of my children was becoming difficult,” she recalls.

After joining the Jeevika programme, she secured a loan and started a kirana (grocery) shop. Her daughters are now doing well in school and the family’s conditions have changed for the better. 

Breaking barriers with confidence

Gudiya Kumari’s first loan from the scheme wasn’t for a business, it was for dignity. Despite her husband’s old-world views and family opposition she took a Rs 15,000 loan and built what her family desperately needed, a bathroom.

This created a ripple effect, and soon, everyone in the village also built one.

“This is the change I brought,” says Gudiya.

Her namesake, Gudiya (Sastri) too secured a loan from the program to build a bathroom after joining the Gram Sangatan. Today, she takes care of accounting for 11 committees. 

Neeti Kumari’s family falls below the poverty line. In 2020, she enlisted in the Mahlia Gram Sangatan. “With the help of the Jeevika programme, I opened a shop of my own and became independent. We did not have electricity in our home at the time. I made the rounds of the office and ensured our house got a line,” she says with pride.

From purdah to purpose

Pinky Kumari is a member of various self-help groups and committees.  But her transformation from being in purdah to finding a new purpose is worthy of emulation.

“When I joined as a Jeevika Didi in 2018, I used to stay at home in ghunghat (veil). But when my father-in-law said, “You are going out for meetings, don’t cover your head. With the support of my family, I have risen so far,” she says.

Pinky runs a flower business along with 30 other Jeevika Didis, sells the flowers in the local market, and is planning to scale her venture. She is also quite the social media buff, and posts reels on her business on Instagram.

Education leads to opportunity

Married at the age of 17, and despite having studied up to the 10th standard, Sita Devi was dismissed as illiterate by her in-laws. She would grab the newspaper wrapping that came with groceries, eager to read and know what was happening in the world. 

When a CRP approached her about joining the savings group in 2017, Sita saw an opportunity where others saw charity.

She organised a group of 10 women who pooled in money and they started a savings account in a nearby bank. 

Her education, once dismissed by her family, became her strength. Asked to maintain accounts for the group, she discovered her ability to lead, and take decisions.

The group secured a Rs 1,50,000 loan from Jeevika, and with the Rs 15,000 allocated to her, Sita bought a calf. When it grew and had offspring, she sold it for Rs 30,000, doubling her investment. With the money made, she also set up a small shop for her husband. She has also paid off her loan.

Today, Sita manages 18 SHGs, earning recognition and respect. Her children attend good schools, funded by her expanding livestock business. “My value has increased,” she says.

Numbers tell stories of their own

Convinced by the Jeevika Didis to take up some form of employment, Indu Devi, widowed with small children, transformed a sewing machine purchase into a thriving tailoring business.

She now has two machines and sews women’s clothes and makes a decent living.

“I don’t have a family to support me. And, despite the inflation, I take care of the household expenses and my children’s education. As a woman, I have proved that I can do it alone,” she declares.

From struggling to afford two meals to earning Rs 50,000 a month, another Pinky Kumari’s story is one of grit and determination. After enlisting in the Jeevika Didi programme, she sought a loan of Rs 20,000 with which she opened a small store selling fancy items like jewellery and cosmetics. 

With more loans, she expanded her shop and also bought a few cows. Her income has changed her family’s financial situation. 

Tara Devi runs a detergent manufacturing business after becoming a Jeevika Didi. Despite having an inter-level education—the highest in her in-laws' family, she was confined to giving tuitions at home. 

With the help of a loan from the scheme, she attended a training programme, and became an entrepreneur. She manufactures the detergent at home and sells it door-to-door and with her husband’s support, plans to expand the business.

Carving their own identities

It’s not just money and the financial independence that has changed the individual circumstances of the Jeevika Didis. They are breaking stereotypes and cycles by sending their children to good schools and pledging to marry their daughters only after they turn 21. A far cry from their own lives that were bound by societal expectations and limited choices.

"Earlier, we used to be scared to go to the banks. Now we walk in with confidence and pride," Gudiya says. 

Ruby Kumari's dream of working in a bank materialised when she became a Banking Correspondent Secretary, managing 2,000-3,000 accounts and bringing financial services to her village. "My dream came true. I became financially independent," she says.

The respect these Jeevika Didis now command extends beyond their families, and into their communities. Government officials seek their input. They are no longer known by their relationships to men, but by their own names and achievements.

Overcoming challenges and looking forward

The journey to earning respect as Jeevika Didis hasn’t been without obstacles. Despite family resistance and societal mindsets, these women are giving their businesses and their families equal attention.

Savitri Kaparna still lives in modest circumstances, cooking on wood fires and living in a temporary structure while running a shop that sells fish.

But there is no bitterness in her voice. "The more you see sorrow in life, the more you can laugh," reflects Savitri, whose determination to pursue her dreams shines through.

Beyond their individual successes, these women have become change agents in their communities. They constantly encourage other women to join the Jeevika Didi programme. While challenging traditional gender roles, they are opening up new possibilities for women.

"We want all other women to join Jeevika and improve their lives." Theirs is a collective voice that is determined and promises hope.