Mahila-E-Haat is a step towards women empowerment by the government of India, where women traders, NGOS, self help group are provided a platform to sell their products online. It is helping in establishing as well as exploring the business and employment opportunities for women by contributing in their upliftment. This electronic platform was launched on 7 March 2016 by Smt. Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Hon’ble Ex Minister of Women and Child Development and Ex chairperson of RASHTRA MAHILA KOSH. It is an online marketing place where women entrepreneurs and other women groups get access to easy mode of selling their products and provide their services, at an easy to operate electronic portal. It solves the problem of women vendors to wander from home to home, place to place for selling their products. It has put an end to the hectic salesmen service and granted an opportunity to women to get themselves enrolled in the market with their own products.
It is a start-up at Rashtriya Mahila Kosh website , which efficiently utilities technology for showcasing different products and services made and manufactured by women, using their creative skills and capabilities. Such unique e-platforms will strengthen the socio-economic empowerment of women. It is an initiative for meeting aspirations and needs of women entrepreneurs. With the launch of this site, it was estimated that about more than 1,25,000 women are likely to get benefitted by it. By introducing such e-portals it is highly expected to see a shift in the paradigm, enabling women to exercise control over their own business/ services and resulting finances by leveraging technology.
The vision of Mahila-E-Haat is:
To strengthen and empower the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs in the economy by providing continued sustenance and support to the enormous capabilities and creativity of women.
The mission of Mahila-E-Haat is:
To act as a catalyst by providing a web based marketing platform to the women entrepreneurs, to directly sell to the buyers.
The goal of this e-portal is:
To support ‘Make In India’s movement through online marketing platforms.
This web portal provides unlimited reach and allows women entrepreneurs to trade their items without travelling great long distances. The entire business can be handled via mobile phone and no fee is required to be paid for registration of sellers or their products on the portal. Since the time of creation and inception of this e-portal, women sellers from 24 different states have exhibited over 2,000 products / services across 18 categories. The business is directly benefiting about 3.5 lakh people and indirectly over 26,000 women groups, as per the reports by government. It is helping in showcasing a wide array of products like bags, clothes, gift items, home decor, jewellery, natural products etc and providing a mode of earning revenue through the creative talents of women.
E-haat requires a mobile number to register as the rest while business can be handled through phone by the seller. One has to fill a form for registering on E-haat with other documents like Aadhar card or number etc. To make it easy for the buyer and the seller, photographs of the product, it’s description, cost, mobile number, address of the seller etc are displayed and buyer can approach the seller either physically, telephonically or by email or other means as per convenience. This establishes a direct interface between buyer and seller and further facilitates marketing of products by women vendors, groups, NGOs etc. There are some terms and conditions which are to be agreed by the participants, to get enrolled as a registered seller at E-haat . Some of them are-
- Person must be an Indian women citizen/women self help group / women NGO or any other women led Enterprise.
- Applicants must be above 18 years of age.
- Regarding any defects or deficiencies in the product, participants shall be taking the responsibility and RMK shall not be held liable in any case.
- Timely delivery of products to be ensured by the seller.
- Both buyer and seller will have to indemnify RMK from any or all acts of transgression.
- Goods to be displayed on the site shall be legal.
- All rights to select products eligible for displaying in E-haat shall be reserved by RMK and the seller has to follow guidelines on the portal.
- In case of any illegal activity being caught taking place and in breach of any guidelines of the portal, legal action can be brought against them.
- Product is displayed for a minimum 30 days and after a break of 30 days they may be redisplayed.
- The eligibility requirement and other terms and conditions may change anytime as per the sole discretion of RMK .
- Payment to be received directly from the buyer.
- Details of transactions to be maintained by participants to prepare quarterly reports to the RMK.
- The Display logo of Mahila-E-Haat is a must on the packaging of every product on the portal.
- Participants have to furnish a stamp paper of minimum charges as per the rules of their states with declaration to abide by all the portal rules.
By Introduction of such online platforms, the problem of commission granted to brokers or middlemen in business has been eradicated and a direct link is established between buyer and seller. Sellers have to provide pictures and descriptions about their products on the e-portal and if the customer likes them, they can connect to the seller about details, mode of transfer/courier etc about the product directly. It is an initiative for women across the country, as a part of ‘ DIGITAL INDIA’, ‘STAND UP INDIA’ and ‘MAKE IN INDIA’. It has provided the women in India with opportunity to earn money and establish their business, by utilising their own skills and create a stable financial and social status in the society.
References:
- mahilaehaat- www.rmk.gov.in.
- https://vikaspedia.in> e governance- Mahila-E-Haat
