New Delhi, Nov 6 Focusing on strategies for poverty alleviation and women’s economic empowerment, a delegation from Ethiopia spent a week in India studying the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission, an official said on Thursday.
The visiting delegation commended the standardisation and adaptability of NRLM’s design, noting how it customises programme structures to suit diverse local contexts.
The wrap-up session was attended by H.E. Molalign Asfaw, Deputy Ambassador of Ethiopia to India; representatives from the World Bank; and Rajeshwari S. M., Director, DAY-NRLM, Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD).
The Ethiopian delegation included representatives from nine regions, one city administration, and two key sectors.
Sintayehu Demissie Admasu, Head of the Food and Security Coordination Office (FSCO), Ministry of Agriculture, Ethiopia, appreciated the depth of engagement, the expertise demonstrated by Indian officials, and the value of peer-to-peer knowledge exchange throughout the visit.
The visitors were particularly impressed by the role of ‘sakhis’ — community-based facilitators who deliver last-mile support and resources to women across rural India.
The delegates highlighted several innovations such as bank linkages, diversified livelihood activities and departmental convergence as key contributors to social and economic empowerment for women.
Inspired by success stories of women’s collectives, one delegate remarked, “Women are the foundation of any economy. When we invest in women, we invest in the whole world.”
The Ethiopian delegates expressed their intention to apply the lessons learned from NRLM to their Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP) and invited Indian partners to collaborate in driving further innovation.
World Bank representatives reaffirmed their commitment to supporting women’s livelihood transformation in Ethiopia and underscored the importance of government leadership, enabling policies, and private sector engagement.
Addressing the concluding session, the Ambassador of Ethiopia to India emphasised the long-standing partnership between the two nations and the importance of sustained policy exchanges in shaping institutional evolution and impactful interventions.
He highlighted the need for a comprehensive conceptual framework and constant monitoring to ensure policy inclusion and improvement.
The Ambassador also recognised India’s global leadership in Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) and acknowledged Ethiopia’s parallel efforts toward holistic sectoral collaboration.
He called for strengthening institutional commitments and adapting India’s successful experiences to the Ethiopian context.
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