• Dr. Madhu Kumari

Skill is the bridge between job and workforce. Women often have different training needs than men, since they are more likely to work as contributing family workers, subsistence farmers, home-based micro entrepreneurs, or low-paid seasonal laborers, in addition to handling their domestic work and care responsibilities. Skills development is a key to improving household productivity, employability and income-earning opportunities for women and also for enhancing sustainable rural development and livelihoods. Women participation and empowerment are fundamental women's rights to enabling women to have control over their lives and put forth influence in society. Women often face discrimination and gender inequalities, with some women experiencing multiple discrimination and exclusion because of factors such as background or caste. This paper is dealth skills development through vocational training along with various measures such as Pradahan Mantri Kausal Vikas Yojna, National Skills Development Corporation, National Skills Development Mission. Ministry of Labor and Employment has taken a number of initiatives in the field of skill development and employment. For instance, training of trainers, Vocational Training for girls is being conducted by Advanced Training Institutes and Regional Vocational Training Institutes run by the Ministry. Vocational Education and training are essential mechanism of any strategy to improve farm and nonfarm productivity that improves rural incomes.

Women empowerment, Skills development, Vocational Education, Sustainable rural development, Livelihoods, Employability.

"Expansion of Women Empowerment through Skills Development Programs & Vocational Education Programs in India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 2, page no.278-283, February-2017, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701442.pdf

"Expansion of Women Empowerment through Skills Development Programs & Vocational Education Programs in India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.4, Issue 2, page no. pp278-283, February-2017, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1701442.pdf