Gender parity project to boost women-led businesses in India

@patkaushal

Initiatives to achieve gender parity and promote women-led businesses are gaining momentum in some Indian states. A project is already in place, which is to be implemented in 170 villages and towns in states like Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, and Karnataka.

More than 8,500 women will be trained for setting up new businesses and creating an atmosphere for them to be sustainable through long-term skills. Armed with entrepreneurial skills these women will get financial services relevant to their enterprises and communities, Asianlite International reported.

Interesting about the project is involvement of technology giants Google and Visa, which have agreed to help “women entrepreneurs gain skills and investments for their businesses. In a third instance, the Indian Science Technology and Engineering facilities Map (I-STEM) launched an initiative to strengthen the efforts of scientifically inclined women. It is a special drive for supporting Women in Engineering, Science & Technology (WEST),” the report said.

Under the project, Google India’s accelerator programme will also host workshops and provide support to startups in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud, UX, Android, web, product strategy and growth. It will further connect them with a global community of women entrepreneurs.

In another initiative, Visa has pledged USD 1 million to United Way Mumbai (UWM) to empower women-owned and women-focused businesses over the next three years. The project, to be implemented in 170 villages/towns across Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, will train over 8,500 women. It will focus on creating sustainable, long-term skills for entrepreneurship among participants and provide women entrepreneurs with financial services relevant to their enterprises and communities, said the Asianlite International report.

With a wide range of technology support, there is a move to connect the woman businesspersons with a global community of women entrepreneurs.

The project’s accelerator programmes will empower the women in business with technical knowhow through workshops and provide support to startups in areas such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud, UX, Android, web, product strategy and growth.

(Pic Source: Asianlite International)