8 MAY20238 MAY2023INFOCUSINFOCUSFICCI FLO Mumbai launched the Young Women's Entrepreneur Program under the leadership of the newly elected Chairperson, Archana Khosla Burman. It has collaborated with Millionminds and local colleges to activate an entrepreneurial mindset amongst the region's girl students. Under this program, girl students will be taken through 100+ hours of learning wherein there will be sessions with founders, peer-to-peer learning, hands-on experience ships, online learning, project work, and ideation work.The program was launched with student business presentations. The event was organized at Kothari College of Management Studies, Chembur wherein there were two-panel discussions related to the mindset and challenges of entrepreneurship followed by student presentations on business ideas. 11 women entrepreneurs participated as panelists and a jury interacted with an audience of 250 college students. At the launch, Chairperson, Archana Khosla Burman said, "Today's event was a first of many. Under the Young Women's Entrepreneurship Program, our endeavor is to provide skills, perspective, and expert support to young women and handhold them through this journey, vide training sessions and workshops, mentorship programs, immersive experiences, industry visits, investor pitching opportunities, exchange programs and create a holistic engaging and learning environment".Sanjoy Chakrobarty, Founder, Millionminds said, "In our endeavor to deliver the best of the startup space at Indian campuses, we have created a collaborative ecosystem, bringing together all stakeholders of the startup arena. With over 500 member colleges and a strong network of more than 1000 startup entrepreneurs, we reach and engage with 18000 students through our unique and comprehensive Entrepreneurship Program". FICCI FLO MUMBAI LAUNCHES YOUNG WOMEN'S ENTREPRENEUR PROGRAMTALIBANS RESTRICTIONS ON WOMEN MAKE THE UN LIKELY TO DEPART AFGHANISTAN11 WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS PARTICIPATED AS PANELISTS AND A JURY INTERACTED WITH AN AUDIENCE OF 250 COLLEGE STUDENTSThe UN has said that it is prepared to leave Afghanistan in May if it is unable to convince the Taliban to permit Afghan women to work for the agency, according to the head of the UN Development Program. The UN is negotiating with the Taliban to circumvent a decree prohibiting local women from working for the organisation. According to UNDP Administrator Achin Steiner, it is acceptable to say that the current scenario necessitates the entire United Nations system to step back and reevaluate its competence to function there. Therefore, the focus should not be on discussing fundamental principles like human rights.According to Nangarhar, Afghanistan-based Khaama News, the UN has raised `severe fears' after Afghan female UN staff employees were stopped from reporting to work in the country's eastern region. The UN voiced grave concern about the fact that female Afghan national UN staff employees were prevented from reporting for duty in the province of Nangarhar. The UN told the Taliban that the life-saving supplies would be in danger without women because they make up the bulk of the staff at the international agency. The UN tweeted, "We remind de facto authorities that United Nations agencies cannot operate and provide life-saving assistance without female staff", according to Khaama Press. International organisations, especially the UN, have regularly expressed their concerns over women being excluded from the aid sector, stating that these organisations won't be able to reach poor women without female staff.After taking control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban has put restrictions on women and girls, prohibiting them from receiving an education and finding work. The Taliban first forbade girls from continuing their education above the sixth grade; in December 2022, a proclamation forbade Afghan women from pursuing higher education and working for both domestic and foreign NGOs. According to Khaama Press, national and international groups have voiced strong opposition to the oppressive restrictions on women, saying that they will impede the delivery of humanitarian relief to Afghanistan's most vulnerable citizens.
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