LinkedIn announced a partnership with UN Women on Wednesday to advance women's economic empowerment in Asia Pacific, starting with India.
LinkedIn said in a statement that it will invest Rs 3.88 crore in a three-year regional partnership with the UN entity dedicated to gender equality.
The LINK Women Project will begin with a 15-month pilot in Maharashtra, with job fairs, mentoring sessions, and peer-to-peer networks, to cultivate the digital, soft, and employability skills of 2,000 women and present them with a range of career-building opportunities.
Women who have completed their higher education are eligible to participate in the project, which will run from July 2022 to October 2023.
Women will be digitally upskilled, giving them more job opportunities and allowing them to fully participate in the formal economy.
"We are delighted to partner with UN Women to jointly work towards improving female representation and professional diversity across the region's workforce by investing in the upskilling and economic empowerment of women. By bringing women closer to the right skills and resources, we aspire to create a more equitable and all-inclusive talent landscape," said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn, in the statement.
In the Asia-Pacific region, where 54.6 percent of men have access to the internet compared to 41.3 percent of women, a disproportionate number of women lack basic Internet access. This equates to a 32% male-to-female ratio.
LinkedIn and UN Women will collaborate to close this gap, with the goal of assisting the region and the world in achieving improved gender parity in the workforce.
"Access to quality education is critical to decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and girls. The aim of the LINK Women project, in partnership with LinkedIn, is to create a cadre of women who will acquire new digital and employability skills, leading to better jobs," said Susan Ferguson, Country Representative, UN Women India.
Following the 15-month pilot, UN Women and LinkedIn will use the lessons learned and evaluative feedback to improve the programmes as needed, before expanding them to other Asia-Pacific countries.
