Women's empowerment is a journey, not a destination. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to women's empowerment. What works in one context may not work in another. Context is important. Women's empowerment must be understood in the context of each woman's unique life experiences, culture, and values. The process of women's empowerment begins with raising awareness about gender inequality and the ways it limits women's rights and opportunities. Take a look at few of the highlights that have happened this week
Shriram Finance receives a $100 million grant from ADB for Automobile loans to Female Entrepreneurs
Asian Development Bank (ADB), a multilateral lending organisation, has approved $100 million (or $830 crore) for Shriram Finance Limited (SFL) to offer vehicle loans to female entrepreneurs.
According to a release from Shriram Finance, the $100 million External Commercial Borrowing (ECB) is a five-year loan that falls under the Social Finance framework of SFL and will be used to offer finance for the purchase of new and used vehicles across India.
Profits from ADB can be used to fund women entrepreneurs, assist underdeveloped regions of the nation, and improve the social and economic standing of underprivileged populations, it was stated. They can also be used to finance BS VI compliant automobiles and electric vehicles for commercial use.
Himachal Pradesh Govt sets up Rs 101 Crore fund to Support Orphans & Destitute Women
TheHimachal Pradesh government led by Sukhvinder Singh Sukhuhas announced the setting up anRs 101 crore for orphans and destitute women. Announced at the New Year 2023, the fund will sponsor higher education, vocational education and overall financial wellbeing of the orphans and destitute women.
According to official statement, close to 6,000 children and destitute women have been identified to be put under the ambit of the scheme.
Rashida Adenwala the first woman to take over as President of TiE Hyderabad for the year 2023
TiE Hyderabad, the global entrepreneurial network, announced RashidaAdenwalaas new President, the first woman to occupy the chair for the year 2023.
The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), founded in 1992 in Silicon Valley is a nonprofit organization devoted to entrepreneurs in all industries, at all stages, from incubation, throughout the entrepreneurial life cycle. With a global reach and a local focus, the heart of TiE efforts lies in its five foundational programs, – Mentoring, Networking, Education, Funding, and Incubation.
TiE (The Indus Entrepreneurs) is a go-to network of over 15,000 global entrepreneurs across 63 cities in 14 countries, and Hyderabad is one of the most vibrant and renowned chapters worldwide.
Google will fund $75 million in Early-Stage Firms with Female Founders
India-born Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai declared that the search engine is placing more emphasis on startups from India as part of its S10 billion India Digitization Fund (IDF), which will be released in 2020 to advance India's digital economy.
At the Google For India 2022 event on December 19, he declared, "One-fourth of the $300 million acquired from the IDF will be used for helping startups headed by women."
"The pace of technological change in the country has been extraordinary," Pichai said during a fireside chat at the event with Telecommunications and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. "Google is supporting small businesses and startups, investing in cybersecurity, providing education and skills training, and applying AI (Artificial Intelligence) in sectors like agriculture and healthcare."
IBT Learning Introduces The Women in Tech Scholarship Program
This week, IBT Learning, a rising star in the e-learning industry, announced the beginning of its Women in Tech Scholarship Program. The initiative is meant to give women from underrepresented groups access to training and employment opportunities in ICT.
No matter their background or professional experience, The Bootcamp is dedicated to giving women the chance, community, and tools they need to succeed in computing.
St. Petersburg Business with a focus on Women's Healthtech raises $2.4 million
A St. Petersburg-based telemedicine business that specialises in women's health has closed a $2.4 million seed round that was oversubscribed.
The round was disclosed by LunaJoy Health, which started using its online platform in October 2021. The identities of every investor, including the primary investor, were kept secret.
In a prior interview with Tampa Bay Inno, Sipra Laddha, CEO and cofounder of LunaJoy, noted that "being a female, not from the startup industry, has been part of an exciting journey."
CTE signs MoU with Women & Child Development, Government of Maharashtra to Deliver Skill Development Programs
A MoU was signed by the Consortium for Technical Education (CTE) and Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of Maharashtra with the aim of empoweringwomen and children through training and skill development programs. CTE will renderprovide computer science, IT and cyber security skill development programs through newly established learning centers. Hands on experience will also be provided to the beneficiaries.
Shri. DilipHivrale, Deputy Commissioner (Women Development), Govt. of Maharashtra has been appointed as the Nodal officer by the Commissionerate of Women and Child Development (WCD), Government of Maharashtra. He will work along with the CTE with a vision to empowerment the women in the state of Maharashtra.
Chennai, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad are among the top ten cities for Female Employment
According to a research by Avtar, a company that specialises in workplace inclusion, Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu, has been rated the greatest city for women's employment in India. Chennai earned the highest city inclusion score (CIS), followed by Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai in the study, which assessed 111 cities based on their social and professional inclusivity for women.
The social inclusion score (SIS) and the industrial inclusion score are averaged to get the CIS (IIS). While the IIS examines the density of gender-inclusive organisations and businesses as well as career enhancers like creche facilities and mental health consulting services, the SIS considers aspects including the ease of living in a city, the amount of crime, women's representation in the workforce, and women's empowerment programmes. Only nine of the 111 cities under study received CIS scores greater than 50.
