Help 50 Rural Women To Set-up Their Enterprise

Women in India represent 29 percent of the labour force, down from 35 percent in 2004. More than half of the work done by women in India is unpaid, and almost all of it is informal and unprotected. Women are not well represented in most sectors, including business leaders. Though they comprise almost 40 percent of agricultural labour, they control only 9 percent of land in India. Women are also shut out of the formal financial system. Due to COVID-19 outbreak the already vulnerable state of women producers has become worse. In addition, women working in local and informal markets, as agricultural products sellers are experiencing further losses as markets have closed due to the outbreak.

We aim to HELP these women in building back their income sources, EMPOWER them to create self-reliant business models, and give a platform for them to REPRESENT themselves in the economy.

With this primary objective of Empowering rural women through entrepreneurship and building their capacity as an efficient leader we are launching, #HERstartup.

Initiated in 2018 in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) & National Institute of Agricultural Extension Management (MANAGE), the Business Enterprises Leadership Programme has 200 rural women across AP, Telangana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh & Odisha. The rigorous six-month training guides women in gaining business, managerial, negotiation, entrepreneurship, and leadership skills. The programme’s unique curriculum offers 75% of program time as a structured internship in rural enterprises and the rest 25% as facilitation workshops by experienced development sector practitioners. Through the course of the program, they get exposure to 20 different kinds of enterprises through two travel workshops across states, interactions with 12 community entrepreneurs, learning 16 different courses, and practical experience of various elements of running a business.

On completing the six-month Mini-MBA program, 50 of the women aspire to start their own enterprises and ensure a sustainable livelihood for their families.

According to FICCI estimate, only 26 per cent women in India have a bank account and credit issued to women accounts for only 7.3 per cent of the total credit in the Indian financial system. Even after various schemes in place women are excluded from the mainstream financing efforts. This means that most of these women entrepreneurs struggle to access even the minimum capital necessary to start up their enterprises.

These women need start-up capital of around Rs.50,000 on an average to establish their enterprise. They are interested in starting up micro enterprises such as - Jute bags, turmeric powder, poultry, goatery, grocery, spices, etc.

We are seeking to create a revolving loan fund of Rs. 25 lakhs that will provide 0% loans to these 50 women immediately and to 50 women, every year, as each woman establishes her enterprise and repays the loan. Your contribution of Rs.50,000 could support 10 women establish enterprises across 10 years.

To ensure that these women have all the support required to establish enterprises that will sustain and thrive, we will continue to provide incubation support to them for an year.

Though the women comprise almost 40 percent of agricultural labor, they control only 9 percent of land in India. They are also shut out of the formal financial system. The support towards the start-up capital of Rs.50,000 can help a rural woman to set up an enterprise and establish a permanent income source for the entire family. Your support to 50 women will impact 600 lives indirectly in next one year.