- Tamil Nadu launches $410 million World Bank projects empowering women
- New Women Employment and Security (WE-SAFE) initiative targets workforce
- Focus on sustainable blue economy and rural development projects
Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. K. Stalin, declared three key initiatives worth $409.79 million in collaboration with the World Bank, on women empowerment and blue economy sustainability. This was announced at the inaugural ceremony of the renovated Global Business Centre in Chennai which facilitates the World Bank operations in 189 countries.
A major focus would be the Women Employment and Security (WE-SAFE) Project to get more women into work, especially in high-growth non-agricultural sectors. The state has allocated ₹1,185 crores for the five-year period to increase employment opportunities while creating safe environments and support for women at work.
In addition to WE-SAFE, two further projects are set to launch: a comprehensive sustainable marine resource management program and the second phase of the Tamil Nadu Rural Rejuvenation Project. Both projects will open up big avenues for jobs and entrepreneurial opportunities for women and rural communities.
During the launch of the newly upgraded Global Business Centre in Taramani, Chief Minister Stalin referred to Tamil Nadu's long-standing collaboration with the World Bank, which played a crucial role in historic projects such as the Nutrition and Health Systems Projects and the Vazhndhu Kaattuvom scheme. The latter has influenced more than two million rural families, created 100,000 new businesses, and provided jobs for women numbering 53,000.
As Stalin remarked, the support of the World Bank is not merely the financial support but also the inflection of the meeting of different visions in sustainable and inclusive development. He pressed the need to reduce interest rates on development loans and hoped that co-operation would continue so that Tamil Nadu could realise the target of being a $1 trillion economy by 2030, driven by climate action, technology innovation, and inclusive growth.
These initiatives reinforce Tamil Nadu's intent to put women and the marginalized at the center of the state's development and prosperity.
