The Week That Was: Indian Women Empowerment News Overview (05-09 July)

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 9 July 2022

Another week, another roundup of Women Entrepreneur India. This issue's news includes stories about Smriti Irani's commitment to assisting victims of gender-based violence, women in the first group of Agniveers, an Indian-origin engineer named Jayshree Ullal who became one of America's top self-made female millionaires, the distribution of one lakh menstrual cups in Ernakulam, and many other concepts. Learn more about some of this week's most important developments in the area of women's empowerment by reading on.

Smriti Irani Pledges Help from the Government for Victims of Gender Violence

During the zonal conference on "8 Years, Achievements Impact on Women and Children" that took place in Hyderabad on Monday, Union Minister for Women and Child Development Smriti Irani reassured Telangana that the state will support women who were victims of gender-based violence. Satyavati Rathod, the Telangana Minister for Tribal Welfare, Women, and Child Welfare, was in attendance. Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, PM CARES, Sakhi One Stop Centers, PM Matriva Yojana, and other programmes' recipients.

Irani told the gathering that the beneficiaries' experiences have demonstrated that policies can improve the lives of women when they are put into practise with the help of the State. She said "about 36 One Stop Centers (OSC) had been sanctioned for Telangana. Of them 33 are already operational. I welcome fresh proposals from the State to increase the number of OSCs, if required."

Women Make Up to 20 Percent of the First Group of 'Agniveers': Indian Navy

The Indian Navy said on Tuesday that, provided they achieve the necessary qualifications, up to 20% of the initial class of "Agniveers"—military recruits under the government's "Agnipath" program—will be women.

These 'Agniveers' will be sent to different branches of the country's maritime defence force, Navy officials told news agency.

On July 1, the Navy started accepting applications for the "Agnipath" scheme, and on Monday, government officials informed ANI that some 10,000 female aspirants had already done so.

"The Agnipath scheme in the Navy will be gender-neutral. As we speak, 30 women officers are sailing on frontline warships," Navy officials had said.

An Indian-Origin Engineer is among America's top Self-Made Female Millionaires

The number of women occupying the corner office and achieving positions of power has begun to increase recently after years of battle to shatter the glass ceiling.

Women of Indian descent are not falling behind when it comes to forging their own paths and earning wealth.

Jayshree V. Ullal, president and chief executive officer of the computer networking company Arista Networks, is one of them who has proven their mettle.

Ullal has been the CEO of Arista Networks since 2018 and is to blame for the company's multibillion-dollar growth following a successful and historic IPO in June 2014. When she started working there, the company had less than 50 people and no revenue.

One Lakh Menstruation Cups to be Distributed in Ernakulam in a First-Ever Event

The Cup of Life campaign, started by MP Hibi Eden next month, would provide one lakh menstruation cups free of charge at 100 locations in the Ernakulam Parliament seat within a 24-hour period in what is being billed as a groundbreaking venture.

It will begin on August 30 in the evening and end the next night. The Indian Medical Association (IMA), Kochi and the Ernakulam district administration are both supporting the project, which is funded by Muthoot Finance as part of its corporate social responsibility programme.

The project aims to raise knowledge about menstruation hygiene and the availability of menstrual cups that are affordable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly.

Women Like Her: A Discovery Channel Chat-Show Series That Will Honour Female Accomplishments

There is no doubt that the superpower in women is the ability to create engaging stories that demonstrate the power of womanhood.

And women are fervently fighting to make history boldly with great resiliency and effort. The brand-new chat show series "Women Like Her," hosted by television actress Shruti Seth, is presented by Discovery Channel and TLC.

We are taken on a journey by the mother, VJ, and actor to imagine the aspirations and passion of a woman. This show focuses on remarkable women who have not only sparked change but also worked to improve society.

Four accomplished women from various backgrounds who have built a name for themselves in their respective industries are featured on the talk show "Women Like Her."

11 Startups Graduate as a Result of the Expansion of WE-HUB and the Australian High Commission

In the second cohort of Upsurge, a WE HUB programme run in conjunction with the Australian Consulate General that aims to help prospective business owners in Telangana use technology to innovate, eleven firms graduated.

70 qualified applications were received for the program's second cohort, and 23 women entrepreneurs from nine different industries and three different states made the shortlist. Zero Waste Store, Solutions for Online Learning, Logistics App, Apic Book, Sri Raghavendra Granites, Reze, JaldiDesi, C&S Technologies, PALL Healthcare, Khansland, and Akunera Foods were among the cohort's graduating start-ups.

Blue-Collar Female Employees are Paid 19 Percent Less Than Male Counterparts

According to a research released, more than two-thirds of blue-collar workers in India make less than Rs 15,000 per month. According to a survey from payroll management app Salarybox, women in the workforce made an average of Rs 12,398 per month, 19% less than their male coworkers, highlighting the country's significant gender pay gap.

Less than 15% of the employment base earns between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000 per month (on average, Rs 25,000), demonstrating the difficulty the great majority of Indians face in obtaining even a living income, according to the data.

It's interesting to note that most businesses pay employees less than the Central Pay Commission's (CPC) minimum wage of Rs. 18,000 per month. The study's data source includes over a million employed workers from more than 850 districts across the nation.