The Week That Was: Indian Women Empowerment News Overview (09 - 14 May)

By: WE Staff | Saturday, 14 May 2022

It's the second week of May, and as usual, we've put together a weekly roundup of developments aimed at empowering women and a few events that reflect women's power. Please take a look at it.

Maharashtra-Based Priyanka Mohite Becomes 1st Indian Woman to Summit 5 Peaks Over 8,000 Metre

Priyanka Mohite of the Satara district of Maharashtra has become the first Indian woman to summit five peaks over 8000 metres. After ascending Mount Kanchenjunga, Priyanka reached the milestone. On May 5, at 4:42 p.m., the 30-year-old ascended the world's third highest peak.

Priyanka works for a pharmaceutical research organisation in Bengaluru. She also received the coveted Tenzing Norgay Adventure Award in 2020.

Mount Everest, Mount Lhotse, Mount Makalu, and Annapurna 1 were all conquered by the 30-year-old in 2013. In addition, she is the first Indian woman to summit Annapurna 1 and Makalu.

Kimberly Guilfoyle Partners with Indian-origin Women to Launch Digital Platform 'We Must Meet'

Former US President Donald Trump's 2020 re-election campaign advisor Kimberly Guilfoyle has announced her partnership with 'We Must Meet,' a new digital platform founded by a group of women of Indian descent.

The technology project is touted to be the first video conferencing platform that can also function as an OTT platform, allowing Hollywood and Indian creators to screen their own films.

Guilfoyle will serve as the project's brand ambassador and strategic advisor, as well as a stakeholder, according to founder Manju Mason.

Annu Rani Breaks National Record of 63.82m on her Maiden Effort

Annu Rani, a seasoned thrower, lit up the Jamshedpur Javelin Nationals with a national record-breaking effort of 63.82m on her maiden attempt. For almost a decade, the Uttar Pradesh athlete has been India's finest female thrower by a long shot. She beat the national record for the ninth time on Sunday, bettering her previous best of 63.24m achieved at the Federation Cup in Patiala last year. Annu threw 60.10m, 56.60m, and 58.13m on her next three tries before passing on the final two.

There was a large gap between Annu and her competitors in Jamshedpur. Sanjana Choudhary took silver with 53.87m, about 10m behind Annu's gold-winning effort. Annu has been steadily increasing her national record since breaking it in 2014 with 58.83m.

Flipkart to Support Women SHGs, Craftsmen, and Weavers in Telangana

To enroll women artisans, weavers, and handicraft producers from Telangana, India's homegrown e-commerce platform Flipkart signed a Terms of Understanding (ToU) with Aarunya, an initiative that helps women establish financial independence. Flipkart Samarth enables rural communities to promote their items on its e-commerce platform across India. The agreement was inked on Monday in the presence of KT Rama Rao, Telangana's Minister of Information Technology, Industries, Municipal Administration, and Urban Development."We are focussed on deepening our commitments towards the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the State and helping their growth," he stated.

Stand-Up India Scheme approves a Loan of INR 5,000 crore for Women and SC/ST Entrepreneurs

According to official data, the 'Stand-Up India' scheme sanctioned loans worth INR 5K Cr to women and SC/ST entrepreneurs during the financial year 2021-22.

According to the Stand-Up Mitra portal and the Department of Financial Services, as of March 31, 2022, about 1.3 lakh applications totaling INR 30,160 Cr had been sanctioned, compared to over 1.11 lakh applications totaling INR 25K Cr sanctioned until March last year.

According to a press release, INR 24,809.89 crore was sanctioned to 1,08,250 women entrepreneurs, while INR 3,976.84 crore was sanctioned to 19,310 SC borrowers, and INR 1,373.71 crore was sanctioned to ST borrowers.

MG Motor has 1 Lakh Customers in India and Plans to Hire 50 Percent Women by 2023

In India, MG Motor India has a customer base of 100,000 people. The company unveiled the Hector, India's first Internet SUV, the ZS EV, India's first Autonomous (Level 1) Premium SUV, Gloster, and the MG Astor, India's first SUV with a personal AI assistant and Autonomous (Level 2) technology.

MG has also solidified the Car-as-a-Platform (CaaP) idea, which makes automobiles smarter and safer. In India, the brand is rapidly achieving its vision of CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Shared, and Electric) mobility.

J.D. Power 2021's India Sales Satisfaction Study (SSI) and India Customer Service Index Study ranked MG Motor first (CSI). According to the Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations, it also ranks second among 4-wheeler mass-market vehicles in terms of dealer satisfaction (FADA).

P&G India Commits Rs 500 crore to Work with Women-led Businesses

Procter & Gamble India (P&G) stated today that from 2021 to 2025, it will invest Rs 500 crore in "deliberately engaging with women-owned and women-led enterprises in India."

P&G committed to spending a total of Rs 300 crore on this effort last year. "After investing more than Rs 200 crore in the first year of this project across India, the business is now increasing its commitment to Rs 500 crore by 2025," P&G stated.

P&G said at its third annual 'WeSeeEqual' summit that the new commitments are aimed at improving equality and inclusiveness across India.

6-Year-Old Indian-American Girl Becomes Youngest Speaker at World Expo

According to the World Book of Records in London, Kiara Kaur, a six-year-old Indian-American girl, has become the youngest keynote speaker to address any World Expo.

The theme of the grade 1st Indian American student's speech at the recent World Expo 22 in Dubai was "Small Changes, Big Difference," while her address during the International Women's Week events at the Mexico Pavilian focused on women's empowerment.

Kiara said, “It was exciting to speak to an audience at this great event. I prepared my speech by speaking to my grandmother, Commander Dr Rita Bhatra who had served the Border Security Force for 40 years.”

IHCL Introduces 'She Remains The Taj' Initiative to Strengthen Support for Women's Empowerment

'She Remains the Taj,' a holistic framework of women-centric programmes for all stakeholders, including guests, staff, partners, and the community, was established by Indian Hotels Firm (IHCL), India's largest hotel company. This includes improved female traveller experiences at its hotels around the world. IHCL also stated its intention to increase women's participation in the workforce to 25% by 2025, as well as promote women-led enterprises and partners.

Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of IHCL, spoke at the event, “IHCL is known for championing the cause of women and enhancing their participation both, within and outside the organization. Cognizant of the growing economic influence of women consumers, ‘She Remains the Taj’ re-iterates our commitment to creating customer-centric experiences for travellers.”

92 Percent Of Indian Teenagers Say It Is Acceptable Not To Use The Surname Of Their Husband

Indian women have changed their surnames to that of their husbands after marriage since the dawn of time. In patriarchal cultures, a woman's identity has traditionally been linked to her husband, and that she can only become a part of her husband's family by taking his surname. Despite the fact that there is no law mandating women to change their surnames after marriage, it has become a worldwide social custom. The youthful generation's thinking and opinions are altering as feminism and women empowerment unleash a tidal wave of change in India.