The Week That Was: Indian Women Empowerment News Overview (14 - 19 MARCH)

By: WE Staff

Women Entrepreneur India serves as a catalyst for acquainting emerging and established female leaders with global business dynamics. We created a platform for women across India to share their ideas and opinions, which might bring a new dimension to traditional commercial tactics in a variety of industries. The platform also provides regular updates on women's empowerment across the country. Here's a quick rundown of what's been going on in the last week.

INDIAN WOMEN HOCKEY TEAM DEFEATS GERMANY 3-0 IN SHOOT-OUT

The Indian women's hockey team avenged their first-leg defeat by defeating Germany 3-0 in a thrilling shootout to clinch the FIH Pro League two-legged tie. The home team had lost 1-2 in a shootout in the previous encounter at the same Kalinga Stadium. Both teams were tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation time, as they had been in the last encounter, forcing a shoot-out.

Kumari Sangita, Sonika, and Tete Salima all scored from their shoot-out attempts, while none of the Germans, including Lena Frerichs, Lilly Stoffelsma, and Sara Strauss, were able to score from their three tries, with Savita, the home side's captain and goalkeeper, doing an outstanding job of denying the visitors.

DELHI GOVT. OFFERS HYDROPONICS TRAINING TO WOMEN FROM UNDERPRIVILEGED COMMUNITIES

The Delhi government has begun training women from underprivileged communities and differently abled people in hydroponics, a soilless agriculture system, to grow exotic vegetables such as lettuce, bok choy, parsley, rocket leaves, and fruits, among others, which are in high demand in fine-dining establishments in the Capital.

The training is currently being conducted by the Delhi transport department at a hydroponics horticulture training facility at Lodhi Road's Kushak Nallah cluster bus depot, and the learners will receive diplomas from the Agriculture Skill Council of India. On February 4, 2022, transport minister Kailash Gahlot presented certificates to the first group of 20 trainees.

AXIS BANK LAUNCHES THE 'HOUSEWORKISWORK' INITIATIVE FOR WOMEN WHO DESIRE TO RETURN TO WORK

Axis Bank has launched the 'HouseWorkIsWork' project, which provides opportunities for those who desire to return to the workforce. The goal of this initiative is to instil confidence in these women that they are employable, that they have skills, and that they can fit into various job roles in a bank, according to Axis Bank President and Head (HR) Rajkamal Vempati in an interview about the bank's recent hiring initiative, 'HouseWorkIsWork.'

"There are many women who want to come full time, so it extends to all formats of work not only GIG-A, including women who want to come and work in branches," said the HR head of the lender.

AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY TO HOST 10 VIRTUAL INTERNSHIPS FOR INDIAN FEMALE STUDENTS

The University of Auckland will offer virtual micro internships to up to ten Indian women students, according to Education New Zealand (ENZ). Additionally, 25 female high school students will be chosen for the virtual exchange program, which will earn them the Global Competence Certificate.

ENZ said, “A four-week virtual immersion programme for 16 Indian women students from New Zealand universities which will be conducted by Symbiosis International University. The immersion programme is a step in the direction of strengthened cultural ties and enhanced learning experiences for students.”

BATA OPENS 25 ALL-WOMEN-RUN OUTLETS WITH AIM OF #BREAKTHEBIAS

On International Women's Day, Bata India announced the opening of over 25 all-women-run outlets to honour the spirit of womanhood. According to a company statement, “As an organisation with a proud history of over 128 years, Bata has always championed the cause of women empowerment and been consistent in its Diversity & Inclusion (D&I) commitment to foster and nurture an environment that is conducive for their growth. The launch of the all women-run stores is yet another endeavour by the brand to empower and encourage women to fearlessly pursue their dreams and #BreakTheBias.”

MAHILA MONEY, VISA, & TRANSCORP TO UNVEIL PREPAID CARD TO ASSIST WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS

Mahila Money, Visa, and Transcorp have partnered to launch the Mahila Money Prepaid Card, a product targeted at assisting women entrepreneurs in making more effective use of digital payments. According to a press release, the alliance draws on the knowledge of Visa, the global leader in payments, Transcorp PPI, and Mahila Money's highly engaged community.

Mahila Money's founder, Sairee Chahal, stated, “India is witnessing unprecedented adoption of digital financial products and mainstreaming of entrepreneurship."

ESPER TO LAUNCH ESPER CAREER DAY '22 TO HIRE MORE WOMEN IN WORKFORCE

Esper, the industry's premier DevOps platform for devices, has announced that it will hold a recruitment drive called Esper Career Day 2022, with a focus on gender diversity. Esper Career Day is a newly established Career enablement IP to hire talent across verticals, and the inaugural edition: WECareer (Women Empowerment Career), which intends to hire women in tech and marketing professions, was launched on the occasion of Women's Day this year.

Women now hold 10% of the firm's leadership positions, and the organisation is proud to watch them develop and inspire their colleagues. Esper India is looking to hire women who are passionate about technology and innovation as part of its DEIB initiative, which aims to boost the company's female workforce. Women can apply here between March 8, 2022, and March 17, 2022 to participate.

USAID & MASTERCARD AIMS TO PROMOTE DIGITAL EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN IN INDIA THROUGH PROJECT KIRANA

Through an effort called 'Project Kirana,' the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and Mastercard have teamed to promote digital empowerment of women in India.

Project Kirana is a business development and digital financial literacy programme for women entrepreneurs with the goal of increasing revenue streams, expanding financial inclusion, and enabling women-owned and operated kirana stores to accept digital payments and other digital tools.