Intrepid Entrepreneur | Leading Social Impact Initiatives | Passionate about gender equity and leadership | Independent Consultant |
Everyday, I count myself extremely lucky to be associated with organisations like READ India. Here's a story out of the 100s we hear everyday. Faced with the devastating death of her brother during Covid19, and loss of financial resources, Sandhya Shrikrushna Salte, joined a READ India course on Food Processing in Kathoda village, Yavatmal, India. She soon launched her own home-based business, "Gopi Gruh Udyog", learnt how to use social media to promote her products, earning currently over Rs. 50,000/pm. Her success story is an inspiration to her other colleagues from the same centre. READ India recognises that women often face special barriers to education, formal employment, economic independence, perpetuating gender inequity and inequality. Which is why they have paid special attention to curating their trainings to focus on close-to-home, centre-based ones that can be provided online - the resultant activities can be completed either at the centre or at home. By equipping women with marketable skills and resources, these programs catalyse a process to break the cycle of poverty & empower women to actively participate in economic activities, promoting their social and economic wellbeing. Greater attention has been paid to women from minority communities & differently abled women so that solutions are created for a diverse group of women. READ India's skilling programs empowers women like Sandhya with necessary tools and knowledge to secure gainful employment or start their own micro-enterprises, in sectors with significant opportunities for self-employability. The impact has been profound and multifaceted: - Economic Empowerment: Partners gain skills and knowledge to access sustainable employment or start businesses, leading to increased income and financial independence. - Enhanced Social Status: New skills and economic independence improve the women's social standing, making them role models and leaders in their communities. - Improved Self-Confidence: Acquiring and applying new skills boosts women’s' self-esteem and empowers them to take on challenges. - Community Development: The program fosters self-reliance and economic empowerment, leading to individual success and broader community development initiatives. READ India put this model into practice in 2007, 17 years ago, and have created over 60 Community Library and Resource Centres (CLRCs) nationwide reaching more than 170,000 unique individuals. Lead by Geeta Malhotra and ably assisted by Smita Rai, READ has stood with 50,000+ women. The impact of Read India has been evaluated by their corporate partners, Accenture and Culvar Max. Their evaluation noted that the slow change in economic status or the growth of women’s participation in economic activities is further responsible for more respect for women, both in the community and household. On International Women's Day we stand in solidarity with all the women from READ. #skilling #womenempowerment #genderequality #IWD2025