The development journey of any nation is closely interlinked with the empowerment of its women. Women, especially disadvantaged women in rural areas, remain the invisible backbone of society, despite their contribution to households and the economy. Challenges - such as inadequate education, limited opportunities for skills training, inadequate access to financial institutions and restrictive social norms - mean that low-paying labour is often their only option in life.
ITC's Women Empowerment Programme seeks to support women in breaking some of these barriers and in fully realising their potential as catalysts of social change. The Company's approach to women's empowerment goes beyond a single specific intervention; multiple initiatives in play seek to help women realise their entrepreneurial potential through skilling, employment opportunities and participation in community-based institutions.
Women are at the core of all of ITC's Social Development Programme. The Programme's two-horizon approach aims to strengthen current livelihoods and build capabilities for the future, for the overall holistic development of marginalised and vulnerable communities - with special focus on women.
Together, the four pillars provide a range of gainful entrepreneurial opportunities to underprivileged women. In addition, they are supported by financial assistance in the form of loans and grants, as well as strong market linkages to ensure long-term sustenance.
Under this programme, ITC aims to provide women with opportunities to earn independent incomes, helping to strengthen their position as decision-makers in their families and communities.
ITC's two-year Ultra-Poor Women Graduation Programme focuses on socio-economic inclusion through entrepreneurship for ultra-poor women-headed families living in extreme poverty, where a woman is the sole earning member.
The programme initially started in Madhya Pradesh in partnership with Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (MPSRLM) resulting in enhanced knowledge of financial planning, linkages to savings, insurance, social security and credit under the partnership. The programme has been extended to 15 states basis the learnings in Madhya Pradesh.
ITC promotes Women Climate Smart Farmers by building their capabilities and helping them in adopting climate smart and standard package of practices for improving yields & income and resilience to climate risks. They are trained through Women Farmer Field Schools which disseminate knowledge, demonstrate sustainable practices and arrange exposure visits enabling the rise of progressive women agriculturists.
Women farmer collectives are promoted to take up self-help to members and entrepreneurial activities as a group. Exclusive Women Agri-Business Centres and women Farmer Producer Organisations have enabled rural women to run successful group enterprises like nurseries, agri-equipment hiring, sale of agri-inputs, composting etc.
Women are also encouraged to take the lead in other committees related to agri and allied activities such as Water User Groups and plantation committees (Vannikaran Sanghas), etc.
ITC trains select women as service providers or 'Yojana Sakhis' to reinforce the supply-side initiatives for its Financial Literacy & Inclusion Project. These trained 'Yojana Sakhis' provide information about government schemes to the community at their doorsteps, help them identify relevant schemes as per their eligibility through mobile-based applications, and assist beneficiaries to enrol in the identified schemes.
To encourage the participation of women farmers in agriculture, ITC trains select women as Krishi Sakhis or Master Trainers who promote Climate Smart Agriculture practices.
Under its Livestock Programme, ITC promotes a cadre of self-sustaining women service providers or 'Pashu Sakhis' to support goat-rearing women. Pashu Sakhis charge a nominal fee for their services, which not only helps them in earning an additional income but also enables their social upliftment.
Rural women are trained to become Village Health Champions (VHCs) under this initiative. The VHCs conduct group meetings, school activities and door-to-door visits in their villages, spreading awareness about sanitation, menstrual and personal hygiene, family planning, diarrhoea prevention and nutrition, while providing access to related products and generating a supplementary income for themselves.
ITC's Support to Education intervention covers female students in Early Childhood Education & Care and Primary and Secondary education. It provides child-friendly and gender-appropriate infrastructure; activity-based learning; 21st century skills and career intentionality. Moreover, Mothers' Groups were also formed and trained on activity-based learning to reinforce the outcomes. These Mothers' groups helped children at their homes retain the learning levels and bridge learning gaps.
It is a women's health programme, which addresses the lack of access to credible and trustworthy health information, products and services in rural India. The key health issues addressed by this initiative include family planning, diarrhoea prevention and management, menstrual & personal hygiene, sanitation and general nutrition.
The programme is aimed at improving the health nutrition status of pregnant and lactating mothers, children (up to 5 years), adolescent girls, and eligible couples by creating awareness and strengthening the Government delivery system by following the intensive 1,000-day approach.
4 Public-Private Partnerships
