Reliance Foundation, ORF Launch New Book On Indian Women Using Digital Tech To Benefit Communities

As the 77th UNGA was underway in New York, Reliance Foundation, Observer Research Foundation and the United Nations in India came together to discuss how Indian women are transforming communities with the help of digital technology. A new book by Reliance Foundation and Observer Research Foundation, titled Aspirations, Access and Agency: Women Transforming Lives with Technology, was also launched at the event. The book narrates the stories of inspirational Indian women from the remotest corners of the country, who are using digital tech to make entitlements, amenities, financial services, healthcare and sanitation more accessible.

“It’s really inspiring how when you bring people, the right process and technology together, magic happens,” said Amandeep Singh Gill, Under Secretary General, Envoy on Technology, United Nations. During a panel discussion on Women Technology and the SDGs, Shombi Sharp, UN Resident Coordinator, India, said women are at the frontlines of both long-term development and short-term crisis response. The newly launched landmark book notes that today, 54 per cent Indian women have a mobile phone, with over 22.5 per cent of women using those phones for financial transactions and empowerment.

“Reliance’s commitment to development is rooted in our philosophy of ‘We Care’. We are focusing on enabling platforms across sectors to achieve SDGs in India; from women empowerment to green growth and equitable development of all,” said Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation. “Real progress is possible only if our efforts are inclusive, green, led by communities, and catalysed by agile policies and leadership—all attributes of the emerging yet distinct India story,” said Samir Saran, President, Observer Research Foundation.

Helen Clark, former New Zealand Prime Minister and former Administrator UNDP, joined Anita Bhatia, Assistant Secretary-General, UN Women; Anjali Kaur, Deputy Administrator, USAID; Tidhar Wald, Deputy Managing Director, Better Than Cash Alliance and Sylvia G Maier, Clinical Associate Professor, Centre for Global Affairs at New York University, in discussing takeaways from the book and suggesting ways in which stakeholders can empower women and contribute to achieving SDGs. Auxillia Mngagagwa, First Lady of Zimbabwe, emphasised the importance of empowering women and girls for all-round development.

To know more about the book, click here.