Reliance Foundation and United States Agency for International Development (USAID) announced the winners of the WomenConnect Challenge India Round Two on May 24, 2023. Seven social sector organizations among 260+ applicants were selected for an award of up to INR 1 crore each. The initiative’s aim is to address barriers limiting women’s access to technology so they are able to fully participate in the global economy.
It is a global call to support women and girls by creating new pathways to engage with technology, break away from the outdated social norms and gain economic independence. WomenConnect Challenge India Round Two, aims to positively impact over 350,000 women and their communities.
The United States government partnered with Reliance Foundation to support women entrepreneurs, farmers, women-led micro enterprises, self-help groups along with providing mentoring support from experts and practitioners across India.
Reliance Foundation and USAID released their first joint publication named ‘Women Connected: Strategies for Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in India.’ The publication highlights the importance of behavioral change campaigns and collaboration with community leaders in promoting digital inclusion. Round One of the Challenge began in August 2021 wherein 10 organizations implemented solutions in 19 states benefitting 320,000 women and girls.
The discussion was chaired by Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation and Veena Reddy, USAID India Mission Director along with Vanita Sharma, Strategic Initiatives, Reliance Foundation and it was attended by key experts and policy leaders from the social sector. This discussion was a part of a larger activation organised by Reliance Foundation and USAID.
Some key suggestions at the round table were to ensure scalability while coming up with initiatives to bridge the gender digital divide including digital literacy, building policies and ensuring a public-private stakeholder collaboration to empower women.
To learn more about WomenConnect Challenge India, visit: www.womenconnectindia.com