NE BUSINESS BUREAU
NEW DELHI, SEPT 30
The United States Agency for International Development in India has been selected for funding from the White House-led Women’s Global Development and Prosperity (W-GDP) Initiative and it will collaborate with SEWA Bharat to support women entrepreneurs using the funding amount, according to a statement.
The W-GDP initiative is the United States government’s first whole-of-government effort to advance women’s economic empowerment globally.
“Through the W-GDP Fund, USAID will be partnering with the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) Bharat, a national federation of women-led institutions providing economic and social support to women workers in the informal economy,” according to a statement by the US embassy.
Highlighting the need to support opportunities for women and women-owned businesses, US Ambassador to India, Kenneth I Juster, said the US Government recognises that women are indispensable contributors to a country’s economy and is committed to tackling barriers that prevent women from doing so.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more difficult for women entrepreneurs to participate and succeed in economic activity. This partnership between USAID and SEWA Bharat will help women overcome barriers and help women contribute more fully to the Indian economy as it recovers from the impact of the pandemic,” he said.
The women-owned cooperatives and women micro-entrepreneurs who are members of SEWA Bharat face unique challenges related to the global COVID-19 pandemic that threaten their livelihoods.
Through the new “W-GDP Building Resilient Women Entrepreneurs” project, USAID and SEWA aim to reach 135,000 women by strengthening SEWA agriculture, garments, social security, and finance cooperatives to help members prepare for and respond to Covid-19 through market-based approaches; helping micro-entrepreneurs identify opportunities to diversify or expand businesses in the current Covid-19 context, and supporting an enabling environment that allows micro-entrepreneurs and cooperatives to thrive.
