A grassroots movement is underway in Punjab! Women from the districts of Bathinda, Kotbhai and Rajpura are honing their skills, reviving traditional handicrafts and becoming breadwinners in their families – all via the Virasat- E-Malwa collective. And one of the driving forces behind it, is Karamjeet Kaur.

In India, women-led nano enterprises are quietly reshaping the business landscape. Despite facing challenges like limited resources and navigating a dynamic market, these ventures, primarily run from homes, are thriving, with the majority operating outside the traditional brick-and-mortar model. Efforts to promote self-employment among women, particularly through home-based businesses, have intensified, with government and private initiatives offering schemes for credit, training, and incubation programs tailored to women, leading to an increase in nano enterprises.

Unpaid care and domestic work is highlighted by the United Nations as one of the many hindrances to women’s right and ability to access decent and productive work. Did you know that in India, women spend up to 352 minutes per day on unpaid domestic work – 577% more than men who spend approximately 52 minutes. This means that 3 out of every 4 Indian women are not working outside the home and many have aspirations to do so!

The savvy women of Saraswati Mahila Bachat Gat SHG have found a niche enterprise – producing and sourcing neem oil and Dash Parni – for local cotton farmers looking for natural ways to keep crop pests at bay.

Villagers of Arjuni live nestled on the fringes of the Barnawapara forest and are primarily Adivasi tribals – relying on the gifts of the forest for their livelihoods. Here, the primary source of income is found in weaving traditional bamboo products – baskets, brooms, fans and other household utility and decorative items.

With consistent efforts to uplift communities at Farakka, West Bengal since 2006, Ambuja Foundation commissioned an external Social Return on Investment Study to better understand the impact of its interventions. Conducted by the CII Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Development (CESD), New Delhi, the study returned the finding that for every Re. 1 invested by Ambuja Foundation, a social return, valued at Rs. 9.91, was generated.

In rural India, where people are dependent on groundwater or weekly municipal water supply, getting fresh water every day is a major household chore, mostly shouldered by women. On an average, it takes about three hours to fetch water to meet the needs of a family of four - a rough estimate for when the water source is within a 2 to 5 km radius.

Ambuja Foundation won the Indian Chamber of Commerce Social Impact Award 2023. The foundation has been awarded for its work in skills and women empowerment category in Sankrail, West Bengal and Bhatapara, Chattisgarh. The ICC Social Impact Awards is an initiative of the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) in which the Chamber engages with Corporate entities, NGOs and implementing agencies to recognize them for exemplary work done in the field of social investment, CSR and sustainability on a PAN India basis.

In a vast developing country like India with deeply entrenched gender divides, the words ‘water’ and ‘women’ are synonymous with one another. For it is on the shoulders of the women of the family, where the responsibility of collecting water, rests. And as water becomes more and more scarce, it is a heavy, and unfair burden to bear – particularly with its impacts exacerbated by the consequences of climate change. As water scarcity, heatwaves and droughts become more widespread, women and girls find themselves walking greater distances to fetch water.

Shivani Sahu from Khajari village is a hardworking girl who decided to buck the trend and join the male-dominated electrical course. After training, she was placed in Snyder Company, Hyderabad, where her salary was ₹ 11,000. However, due to poor health, she left the job and came back to Chhindwara – securing another job at Wire Harness Company Pithampur where her salary was ₹ 10000.

Priyanka Sahu was a goal-oriented girl, but due to her family background could not complete her schooling and was married off early. As a mother of 2 living in a joint family, she used to stitch her own clothes at home to earn extra money. She later came to know about the Sewing training program at SEDI and planned to build a career in sewing. During her 3 months of training, she learned a lot of new things like how to make a suit, blouse, and shirt. She also upgraded her public speaking skills through the soft skill classes and with newfound confidence, Priyanka is now an entrepreneur and has her own boutique.

A 'neonatal death' is defined as a death during the first 28 days of life and globally, this period carries the highest risk of mortality, per day, than any other period during childhood.