Skill Development For Women’s Economic Empowerment

Skill Development For Women’s Economic Empowerment?

Women make up 36% of small business owners in developing countries.?They can successfully run their businesses and simultaneously look after their homes.?A woman who works for herself earns prestige and financial independence, allowing her to make crucial decisions about herself and her family.

Barriers Faced By Women In Acquiring Skills

According to the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation, women make up 14% of all entrepreneurs in India. However, 66% of women in rural India are still not able to fully utilise their business potential.?

The patriarchal family structure prevents women from engaging in income-generating activities, including learning in-demand skills. Other factors like difficulty in accessing financing, poor customer management skills, and general lack of awareness of government programmes for small businesses, are some causes of?lower participation of women in entrepreneurship.?

Women must contend with a variety of harsh realities, such as low literacy rates, social norms and behaviours, fewer training and employment opportunities, little exposure, and a lack of familiarity with emerging technologies. They are also more likely to be underemployed, underpaid, or employed on a temporary basis. The abilities that women may have and those that companies need are frequently out of sync. Hence, it is crucial to encourage women to engage in income-generating activities while also providing them with the knowledge, tools, resources, and funding they require to carry out these livelihood activities.

Sustainable development requires economic empowerment of women, which is supported by gender equality and empowered women. The goal of SEWA Bharat’s skill development projects is to improve the lives of women who are in disadvantaged circumstances by providing them with the most appropriate livelihood opportunities. By giving women the tools to strengthen their negotiating power inside their families and communities, these projects become a part of the struggles faced by them.

Through its experience, SEWA Bharat has discovered that the idea of skill development requires going beyond teaching technical and management abilities. Focusing on personality development, life skills, and understanding the competitive and ever-changing environment is essential for holistic growth. SEWA’s initiatives seek to improve the cultural and social lives of women through economic empowerment.

SEWA’s Skill Development Initiatives?

Informal women workers are at the centre of the skill-development programme created by SEWA Bharat. We begin by identifying the problem areas where women require skill programmes focused on improving their lives. Consistent effort is put into understanding the current state of affairs for women and closing information gaps. Following initial research, training programmes are created which can cater to women’s needs and offer them a pathway to becoming financially independent.

The market-driven and market-linked SEWA Bharat skill programmes make sure that skilling becomes a means of generating income. These programmes also take into account the need for a secure training environment, the hiring of female trainers, reasonable pricing, and a system for handling complaints. It is also ensured that through industry partnerships, market connections, and post-placement support, skilling is transformed into actual livelihood opportunities.

Women in rural India strive for fundamental knowledge and abilities to launch modest, self-sustaining companies. They require assistance with market access, financing, company development, and skills necessary to run a nano or micro business.?However, these are frequently unmet due to their socio-economic limitations, restricted access to training facilities, subpar digital connectivity, and limited mobility in rural regions.

Rural women company owners confront obstacles such as lack of access to credit, business information and bookkeeping expertise. Enhancing women’s economic participation has long been a top objective and is essential to reaching Sustainable Development Goals. NGOs and SHGs are now holding workshops to improve rural women entrepreneurs’ knowledge, abilities, and business development skills to run their small companies more sustainably. SEWA aids in the formation of community organisations, the development of their operational capabilities, and the subsequent registration of group companies. Join the movement for an equitable economy with SEWA Bharat.??