The development journey of any nation is closely interlinked with the empowerment of its women. Women, especially disadvantaged women in rural areas, remain the invisible backbone of society, despite their contribution to households and the economy. Challenges - such as inadequate education, limited opportunities for skills training, inadequate access to financial institutions and restrictive social norms - mean that low-paying labour is often their only option in life.
ITC's Women Empowerment Programme seeks to support women in breaking some of these barriers and in fully realising their potential as catalysts of social change. The Company's approach to women's empowerment goes beyond a single specific intervention; multiple initiatives in play seek to help women realise their entrepreneurial potential through skilling, employment opportunities and participation in community-based institutions.
ITC's Social Development Programme has touched the lives of over 6 million women across its interventions.
ITC's Women Empowerment Programme
Women are at the core of all of ITC's Social Development Programme. The Programme's two-horizon approach aims to strengthen current livelihoods and build capabilities for the future, for the overall holistic development of marginalised and vulnerable communities - with special focus on women.
Together, the four pillars provide a range of gainful entrepreneurial opportunities to underprivileged women. In addition, they are supported by financial assistance in the form of loans and grants, as well as strong market linkages to ensure long-term sustenance.
Ultra-Poor Women
ITC's two-year Ultra-Poor Women Graduation Programme focuses on socio-economic inclusion through entrepreneurship for ultra-poor women-headed families living in extreme poverty, where a woman is the sole earning member.
Women Farmer Collectives:
Women farmer collectives are promoted to take up self-help to members and entrepreneurial activities as a group. Exclusive Women Agri-Business Centres and women Farmer Producer Organisations have enabled rural women to run successful group enterprises like nurseries, agri-equipment hiring, sale of agri-inputs, composting etc.
Women in allied activities:
Women are also encouraged to take the lead in other committees related to agri and allied activities such as Water User Groups and plantation committees (Vannikaran Sanghas), etc.
Self-sustaining Cadres or Sakhis
Yojana Sakhis:
ITC trains select women as service providers or 'Yojana Sakhis' to reinforce the supply-side initiatives for its Financial Literacy & Inclusion Project. These trained 'Yojana Sakhis' provide information about government schemes to the community at their doorsteps, help them identify relevant schemes as per their eligibility through mobile-based applications, and assist beneficiaries to enrol in the identified schemes.
Krishi Sakhis:
To encourage the participation of women farmers in agriculture, ITC trains select women as Krishi Sakhis or Master Trainers who promote Climate Smart Agriculture practices.
Pashu Sakhis:
Under its Livestock Programme, ITC promotes a cadre of self-sustaining women service providers or 'Pashu Sakhis' to support goat-rearing women. Pashu Sakhis charge a nominal fee for their services, which not only helps them in earning an additional income but also enables their social upliftment.
Health Sakhis:
Rural women are trained to become Village Health Champions (VHCs) under this initiative. The VHCs conduct group meetings, school activities and door-to-door visits in their villages, spreading awareness about sanitation, menstrual and personal hygiene, family planning, diarrhoea prevention and nutrition, while providing access to related products and generating a supplementary income for themselves.
ITC is engaged in building the capabilities of anganwadi sevikas on ECCE.
ITC's Skilling programmes have trained over 1.22 lakh youth across 16 states, including 50,000 women.
Mother & Child Health Nutrition
ITC's Project Samposhan operational in Uttar Pradesh and Karnataka focuses on women's nutrition in general and anaemia in particular.
To enhance support to 250,000
women under the Women's Economic
Empowerment Programme
ITC invests in people and practices that are good for the planet.
