The power of women - To learn, earn, and lead

IKEA Foundation’s aim of enhancing women’s social, economic and political empowerment in India began over a decade ago, growing out of an effort to address the root causes of child labour, through a partnership between IKEA and UNICEF. Together with UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) it has evolved into a pilot project with the aim of connecting 50,000 women in the same villages where the IKEA Foundation had previously supported programmes.

After the success of the pilot project, the project will now be expanded into new villages in Uttar Pradesh as well as in new villages in three additional states. The new states are Gujarat, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. This up-scaling will by 2015 have made a difference in the lives of 2.2 million women.

The aim is to provide the women with a range of inputs to help them become entrepreneurs, contribute substantially to their household income, strengthen legal awareness and participate in the local political decision-making processes of their villages.

Gaining strength and making decisions:
Regular women-only meetings with the self-help group allow for open-hearted discussions. Topics range from the reasons children should go to school to how to afford a water pump in their village. Over time, more and more women have become active and respected influencers in their communities.

Learning about health and nutrition:
Local motivators teach village women about sanitation, health and diet. More and more women find out how to have a say about when to become a mother and how many children to have. They learn how to take control of their own lives and improve their children’s prospects.

Learning business skills:
It takes a lot of self-esteem and confidence to run a successful business. Women also need to learn how to evaluate their ideas, negotiate business deals, get access to services and gain control over their resources. As part of the programme, UNDP together with their partners, develop training modules in financial literacy and leadership in consultation with the women themselves.

Better access to money:
Access to micro-credit schemes can be the means to starting a small business. Encouraging women’s groups to save small amounts in a joint bank account for emergencies is an effective way of avoiding spiralling debt for families.