Tata Communications, a global digital ecosystem provider, has launched the second phase of its School of Hope and Empowerment (SHE) project, which aims to empower five million women in the Indian states of Bihar and Odisha to provide entrepreneurship training and careers advice.
The first phase of the project motivated the women to complete the training series and acquire the knowledge and skills to start and run their own business ensuring access to quality education for all.
“The first phase of the School of Hope and Empowerment project has had a positive impact on the well-being of women in Jharkhand and empowered them to play a vital role in the advancement of their families and the larger community,” stated Aadesh Goyal , Chief Human Resources Officer, Tata Communications, “In phase 2, we are now expanding the project 10-fold to also help women in the Indian states of Bihar and Odisha. With this project, we are expanding access to self-paced learning modules, a local support network and micro-communities to bridge the development gap in rural areas and between the sexes.”
Phase 1 of the project, launched as part of the 2021 UNESCO World Conference, has already surpassed its goal of taking more than one million women in Jharkhand State to an entrepreneurial education in just one year, well ahead of the planned three years helped.
The women supported in this project embody courage and confidence and overcome structural obstacles such as gender stereotypes, household responsibilities, financial constraints and social pressures. The project is a cross-media, multi-stakeholder communications initiative co-developed by Tata Communications and The Better India to empower and educate women in rural India. As in the Sustainable Development Report 2022As set out by Tata Communications, sustainability is based on the premise that positive economic outcomes are possible when we effectively manage our environmental, social and governance (ESG) commitments and align those actions in policy and practice with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Nations (UN SDG) are in line.
The School of Hope and Empowerment project is in line with UN Development Goals 5 (Gender Equality) and 8 (Economic Growth). It empowers youth and rural communities (particularly women) economically and socially through vocational and entrepreneurial education and teaching life skills that improve access to resources, new technologies and financial services,
To celebrate and recognize the success of the first phase of the project, the two partners have released a series of educational videos featuring real life women entrepreneurs and their stories. One such story is that of Kalawati Kumari , a resident of Kurumdegi village in Simdega district of Jharkhand. As a beneficiary of the project, she received a grant to set up a grain mill, which she now runs with her own funds. She also establishes and maintains contacts with her customers and runs the mill. “The seminar covered topics such as bookkeeping, dealing with customers, store design and the importance of saving,” Kalawati said.
