New Delhi: The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NULM) have joined hands to empower women and provide them with better career opportunities in the realm of entrepreneurship.
“The partnership will provide support for women looking to start and expanding their own enterprises, particularly in sectors such as care economy, digital economy, electric mobility, waste management, food packaging and more. Focused on fostering entrepreneurship development and accelerating enterprise growth, the three-year project, extendable beyond 2025, will cover eight cities in the initial phase,” the ministry of housing & urban affairs said.
“Women entrepreneurship is a proven strategy for poverty alleviation, financial independence, and reshaping gender norms. Today, women account for only 15 percent of the total entrepreneurs in India. By increasing this number, we not only empower women, but also accelerate economic growth and ensure a happy and healthy society. UNDP and DAY-NULM are coming together to build this inclusive entrepreneurship ecosystem,” said Shoko Noda, resident representative, UNDP India.
Drawing on its extensive experience in linking over 200,000 women to improved employment opportunities, UNDP will provide national-level capacity-building support to DAY-NULM. This support will primarily focus on knowledge generation and management, including the compilation of compendiums of best practices related to urban poverty, in order to enhance the implementation of national-level schemes. Leveraging their sectoral expertise, UNDP and DAY-NULM will collaborate on piloting innovative solutions, particularly in the domain of the care economy.
As part of the partnership, UNDP and DAY-NULM will engage in on-ground mobilization activities, which involve identifying areas of urban poverty and potential entrepreneurs, as well as facilitating access to Business Development Services. Handholding support will be provided to this cohort to formalize their businesses, establish bank linkages, and secure access to finance and markets.
