'Educate a women, educate an entire family' a saying which is very apt in todays times, but it is important to realize that its widespread impact is reflected in the nations positive growth. Hence, various corporates through CSR projects contribute towards empowering women, not just with education but with various other aspects as well. Some of the top 10 women empowerment projects through CSR in India in the Financial Year 2019-20 can be found below:


1. Project Shakti
 Source: Management Innovation exchange

Name of the Company: Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL)
Location: Pan India
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 53.4
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 142.2

Project Shakti aims at creating financial empowerment and livelihood generation for rural women. The women are given training about sales and distribution of company’s products along with soft skills training such as communication, self-confidence etc. These interventions have not only helped in creating sustainable livelihoods for women but has also contributed to fostering entrepreneurial mindset among women. It has helped Shakti Entrepreneurs gain selling skills, become self-confident, improve their self-esteem and learn communication skills. In the year 2019-20 around 120000 women were trained.

Brief about the Company:

Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) is India's largest Fast Moving Consumer Goods Company with a heritage of over 80 years in India. With over 35 brands spanning 20 distinct categories such as soaps, detergents, shampoos, skin care, toothpastes, deodorants, cosmetics, tea, coffee, packaged foods, ice cream, and water purifiers, the Company is a part of the everyday life of millions of consumers across India.

More about Hindustan Unilever’s CSR Portfolio

2.  Financial Literacy for rural Women
 Source: ICICI Foundation

Name of the Company: ICICI Bank Limited
Location: Pan India
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 53.05
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 127.30

The Bank’s long-standing effort in rural development related activities continued during fiscal. The Self-Help Group (SHG) Programme is an initiative that has enhanced entrepreneurship among women in the rural areas. The Bank provides a comprehensive suite of banking products, including zero-balance savings account and term loans, for meeting the business requirements of the women of these SHGs. Services are offered at their doorstep, thus saving their time and money on visits to the branch. The Bank is also organizing financial literacy camps and has set up dedicated service desks at select branches to guide SHGs on banking procedures. There has been a gradual rise in entrepreneurial ventures by women in the areas where the Bank has been providing services to SHGs. The Bank has provided loans to over 7.0 million women beneficiaries through over 540,000 SHGs at March 31, 2020. Of these, 2.5 million women were first-time borrowers, who had not taken a loan from any formal financial institution. In addition to direct customers, the Bank reaches out to about 0.9 million customers through microfinance institutions. The Bank also provides lending to Joint Liability Groups (JLGs) which are semi-formal groups from the weaker sections of society.

Brief about the Company:

Established in 1995, ICICI Bank Limited is an Indian multinational banking and financial services company. It offers a wide range of banking products and financial services for corporate and retail customers through a variety of delivery channels and specialized subsidiaries in the areas of investment banking, life, non-life insurance, venture capital and asset management.

More about ICICI Bank Limited’s CSR Portfolio

 
3. Targeting the Hardcore Poor Programme

Source: Outlook India

Name of the Company: Bandhan Bank Limited
Location: Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura, West Bengal
Implementing Partner: Bandhan Konnagar
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 27.73
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 55.98

The flagship programme of Bandhan Konnagar is designed for the ultra-poor-women headed households, providing them with a range of gainful micro-enterprises (in form of farm, non-farm and mixed assets, not cash) along with handholding support and training on confidence building, enterprise skills, consumer interaction, marketing and financial skills. They are also provided with sustenance allowance to meet their daily needs till they start generating substantial income from the assets provided. In 18-24 months, these ultra-poor women start graduating, uplifting themselves from extreme poverty and getting linked to mainstream society. In the year 2019-20 around 21,600 ultra-poor women from the Bank’s catchment area covering 20 districts of Assam, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Tripura and West Bengal had access to sustainable livelihood sources. Approximately 45133 ultra-poor women were benefitted from the programme.

Brief about the Company:

Bandhan Bank offers its world-class banking products and services to urban, semi-urban and rural communities alike. It is a bank for all but the focus remains unchanged to meet the financial needs of people who are overlooked by the formal banking system and create better education, health care and self-employment opportunities. In sync with the philosophy 'Aapka Bhala, Sabki Bhalai' and keeping financial inclusion at the heart of it. Bandhan is committed to provide a host of products and services, competitively at par with India's top private and state-owned banks.

More about Bandhan Bank Limited’s CSR Portfolio

4. Women Empowerment Initiative

Source: ITC Limited
Name of the Company: ITC Limited
Location: Pan India
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 16.72
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 326.17

ITC's Women Empowerment initiative provided a range of gainful employment opportunities to poor women supported with capacity building and financial assistance by way of loans and grants. In the Financial Year 2019-20, 29,184 ultra-poor women in the core catchments have access to sustainable sources of income through non-farm livelihood options. The financial literacy and inclusion project, in partnership with the Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (MPSRLM) and CRISIL Foundation, was rolled out in 15 districts during the year. 1,062 Super Trainers were trained directly and they, in turn, trained 2,592 Master Trainers who cascaded the training to 19,267 Self Help Groups (SHGs) covering 1,94,433 women across 1,703 villages. 98,441 women of those trained have been linked to Government social security schemes.

Brief about the Company:

Established in 1910, ITC Limited is an Indian multinational conglomerate company headquartered in Kolkata, West Bengal. ITC has a diversified presence in FMCG, Hotels, Packaging, Paperboards & Specialty Papers and Agri-Business. ITC's businesses and value chains create sustainable livelihoods for more than 6 million people, a majority of whom represent the poorest in rural India.

More about ITC Limited’s CSR Portfolio

5. Project Salon - i

 Source: Godrej Consumer

Name of the Company: Godrej Consumer Products Limited
Location: Mizoram, Nagaland, Maharashtra, Manipur, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Assam, Delhi
Implementing Partners: DDJF, Don Bosco Tech Society, Save the Children India, Pratham, Vrutti, Delhi Council of Child Welfare, Youthnet, Collective Good Foundation, QUEST Alliance
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 8.7
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 25.34

Salon-i trains young girls and women in beauty and hair care. In the fiscal year 2019-20 over 9000 women have been trained across India. The curriculum is integrated with life skills and entrepreneurial modules to equip the candidates in starting their own enterprise if they are interested. The curriculum has been digitized through the learning management system (LMS). The LMS enables blended learning by using multimedia formats, such as audio, video, PDFs, and presentations.  After the Salon-i training, the proportion of women in paid work has increased from 14 percent to 45 per cent, of which 78 per cent were first time entrants in the workforce. The trainees also increased their earnings by three-fold although from a lower base.

Brief about the Company:
Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. Today, their Group enjoys the patronage of 1.15 billion consumers globally, across different businesses. In line with their 3 by 3 approach to international expansion at Godrej Consumer Products, they are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal care, hair care). They rank among the largest household insecticide and hair care players in emerging markets.

More about Godrej Consumer Products Limited’s CSR Portfolio

6. Okhai & Cluster Development Programme

Source: Bizastra

Name of the Company: Tata Chemicals Limited
Location: Gujarat, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu
Implementing Partner: Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development, Coastal Salinity Prevention Cell (‘CSPC’)
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 5.85
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 21.39

Okhai & cluster development programme focusses on promoting livelihood of the rural artisans by enhancing their skills and establishing market linkage to the handicraft and other products produced locally in the rural areas.  Okhai is the flagship programme which at present is working with more than 2,360 artisans across India. the Company works with more than 240 women self-help groups and facilitate women participation in different economic activities.  Cluster development programme strives to develop entrepreneurship qualities in rural women and guide them adeptly engage in productive enterprises.  The Kasturi initiative is helping develop women farmers in self-leadership, family management and ability to serve as community catalyst in Agripreneurship. The Company is reaching out to the socially weaker strata of the society especially women, scheduled caste and the scheduled tribe. The objective is to mainstream them by inclusion in all the developmental programmes. The Company undertakes Affirmative Action programme, which focusses on improving the lives of the marginalised population through its Employment, Employability, Entrepreneurship development, Education and Essential Amenities initiatives. In the FY 2019-20 the programmes have benefitted 12166 individuals till date.

Brief about the Company:

Established in 1939 in Mithapur in the Indian state of Gujarat, Tata Chemicals Limited (TCL) is a part of the US$ 110 billion Tata Group. As global company, they serve customers across 40+ countries in five continents. They bring together their knowledge, expertise and innovation prowess to positively impact industries, consumers and farmers with their science-led products spread across three business verticals - Basic Chemistry, Consumer Products and Specialty Products.

More about Tata Chemical Limited’s CSR Portfolio

7. Partnership with SEWA

Name of the Company: Abbott India Limited
Location: Gujarat
Implementing Partner: Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 3.51
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 11.36

Abbott India supports Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) and is working to develop novel models to make quality healthcare accessible among low-income populations at affordable prices. These engagements demand community mobilization (20,000 SEWA women and their families involved), sensitization, behavioral change, improvements in surveillance systems, partnerships with healthcare providers and government assistance. With SEWA, the Company launched two community clinics that provide primary, acute and NCD care. The SEWA health master trainers were trained in making screening and care accessible to communities. The key objectives of the program are improving health outcomes and creating livelihood opportunities. The Company is also helping build capacity for livelihood interventions within and beyond the program.

Brief about the Company:

Since 1910, Abbott has been dedicated to helping people in India live healthier lives through a diverse range of science-based nutritional products, diagnostic tools, branded generic pharmaceuticals, and diabetes and vascular devices. Headquartered in Mumbai, Abbott India Limited, a publicly listed company and a subsidiary of Abbott Laboratories, takes pride in offering high-quality trusted medicines in multiple therapeutic categories such as women's health, gastroenterology, cardiology, metabolic disorders and primary care.

More about Abbott India Limited’s CSR Portfolio

8. Project Pahal

Source: IPE Global
Name of the project: 3M India Limited
Location: Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh
Implementing Partner: Unitedway Bengaluru, GE Healthcare, IPE Global
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 2.41
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 8.98

In line with the Government’s priorities towards preventive and promotive health, the Company partnered with various organizations including GE Healthcare and IPE Global to participate in a skilling initiative to empower women community health workers. The Company continued to support Phase 2 of the skilling program which scaled up to train up to 4000 Community Health Workers across Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.  The health care workers were trained on topics like Hand Hygiene, Wound Management and Cleaning/ Disinfection which were interwoven into the course curriculum. Members of the Professional Services and Sales teams volunteered their time to conduct trainings to the master trainers of the project.

Brief about the Company:

Established in 1987, 3M headquarters in Bengaluru. The company leverages its global innovation expertise to develop homegrown solutions that address unique needs of diverse customers in Indian markets. From products that improve manufacturing efficiency and impact improved healthcare delivery to safety markers that help increase road visibility, everyday kitchen aids and car care products, today, 3M innovation touches millions of Indians – making lives easier and better.

More about 3M India Limited’s CSR Portfolio

9. Swayam and Sanjeevani

Source: CEAT Limited

Name of the Company: CEAT Limited
Location: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Delhi
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): INR 2.03
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): INR 9.12

Skilling healthcare workers serves the dual purpose of providing gainful employment as well as ensuring good health and wellbeing for all. In FY 2019- 20, 783 women were trained as general duty assistants, bedside assistants and patient care assistants under the Swayam and Sanjeevani programme by CEAT. 310 women have been employed at hospitals and medical facilities across locations. The women’s empowerment programme goes beyond conventional livelihood training initiatives to encourage women to pursue a career in the male-dominated driving industry. Understanding the unique set of challenges that women face in situations like these, Swayam also includes self defence training. Allied skills like spoken English, first aid, mechanics and grooming are also included in the programme to boost their employability.  In this reporting period, 600 women enrolled in the programme across Mumbai, Chennai, Nashik, Nagpur and Delhi. 395 of them trained as two-wheeler riders, whereas 205 beneficiaries completed the four-wheeler driving course. 347 candidates were successfully placed in FY 20.

Brief about the Company:

Headquartered in Mumbai, CEAT; a company established in 1958, is one of India’s leading tyre manufacturers and has strong presence in global markets. CEAT produces over 15 million tyres a year and offers the widest range of tyres to all segments and manufactures world-class radials for: heavy-duty trucks and buses, light commercial vehicles, earthmovers, forklifts, tractors, trailers, cars, motorcycles and scooters as well as auto-rickshaws.

More about CEAT Limited’s CSR Portfolio

10. Digital Sakhi Project

Source: Medium
Name of the Company: L&T Finance Holdings Limited
The total expenditure of the Project (in Cr): 1.60
Total Prescribed CSR 2019-20 (in Cr.): Nil
The Company’s flagship CSR Programme – ‘Digital Sakhi’ – aligns itself to Government of India’s vision of creating a Digital India where the focus on financial literacy has been on digital modes of payments. However, they believe that financial literacy should be complemented by livelihood creation to ascertain interest and participation of communities in the Programme. Beyond providing pathways to formal finance access by rural women in communities, the programme allows women to pursue a path of entrepreneurship and sustain their livelihoods. Digital Sakhis play the role of trusted advisors not just to women, but also to the larger rural community. In FY20, Digital Sakhis reached out to 4.75+ Lakh community members through door-to-door dissemination of digital financial literacy modules.

Brief about the Company:

L&T Finance Holdings Ltd. is a NSE and BSE listed company and is also registered with RBI as an NBFC and CIC. It conducts its financial services businesses through various subsidiaries. L&T Financial Services is the brand name of L&T Finance Holdings Ltd.

More about L&T Finance Holdings Limited’s CSR Portfolio