Gender plays an increasingly important role in the economic growth process, both in terms of capacity building for success and the nature of the influence of certain development plans and initiatives. The Girl Power Project, being implemented by AIILSG in Jharkhand and funded by the European Union, is striving to strengthen the ability of the Indian civil society and its organisations to perform their role as independent agents of change, implanting actions that bring transformative change into the lives of women and girls. The project aims to provide women and girls with skill training and entrepreneurial support to promote them as entrepreneurs.
The Girl Power Project is focusing on building self-esteem through counseling, life skills training, and mentoring support through the entire journey of self-development and growth. This includes decision-making support, capacity building, and helping get work opportunities. It focuses on market-led enterprise-building, which is identifying gaps in already functioning value chains so that one knows where the maximum margins can be made to benefit the informally employed poor, create quality entrepreneurs for growing the business, laying emphasis to serve a variety of market segments and women with varying levels of capacities and social constraints. The integration aims to support women and girls to move forward confidently in new market situations.
Numerous social issues force the need for social entrepreneurship development in rural areas. Low living standards, unemployment, and social unrest are some such issues. Rural markets in India have been growing at a fast pace, resulting in overall social development and a balanced economy. The rural market has more potential than the urban market for consumer durables and services. Women establishing and running their own enterprise in rural areas comes with added responsibilities and obstacles. During the Baseline Survey of Girl Power Project, it was evident that there were a lot of obstacles that existing women entrepreneurs had to face on a daily basis in operating their enterprises. Women encounter major challenges in the marketing of goods and services as well. Lack of awareness of new products in the urban market, as well as poor technical skills in business administration, are major obstacles. Not only this, their remote location and distance from the market also results in increased transportation costs. Focusing on women’s skill development and economic empowerment is one of the most urgent means to drive progress on poverty eradication, gender equality, and social and economic growth. When women and girls gain economic empowerment, the effects are spread across the communities.
The European Union-funded Girl Power Project works with an objective of creating women entrepreneurs and till date, has trained 2,500 women beneficiaries in making of different products and commodities. The women beneficiaries are being trained on products such as Agarbatti, Achar-masala, Papad making, Goatry, Poultry, Lac Cultivation, Mushroom Cultivation, and Dairy. The women beneficiaries have been selected through the baseline survey in the initial phase of the project, in which 5,000 women were surveyed in 10 districts of Jharkhand covering 20 Blocks. Women beneficiaries are emerging from different blocks of Jharkhand with different products and are growing their businesses to become social entrepreneurs.
Objectives of Social Entrepreneurship
It creates opportunities: Through their very actions and initiatives, social entrepreneurs have the power to open up opportunities for people around their community creating jobs and employment around them.
It has the power to change people’s behavior: Social Entrepreneurship through women will not only bring women empowerment but also promote gender equality in the community.
It motivates others: The Social Entrepreneurs motivate others to do the same. This not only motivates the community they live in but also motivates the women of same socio-economic background.
Brings Social Change: Social entrepreneurship brings social change.
Success Story in Agarbatti making
Nikhat Praveen is a passionate entrepreneur of Mahru village of Bero block in Ranchi district. She is making Incense Sticks from home along with other women of the village after getting trained under the Girl Power Project. She expressed that after the training in Incense Making provided to them in their village by an experienced trainer with the support of Girl Power Project, they are enthusiastic and are making Incense Sticks in their village. After the training, they formed a group and started purchasing the raw materials from Ranchi. Then they prepare handmade incense sticks and pack it. After that they sell final products in the local market. Most of the sale of the group is near the temples and ritual sites. They are now getting more orders as they are producing good quality materials. She then requested the Girl Power Project to provide them semi-automatic machine so that they can produce more to meet the demand. This will definitely help them to improve their socio-economic status. On December 20, 2022 Shouvik Datta, Senior Program Manager of European Union visited the site for Girl Power Project and saw the Agarbatti making by the self-help groups (SHGs) created by Girl Power Project at Bero block of Ranchi District and motivated them to continue with the good work.
Experience sharing by women beneficiaries
Women entrepreneurs were called for sharing their experiences on the occasion of Annual Network Meet of Girl Power Project. They spoke about the challenges they faced during the initiation of their business/enterprise with the technical support of the girl Power Project. The challenges are not only from outside but also from within their own families. Despite all these hurdles they are now doing business and trying to be independent. They are not only financially benefited through the project but also have a say in family matters. They are also providing employment to other women. All of them are very happy as they are doing better than before and promise to do the best in future.
Outcome of the discussion
The rural women beneficiaries who got training under Girl Power Project are enthusiastic and highly motivated. They tend to bring changes in their own lives as well as the community they live in by establishing enterprise. They are doing excellent work in creating opportunities for themselves and people in their community by product-based learning and training, but they need financial support to start their venture in their vicinity for their livelihood. To meet such need, the Girl Power project is providing them knowledge about the existing government schemes and policies for getting financial help to establish their enterprise for individual as well
as in SHGs.