Empowering Women-Led Businesses: Villgro and UNDP Launch EMPOWER Her Journey Program
- ByStartupStory | August 16, 2023
Social enterprise incubator Villgro and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India have unveiled EMPOWER Her Journey, an initiative aimed at expediting the growth of women-led businesses in India. The program’s objective is to provide support to women entrepreneurs by bridging the financial gap and facilitating access to digital tools for expanded market outreach. Key challenges faced by female entrepreneurs include limited awareness of pertinent government and banking initiatives, cultural barriers, and the need for mentors and networks. These obstacles hinder their growth and capacity for expansion. According to a press release, the program will counter these challenges through peer-to-peer learning sessions, training, networking events, and mentorship.
Additionally, the initiative will offer training on digital transformation tools to boost sales and strategies for accelerating business growth, including go-to-market approaches, fundraising, and measuring impact. “We hold the firm belief that empowering women entrepreneurs extends beyond economic growth; it sets in motion a ripple effect that profoundly influences families, communities, and the nation,” stated Jenaan Lilani Bhargava, Advisor at Villgro.
As part of Villgro’s ongoing commitment to assisting women entrepreneurs in India, the EMPOWER Her Journey program will complement initiatives like the TVARAN Accelerator and Powering Livelihoods. “With this programme, we aim to leverage our 20+ years of expertise, empowering 1,600 women across the country to thrive in entrepreneurship, foster growth, and achieve remarkable success,” Bhargava declared. “Empower Her Journey has been designed to unlock the untapped potential of women-led startups with incubation and acceleration support. With Villgro as a partner, we are confident this initiative will catalyse the entrepreneurial journey of all women entrepreneur participants,” said Amit Kumar, Head of Sustainable and Inclusive Growth at UNDP India.
The program is open for applications from Indian enterprises founded or co-founded by women, or with women occupying senior executive positions, and having less than five years of operational experience in any sector. Startups at the ideation, pre-revenue, or revenue-generating stages are eligible to apply. The inaugural cohort will feature the involvement of 100 women-led startups and women entrepreneurs. Application submissions will be accepted until August 30.
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