Seven social sector organizations were selected out of more than 260 applicants for an award of up to Rs 1 Crore each in grants from Reliance Foundation to address barriers that limit women’s access to technology.
The United States government partnered with Reliance Foundation to support women entrepreneurs, farmers, women-led micro enterprises and collectives, and self-help groups to provide mentoring support from experts and practitioners across India.
The winners were announced on Wednesday at an event ‘Accelerating Digital Inclusion: Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in India’ that brought together key experts and organizations.
Speaking at the event, USAID Mission Director Veena Reddy said, “The U.S. recognizes the strategic importance of a connected world. USAID works towards a future where digital technology promotes inclusive growth and empowers all, including the most vulnerable.”
Jagannatha Kumar, CEO, Reliance Foundation, which is helmed by Mrs Nita Ambani, said, “We are committed to working to close the gender digital divide because we believe India’s digital revolution provides immense potential for women- led development. We saw this through the innovative approaches to digital inclusion that were incubated in Round One of the WomenConnect Challenge India. Through WomenConnect Challenge India Round Two, Reliance Foundation in partnership with USAID aims to positively impact over 3,50,000 women and their communities.”
The winners of Round Two are The Goat Trust, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, Manjari Foundation,
Digital Empowerment Foundation, Seven Sisters Development Assistance, ACCESS Development Services and Yugantar,
During the roundtable, Reliance Foundation and USAID released their first joint publication from WomenConnect Challenge India, titled ’Women Connected: Strategies for Bridging the Gender Digital Divide in India,’ summarizing their learnings.
The publication highlights the significance of behavioral change campaigns and collaboration with community leaders and family members in promoting digital inclusion.
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