Our Aim
We financially empower women from rural communities so they can become self-sufficient entrepreneurs and bring about social change, command greater influence on their families and communities and make better decisions regarding their health and wellbeing.
We believe that women can be the powerhouse of change. From our experience of creating 4.7 million jobs (as of January 2022) in India and abroad, women when empowered with skills, financial education and access to markets can not only earn an additional income but also contribute to the upliftment of their family and the society.
The Self Help Group-micro enterprises program of Hand in Hand primarily targets women and focuses on enterprise creation and jobs. It also realizes the importance of education and creates awareness among the Self Help Group women on education of children and conducts adult literacy classes in the project villages as women can access only non-formal education at this stage.
Impact of Job Creation & Women Empowerment Programmes
216,761
Self help groups (SHGs) formed2,495,446
SHG members enrolled2,541,597
Family-Based enterprises created62,581
Micro enterprises formedKarnataka
Kerala
Madhya Pradesh
Maharashtra
Odisha
Puducherry
Rajasthan
Tamil Nadu
Uttar Pradesh
Gujarat
Activities
Job Creation for women
Job Creation for women
Forming the social fabric of the community, the Self Help Group model is our strategy for social and economic alleviation of rural women. Bringing together 10-12 women from similar economic profiles, we foster job creation through a five-step process: social mobilisation , SHG formation, capacity building through training in financial and digital literacy, access to credit, entrepreneurship development and market linkages. Value-based skill training and awareness is imparted on healthcare, water and sanitation, making the SHG model a Holistic one.
Skill training and development
Skill training and development
Creating job opportunities in alignment with our goals and linking it up with building relevant skill-levels, would result in emancipation of women and youth. As part of our skill development intervention, effort is made to identify interested and able youth and women and provide them with training in trades that are both location and demand-specific. Training on presentation skills, link up with credit support and access to government services ensure holistic support.
Women’s healthcare
Women’s healthcare
Women’s productivity and good health determine the well-being of the family. Under the focused healthcare intervention, we provide routine rural medical clinics, assisted by qualified physicians, and mobile health camps for SHG members from remote rural communities. Championing the cause of maternal and child health, Mother's Collectives are formed at the village-level as a platform to provide health training on Anaemia prevention and control, Early Childhood Care and Development and more. Women and girls are made aware of hygiene practices, besides linking them up with Government subsidies to build toilets.
Our Goal
10 million jobs for women by 2025
Stories Of Change
Gita
Business Development Training, Tamil Nadu
Gita and her husband Meghnad pack a long hectic day. In Keelkathirpur, rural Tamil Nadu where they live, the couple run their business of making areca nut palm cutlery. They are riding on the wave of eco-friendly cutlery that is much in demand.
Read More StoriesHelp More Women Like Gita
Creating an entrepreneur is no easy feat. Entrepreneurs require training in business plan preparation, financial planning, marketing, sales and much more. You can create entrepreneurs of 10 women in trades such as beautician, tailoring, bee-keeping and more with just CHF 200.