Elevar Equity’s Post

Investing in women has the potential to drive both economic and social progress, but we’re not moving fast enough. If things don’t change, over 340 million women and girls could still be living in extreme poverty by 2030. We need to do more, and we need to do it now. It’s not just about financial resources—institutions, policies, and social norms must work together to open up opportunities and provide women with secure livelihoods. By improving access to resources, creating better job conditions, and addressing the time constraints caused by unpaid care work, we can support women on their path to economic independence. Ensuring their safety, security, and rights is also key to making lasting progress. At the CII Centre for Women Leadership, we are committed to advancing these efforts by collaborating with stakeholders and driving solutions that support women’s economic participation. Now is the time for collective action to turn these ideas into reality. #InvestInWomen #WomensEconomicParticipation #InclusiveGrowth #GenderEquality #GenderEquity #WomenLeadership Confederation of Indian Industry Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation CII Foundation CII Indian Women Network Ministry of Women & Child Development Seema Arora Shivani Kumar

Enquiring if the entrepreneur’s gender plays a role in their ability to run a business, Saumya Sindhwani, Assistant Professor, Organisational Behaviour (Practice), ISB, highlights how the lack of knowledge, gendered socialisation, and low self-esteem add to women entrepreneurs' fear of failure in business, making them risk-averse and thus limiting their achievements. In a co-authored opinion piece with Sudipta Shaw, the authors underscore evidence suggesting that men and women entrepreneurs (WE) have similar odds of success during the funding stage. The article also highlights that women fund managers outperform their male counterparts, emphasising the existence of women's financial acumen. Yet according to data, in India, women make up only 13.76 per cent of the total number of entrepreneurs in the country. "Building financial acumen among women in general, and WE in particular, will not only aid in greater confidence in financial decision-making but will also benefit the economy, laying the foundation for resilient societies, where diverse perspectives drive innovation and prosperity," they opine. Read the full article on Firstpost: https://lnkd.in/gMbmchff #ISB #ISBFaculty

Did you know that women-led businesses contribute over 𝟭𝟳% 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗮’𝘀 𝗚𝗗𝗣, 𝘆𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗮 𝗺𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗮𝗽 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟳𝟬%? This isn’t just a number—it’s a call for action. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗲𝘅𝗶𝘀𝘁? The challenges start with deeply rooted gender biases. Women often lack access to education, business networks, and collateral for loans. On top of that, many financial institutions hesitate to trust women-led ventures, leading to limited funding opportunities. Even in today’s modern world, outdated mindsets hold back ambitious women entrepreneurs from reaching their full potential. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹? It’s not just about GDP growth. Women-led businesses create jobs, bring diverse ideas, and improve the lives of their communities. Empowering these businesses means strengthening families, reducing poverty, and ensuring economic equality. Research shows that women reinvest up to 90% of their income back into their families, compared to 30-40% by men. Imagine the ripple effect on education, healthcare, and future generations! 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗯𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? India’s overall GDP comes from sectors like agriculture (~17%), industry (~25%), and services (~48%). Women-led businesses, contributing 17%, match agriculture but could do much more with better support. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘄𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗼? 1. 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻: Banks and investors must create women-friendly policies, including collateral-free loans and mentorship programs. 2. 𝗘𝗻𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲𝘀: Schemes like MUDRA loans and others should be better implemented and expanded. 3. 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗱𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: Buy from women-led businesses, mentor aspiring women entrepreneurs, and advocate for gender equality. 4. 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Change starts when we question biases and uplift women around us. Women aren’t just leaders—they’re changemakers. Let’s ensure they get the support they deserve! #shethepeople #sisterhood #womeninstem

Women Economic Empowerment Program (WEE) is proud to announce its partnership with Strategies2Scale & Nikore Associates (NA), a dedicated think-tank and knowledge branch. As an economics research group, NA's founding principle has been to mainstream gender considerations in policy initiatives with an aim to continue questioning policy efficacy and create better policy design by advocating revolutionary gender-sensitive research across a wide range of sectors. The partnership will focus on a pivotal study on women economic empowerment, specifically conducting extensive research to understand women's engagement in digital platforms within India's private sector economy. Highlighting the crucial role of women in driving national development, the study aims to address the persistently low Female Labor Force Participation Rate (FLFPR) in India, underlining the transformative potential of digital platforms to counter gender biases, provide flexibility, and pave the way for women's advancement in the evolving digital economy. Look forward to us sharing data snippets and key findings from the study conducted with NA. GAME - Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship Nikore Associates Strategies2Scale Ravi Venkatesan Ketul Acharya Mekin Maheshwari Madan Padaki Poulomi Pal Sanjeev Nikore Mitali Nikore Girish Sharma #WomenEmpowerment #Entrepreneurship #Partnership #WomenInBusiness #EmpowerWomen #EconomicEmpowerment #BusinessGrowth #WomenEntrepreneurs #ImpactfulPartnerships #InclusiveGrowth #EmpoweringCommunities #WEEforWomen #WomenEconomicEmpowerment #NikoreAssociates #Strategies2Scale #PolicyInitiatives #EconomicResearchGroup #BreakingBarriers

In India, women are transforming *leadership and finance,* stepping into roles traditionally held by men. The Startup Professional Forum (SPF), founded by Shweta Rajpal Kohli, exemplifies this shift, fostering female involvement in the *entrepreneurial ecosystem.* Women now lead organizations like FICCI and CII, marking significant progress against *gender barriers* . Policy interventions, like SEBI’s mandate for gender diversity on corporate boards, have boosted female representation in *leadership* . Increasingly, women are becoming *active investors,* representing *22% of stock market* participants, with young women particularly embracing *financial independence.* Despite ongoing challenges, inclusive strategies and *digital empowerment are opening doors* for women, positioning them as vital contributors to India's economic narrative, ultimately proving that " *when women lead, everyone prospers."* https://lnkd.in/gVSKQHfu

Bridging the Gender Gap in MSME Sector – A Key to Financial Inclusion 💼👩💼 RBI Deputy Governor Swaminathan J. has emphasized the need to bridge the gender gap in India’s MSME sector to ensure financial inclusion and support the growth of women entrepreneurs. 🚀 Key Insights: 🔹 Less than 20% of MSMEs are owned by women. 🔹 Women entrepreneurs face hurdles like limited access to funding, societal barriers, and challenges in obtaining affordable finance. 🔹 Businesses with women founders tend to have a more inclusive work culture, employ more women, and generate higher revenues. Swaminathan stressed the need for tailored banking schemes and government programs to support women-led enterprises, especially at the district level. Empowering women in the MSME sector is crucial to leveraging India’s demographic dividend and enhancing financial inclusion in the remotest parts of the country. #MSME #WomenEntrepreneurs #FinancialInclusion #GenderGap #WomenInBusiness #RBI #Empowerment Source- financial express

On this International Day of the Girl Child, we celebrate the incredible potential of girls and women everywhere. Today, we look to inspiring female leaders like Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the founder of Biocon and a trailblazer in India's biotechnology sector, and global figures like Kamala Harris and Jacinda Ardern, who are breaking barriers and leading with vision. This day is not just about recognizing the leaders of today, but also about empowering the girls of tomorrow. One key area where we see incredible promise is in female entrepreneurship. Women-led MSMEs are crucial to India’s economic growth, and at IREP Credit Capital , we are proud to offer tailored financial solutions designed to support and uplift women entrepreneurs. By providing access to credit and resources, we aim to enable more women to realize their business ambitions and contribute to their communities. As we celebrate the resilience and potential of girls, let’s commit to building a world where they have equal opportunities to succeed and lead. When we invest in girls, we invest in the future. #InternationalDayoftheGirlChild #WomenEntrepreneurs #EmpowerHer #FinancialInclusion #WomenInBusiness #IREPCreditCapital

Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA), in collaboration with Winpe and Praxis Global Alliance, is proud to announce our collaboration on a research report titled “Equity in Equity: Gender Inclusion in PE-VC”. The report aims to assess the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) landscape within India’s private equity and venture capital ecosystem, track progress, and uncover opportunities for instrumental change. A cornerstone of this initiative is gathering perspectives from the investing community to gain a better understanding of women’s representation, recent advancements, and the barriers to achieving diversity and inclusion in the sector. The survey is tailored to: ✔️ Limited partners ✔️ Fund managers ✔️ Women professionals ✔️ Women founders We invite you to take part in this structured survey. Your insights will be instrumental in identifying progress, pinpointing gaps, and shaping actionable strategies for an equitable and inclusive investment ecosystem in India: https://lnkd.in/dJbb87XM #EquityinEquity #GenderInclusion #WomeninInvesting #InclusiveFinance #EmpoweringChange #DEILeadership #Winpe #IVCA