Outcome IND_D_1.1

By 2027, people will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods, and income, particularly for youth and women

Fostering sustainable and inclusive growth across diverse sectors through advancement in economic participation and empowerment of women and youth in targeted regions viz. employment, entrepreneurship, education, and policy influence. In 2023, UN Women, through vital partnerships with government bodies, civil society, and the private sector, has made significant strides in promoting sustainable and inclusive growth, focusing on boosting productivity, competitiveness, and economic diversification for women and youth. Here are the key impacts: · Employment and Skills Enhancement: In Maharashtra, Odisha, and Bihar, UN Women successfully facilitated employment opportunities, including jobs, apprenticeships, and internships, for 832 women in diverse sectors such as banking, finance, textile, sales, marketing, beauty, wellness, garment production, and engineering. · Entrepreneurship Development: A total of 627 women in Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, and Maharashtra launched individual and group enterprises, demonstrating the effectiveness of the Second Chance Education and Women in Action projects in fostering female entrepreneurship. · Education and Training: Women and girls’ enrolment in Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics in Koraput, Bargarh, and Gajapati – some of the most backward districts in the state of Odisha in eastern India, increased by 15% from 2021 to 2023, thanks to UN Women’s mobilization efforts. · STEM Empowerment: In collaboration with the Government of Madhya Pradesh, UN Women secured funding to enhance STEM skills among 2,000 women from tribal and marginalized communities. The project, which started in December 2023, has already enrolled over 600 young women, with training and placement drives set for completion in 2024. · Handicrafts Initiative: In Maharashtra, UN Women's support enabled women in Nandurbar and Jalgaon to produce banana fibre handicrafts, earning the One District One Product (ODOP) tag. ODOP, a Government of India initiative, provides a 35% credit-linked capital subsidy to women-run businesses. This initiative led to an order of 1,000 products worth INR 2.5 Lakh (USD $3,300), promising a 30% profit margin, with delivery expected in February 2024. · Educational Policy Influence: UN Women played a pivotal role in the formulation of the Gender Policy of the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS), to address a 33% gender enrolment gap. The policy focuses on improving women's enrolment, retention, and academic performance. NIOS, with a cumulative enrolment of 4.3 million in the past five years, has a substantial impact on the education of future women learners. · Private Sector Engagement: The commitment to women's empowerment in the workplace, marketplace, and community was reinforced with 45 new private sector companies pledging their support, bringing the total number of Indian signatories to 383.

By 2027, people will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods, and income, particularly for youth and women

During the reporting period, women from rural, tribal and semi urban areas from low socio economic and vulnerable communities benefitted from increased earnings through decent and competitive livelihood opportunities created by UN Women across sectors including care economy. 513 women farmers, from two Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs) sold 463 metric tonnes of rice to OLAM Agri, a leading multinational food and agri-business , with an approximate value of USD 109,756 after UN Women enhanced capacities of 6 women Board of Directors and 100 women members of the two FPOs on financial planning, business plan development and marketing. 878 women from rural, tribal and semi urban areas entered the formal workforce in jobs predominantly in Science Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) fields in high growth-potential and non gender-stereotypical sectors such as line operators, trainee assembly, machine operators, technicians, as well as HR professionals in renowned companies such as Tata Motors, Apollo Tyres, Foxconn, Wistron, Flipkart, ICICI Prudential, State Bank of India, Axis Band, Dr Reddy’s Foundation, HDFC earning between USD 175 – USD 240 per month. Under UN Women’s innovative financing model, 269 women entrepreneurs received need-based, collateral-free loans amounting to USD 120,000 mobilized through social and impact investors towards enterprises for expanding their businesses. In the care economy, 132 women received vocational skilling under the Better Skills Better Care initiative, with 97 graduating and 41 securing economic opportunities—22 through self-employment, 12 in formal employment, and 7 in paid care jobs—serving 663 customers, in 2024. UN Women supported four women-led care enterprises, created over 7,900 jobs, primarily for women, and served more than 21,200 individuals with care services. A total of 8,884 women and young people were trained in employability and entrepreneurship skills including in STEM, Artificial Intelligence (AI), digital and financial management skills. 2,127 women and girls from rural and marginalized communities, including those from scheduled castes and tribes across 12 districts, enrolled in Industrial Training Institutes and Polytechnics through UN Women’s efforts, expanding their access to technical education.

By 2027, people will benefit from and contribute to sustainable and inclusive growth through higher productivity, competitiveness and diversification in economic activities that create decent work, livelihoods, and income, particularly for youth and women

Upholding the principle of leaving no one behind, ICO contributed to enhancing the economic productivity of 6513 women and youth —predominantly from Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and economically disadvantaged communities. Strengthened Education to Employment transitions for young women: Under the WeSTEM project, 726 young women accessed formal employment opportunities across technical and industrial roles, including 273 women who entered the formal workforce for the first time. These opportunities were made accessible through UN Women’s targeted interventions to strengthen participants’ technical, digital, and employability skills, alongside career-readiness support such as workplace orientation, mentorship, and job matching with private sector partners. As a result, participating women secured roles such as Sewing Machine Operators, Office Management Interns, Computer Numerical Control (CNC)/Vertical Machining Centre (VMC) Machine Operators, and EV Assembly Line Operators, earning monthly salaries ranging from INR 12,000 to 18,000 (USD 136–204). A significant proportion of participants entered higher-productivity and traditionally male-dominated sectors, reflecting progress toward inclusive workforce participation. Key participating companies across the manufacturing, automotive, textiles, electronics, and service sectors included Tata Motors, MRF Tyres, Arvind Textiles, Apollo Tyres, Hilti Manufacturing, Waaree Solar, and Schaeffler, among others. Similarly, under the Link Women project, UN Women facilitated employment pathways by brokering partnerships with corporate institutions, resulting in 300 women securing paid internships and 56 candidates advancing to competitive leadership fellowships. These outcomes were underpinned by structured leadership development, confidence-building, and professional skills enhancement, strengthening both employability and long-term career progression. At the institutional level, UN Women’s engagement with industry partners, training providers, employers, and communities contributed to a more enabling environment for women’s employment. This included promoting gender-responsive recruitment practices, sensitising workplace stakeholders, and mobilising community support to enable women to take up employment opportunities. This institutional mobilisation played a critical role in expanding access to jobs and sustaining pathways for women’s participation in the formal workforce. In the care sector, 156 women to transitioned into income-generating opportunities and 192 children across 3 States (Jharkhand, Gujarat, and Maharashtra) accessed Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) and learning-through-play (LUYM- Lighting up Young Minds) services, thereby reducing unpaid care burdens and enabling women’s economic participation. Expanding Entrepreneurship, Finance, and Sustainable Livelihoods: Leveraging the innovative UN Women Fund for Women Entrepreneurs- a peer-to-peer lending model anchored in social impact investing- 2,619 women accessed low-cost, collateral-free loans totalling USD 1.3 million raised through social impact investors. The project was implemented in partnership with Manjari Foundation as the implementing partner and Rang De as the peer-to-peer lending partner ( for mobilising the social impact investors), while UN Women designed and piloted the model based on prior learning that lack of affordable finance was a primary constraint to women establishing and sustaining enterprises. Women primarily invested in animal husbandry and non-farm nano enterprises such as retail shops, tailoring, food processing and local services, aligned with local market demand. These investments enabled asset creation, enterprise expansion and more stable income streams, including investments in productive and clean energy assets such as solar irrigation pumps. Evidence from implementation shows women using loans to expand general stores, invest in dairy livestock and strengthen small businesses, leading to increased monthly earnings and improved household financial resilience. Early outcomes indicate sustained livelihood gains and shifts in women’s economic agency, including improved repayment confidence, reduced reliance on informal credit, and greater participation in household financial decisions. In several instances, enterprises generated additional employment and inspired peer adoption, signalling emerging multiplier effects. These women-led micro-enterprises generated 4,021 new jobs, demonstrating strengthened employment creation by women entrepreneurs and contributing to inclusive local economic growth and livelihood opportunities. https://rangde.in/fund/un-women-fund-for-women-entrepreneurs Under the CORE project, 2,255 women became entrepreneurs in diversified sectors—including mushroom cultivation, vermicomposting, banana fibre production, and paddy briquette manufacturing—thereby establishing climate-resilient, sustainable livelihoods with the potential to significantly increase their earnings. Women’s Safety: With UN Women’s technical guidance, the Department of Social Welfare and Women Empowerment (DSWWE) integrated gender-responsive recommendations into a comprehensive, state-wide Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). These recommendations include: Zero Tolerance : Reaffirms strict action against all forms of workplace sexual harassment. Equality Lens : Applies an equality-based approach, acknowledging power dynamics and structural disadvantage. Minor Protection : Mandates POCSO Act compliance when the survivor is a minor. Consent Clarification : States that consent is not ongoing and can be withdrawn at any time. Gender Neutrality : Encourages inclusive access to justice by recognizing all genders in complaints. This milestone policy provision significantly strengthens systemic responses to workplace gender-based violence across both the public and private sectors. Additionally, 12 textile factories agreed to adopt a POSH Policy developed to address the gaps identified in the existing policy provisions during the baseline The initiative is projected to benefit over 1.2 million women workers employed in Tamil Nadu’s textile industry—one of the largest female workforces in India’s manufacturing sector.