Paving the way in a women’s world
Women make up nearly half of India’s population but equitable access to the essentials of life — a good education, adequate healthcare and fruitful livelihood opportunities — are beyond far too many of them.
The scales are tilted and what is surely the stronger sex has been rendered weak by intergenerational, widespread and deep-rooted discrimination.
The numerous women-centric programmes of the Tata Trusts are an effort to battle the bias, to nurture inclusion instead of exclusion, to lend a hand by helping women help themselves. The rural reaches of India are the setting for a majority of these programmes, simply because that’s where the need is greatest.
Our cover story tracks the progress of, and the impact made by, seven initiatives where women are the principal protagonists — as entrepreneurs, leaders and creators of their destiny.
These women have made a mark in the spheres of health, energy and livelihoods, carving out a space for their ability, hard work and commitment to find expression.
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Dear dairy
An all-women group of milk producers in Maharashtra’s Vidarbha region is breeding entrepreneurs in an area beset with agrarian distress
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Sweet harvest
Women and watermelons are at the heart of a farming collective in Ladakh that has cultivated tasty success
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Startup leg up
An entrepreneurship initiative in rural Rajasthan is enabling women to seize the day and the opportunities that come with it
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Besting the testing
An affordable blood sample-based diagnosis that tracks four vector-borne diseases promises to be a boon for rural communities
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Good looks count
The Cilika digital microscope could go a long way in the health sector with its imaging and transmission advantages
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Power trip
Rechargion’s sodium-ion batteries — safer, greener and longer lasting than their alternatives — could be a boon for rural India
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Timing it right
Catching drug-resistant tuberculosis early and accurately is the objective of a startup with a diagnostic tool that could be a lifesaver
