Below are some of the best initiatives undertaken in Women Empowerment under CSR by corporate houses in FY 2018-19:

1. Targeting Hardcore Poor Programme

source: bandhan.org

 Name of the Company: Bandhan Bank Limited

 Location: West Bengal, Bihar, Odisha, Jharkhand

 Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 12.95 Cr.

 Total Prescribed CSR in FY 2018-19: INR 27.83 Cr.

 Targeting the Hardcore Program is a unique program designed for the poorest of the poor. Grants     (in the form of free assets, not cash) are offered to destitute women. They start generating income out of this asset and are consequently able to sustain their livelihoods. It is seen that within 18-24 months of this grant intervention, these hardcore poor beneficiaries start to graduate, uplift themselves from extreme poverty and get linked to mainstream society. This program follows a 360 degree approach. Besides providing free assets, consistent counselling and mentoring support is also extended. A weekly subsistence allowance (considerable amount of cash) is also given to these women to meet their daily basic expenses until the assets begin to yield returns. Financial literacy is imparted so that they can make informed financial decisions.

Implementing Partner: Bandhan-Konnagar

Brief about the Company: Bandhan Bank offers its world class banking products and services to urban, semi-urban and rural customers alike. It is a bank for all but the focus remains unchanged to meet the financial needs of people who are overlooked by the formal banking system and create better education, healthcare and self-employment opportunities.

More about Bandhan Bank Limited CSR Portfolio

2. Economic Empowerment of Women

source: ITC Limited

Name of the Company: ITC Limited

Location: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, West Bengal,  Maharashtra, Uttarakhand , Himachal Pradesh.

Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 12.02 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in FY 2018-19: INR 306.55 Cr.

The Economic Empowerment of Women initiative provided a range of gainful employment opportunities to over 64,000 poor women cumulatively, supported with capacity building and financial assistance by way of loans and grants. Included in the total are 22,700 ultra-poor women in the Company’s core catchments, who have access to sustainable sources of income through non-farm livelihood opportunities. The financial literacy and inclusion project, in partnership with Madhya Pradesh State Rural Livelihood Mission (MPSRLM) and CRISIL Foundation, was rolled out in 765 villages across 11 districts during the year.

Implementing Partner: FUEL (FRIENDS Union for Energising Lives), Magic Bus, CRY, Humana People to People India, Agastya, Quota International, Nabet, American India Foundation, SETCO Foundation, Raman Kant Munjal Foundation 

Brief about the Company: ITC is one of India's foremost private sector companies and a diversified conglomerate with businesses spanning Fast Moving Consumer Goods, Hotels, Paperboards and Packaging, Agri Business and Information Technology.

More about ITC Limited CSR Portfolio

3. Project Salon-i

source: Godrej Consumer Products Limited

Name of the Company: Godrej Consumer Products Limited

Location:  Pan-India 

Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 8.10 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in FY 2018-19: INR 21.87 Cr.

Godrej Consumer’s flagship social initiative, Salon-i, is a vocational training programme for women. It is designed entirely in-house to train young women in basic skills of beauty, skin, hair care, and mehendi application. In addition, life skills and entrepreneurship development modules enable women to take up jobs or pursue self-employment depending on their unique skill sets and circumstances. Although Saloni’s employability goal is small, compared to the country’s overall need, the programme is unique as it specifically aims at employability, entrepreneurship development, and empowerment of women. The Company also reached out to women micro-entrepreneurs in the beauty and wellness sector in various parts of the country and set up the ‘Beautypreneur’ platform. Beautypreneur aims at developing beauty and wellness enterprises led by women, thereby enabling them to start training other girls. This is in addition to their regular salon business and thus helps them expand their enterprise. Godrej’s third-party impact assessment of Salon-i showed that over 50 percent of their trainees take up employment and over 25 percent of them work from home in beauty-related trades. Those who work from home earn between ₹1,000 and ₹5,000 per month, whereas those with jobs earn upwards of ₹5,000 per month, depending on the number of hours, location, skill level, etc. For most of their alumni, this is their first skill-based income source, and many women are the first women in their families and/or communities to step out of the home for paid employment.

Implementing Partner: SAATH, Self-Employed Women's Association (SEWA), YUVA, Dhriiti, Tata strive, Aditya Birla skills Foundation, DDJF, Don Bosco Tech Society, Labournet, Pratham, Save the Children India, Youthnet

Brief about the Company: Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. They rank among the largest household insecticide and hair care players in emerging markets

More about Godrej Consumer Limited CSR Portfolio

4. 'Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon’ Season 3

Name of the Company: REC Limited

Location: Pan-India 

Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 5.41 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 157.29 Cr.

REC Limited, India’s leading power sector financier, has partnered with Population Foundation of India (PFI), a Delhi-based population research and advocacy organisation for the third season of its show ‘Main Kuch Bhi Kar Sakti Hoon’ to be aired on Doordarshan and All India Radio. This awareness project amplifies the message of Swachh Bharat Mission. It is an initiative to create an understanding regarding the sustained and safe sanitation practices in addition to the issues around women's health and empowerment via communication intervention.

Implementing Partner: Population Foundation of India

Brief about the Company: REC Limited is a Navratna Company under the Ministry of Power. It is leading in providing financial assistance to the power sector in all segments, be it Generation, Transmission or Distribution.

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5. Project SAKHI

source: Hindustan Zinc Limited

Name of the Company: Hindustan Zinc Limited

Location: Rajasthan

Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 5.40 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 203.93 Cr.

SAKHI - The flagship project is geared towards mobilizing rural women into self-help groups (SHGs) and developing their capacities around leadership, skill development, savings and entrepreneurship. Under this project, there are 1922 SHGs with a membership of about 23,954 with total savings of ₹ 6.2 Crore and cumulative loans of ₹ 17.13 Crore including credit of ₹ 2.7 Crore leveraged from banks. 18,053 women availed loans from SHGs for various purposes like livelihood activities, education, debt redemption and house hold consumption. 492 women have started or expanded their micro-enterprises. Two other significant developments from the year were: The project now has 126 functional VOs and five federations with a base of 23,000 women were formed during the year and Two of the largest programs – Khushi and Sakhi were brought together under various initiatives. One example is the involvement of about 140 women in stitching uniforms for 60,000 Khushi Anganwadi children under the ‘Khushi Baatiye’ Campaign.

Implementing Partner: Saheli Samiti & Manjari Foundation, Center for Study of Values (COS-V)

Brief about the Company: Hindustan Zinc Limited was incorporate from the erstwhile Metal Corporation of India. It is India's largest and the world's second largest integrated zinc-lead producer.

More about Hindustan Zinc Limited CSR Profile

6. Empowering Women through various media.

source: HeroMotoCorp Limited

Name of the Company: Hero MotoCorp Limited

Location: Pan-India

The Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 5.36 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 93.72 Cr.

The Company under Women Empowerment launched project Sakhi in association with the police departments of 8 states to empower women cops by providing them two-wheelers to increase their independent mobility when responding to distress calls. The total cops supported currently are 960. The Company also promoted Employability for girls and women wherein the short-term courses provided include tailoring, beautician, hospitality etc. The Entrepreneurship Development program for women focused on marginalized section of the society by providing opportunities to enhance their capacity to earn a decent livelihood and support their families. The Company has thus promoted socio-economic and community development awareness through all means and media

Implementing Partner: Humana People to People India, Indian School of Business, Police Departments

Brief about the Company: Hero MotoCorp is India's leading two wheeler company, which has been providing customers with an excellent range of two wheelers that ensure both style and comfort.

More about Hero MotoCorp’s Limited CSR Profile

7. Project Swayam & Project Sanjeevani:

Source: CEAT Limited

Name of the Company: CEAT Limited

Location: Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi 

The Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 2.39 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 10.509 Cr.

Under Project Swayam, the Company imparted driving skills to women and helped them get licences to be employed as drivers in the transport sector. The company also trained them to drive taxis, school vans and two-wheelers to earn a livelihood. While 1,279 women across locations (728-two‑wheeler, 361 – three-wheeler, 250 – four-wheeler) enrolled in the driver’s training programme, 600 women completed their training for two-wheeler riding, 258 women completed training for three-wheeler driving and 199 women completed their training for four-wheeler driving. These women after procuring their permanent driving licences, will receive placement support. Under Project Sanjeevani the Company supported the training of 719 less-privileged women in Bed Side Assistant/Patient Care Assistant programmes, providing them with livelihood options in the healthcare sector. 114 candidates were also trained in Halol.

Implementing Partner: RPG Foundation, KEC Internation, Raychem RPG. 

Brief about the Company: CEAT, the flagship Company of the RPG enterprises is one of India's leading tyre manufacturers and has strong presence in global markets. 

More about CEAT Limited’s CSR Profile

8. Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Programme

source: Sterlite Technologies Limited

Name of the Company: Sterlite Technologies Limited

Location: Maharashtra 

The Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 1.94 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 5.37 Cr. 

The Company’s Flagship Program, Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Programme (JJWEP), Setup in 2014 at Ambavane, Velhe, the purpose of the Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Programme (JJWEP) is to equip rural women with vocational skills in computers, tailoring, nursing and beauty culture that will propel them towards financial independence. However, empowerment is not possible just through financial independence. The programme therefore encompasses various other facets such as confidence building, public speaking, knowledge of health and nutrition, life skills and even provides necessary help for entrepreneurship and employment. It works to create self-reliant, confident and financially independent women who are aware of their potential and the change they can make to the communities they live in. They are made to understand the importance of education and gender equality. During FY19, the JJWEP had the highest number of admissions, 421 students. The programme is one of the few in the country to provide the students with transport facilities in view of the lack of public conveyance in the region. This has helped women even in remote villages to avail of the programme’s benefits

Implementing Partner: Sterlite Tech Foundation, Jnana Prabodhini, Tilak Maharashtra Vidyapeeth, Maharshi Ved Vyas Pratishthan, Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Institution

Brief about the Company: STL is a global leader in end-to-end data network solutions. They design and deploy high-capacity converged fibre and wireless networks.

More about Sterlite Technologies Limited’s CSR Profile

9. Cummins Powers Women Program 

source: Cummins India Limited

Name of the Company: Cummins India Limited

Location: Pan-India 

The Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 1.74 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 16.16 Cr. 

‘Cummins Powers Women program’ is a Global community initiative wherein the Company will partner with a network of best in class non-profit organizations to accelerate the empowerment of the women and girls in the community. In India, Cummins Powers Women is partnering with ‘Rise Up’ to support its work to advance education, equity, opportunity and social justice for women and girls. Cummins leaders joined Rise Up in Mumbai, India, for the launch of its leadership accelerator which saw participation of 21 NGO leaders across Maharashtra working in the gender equity space. The accelerator is part of Rise Up’s gender equity initiative, which seeks to strengthen non-profit organizations, lead change in their communities and advance national-level impact through improved laws, programs and funding for women and girls.

Implementing Partner: Cummins India Foundation

Brief about the Company: A Power Leader Cummins in India designs, manufactures, distributes and services diesel and alternative fuel engines from 2.8 to 95 liters, diesel and alternative-fueled power generator sets of up to 3000 kW (3750 kVA), as well as related components and technology

More about Cummins India Limited’s CSR Profile

10. Empowerment Via Education Program 

source: Tata Technologies Limited

Name of the Company: Tata Technologies Limited 

Location: Maharashtra

The Total Expenditure on the Project: INR 1.25 Cr.

Total Prescribed CSR in the FY 2018-19: INR 5.13 Cr.

The Company’s Empowerment via Education program aims to empower girls in a way that they become financially independent and productive individuals who will work alongside men thereby reshaping the traditional gender norms and bringing equality in all spheres of interpersonal and social relationships. With this dream, the Company signed a fresh MoU with Lila Poonawala Foundation to provide scholarship and mentorship support to 70 meritorious girls coming from low income families and help them to become successful Engineers. This partnership is expected to lessen the underrepresentation of Indian women in careers related to Science, Technology and Engineering. The scholarships will be awarded for the entire period of the Engineering degree course, subject to academic performance and participation in various educational & personality development programs of the Foundation.

Implementing Partner: Lila Poonawala Foundation

Brief about the Company: Tata Technologies is a global leader in engineering services outsourcing and product development IT services to the global manufacturing industry; enabling ambitious manufacturing companies to design and build better products

More about Tata Technologies Limited’s CSR Profile