Elevating unorganized womenworkers lives

I’m honoured with the distinction of being the first and only woman in half a century to  be elected office bearer on both Global Cooperative bodies simultaneously viz. 1st woman elected in 50 years to the International Raiffeisen Union (IRU) (Germany) (oldest global Cooperative Union) (2018) and Regional Women’s Committee Chairperson (elected by 24 countries; earlier Vice Chairperson since 2016) of the International Cooperative Alliance – Asia Pacific (the World’s largest cooperative alliance).

Currently I’m the President of the Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) and its iconic promoter Working Women’s Forum engaged in ensuring decent employment with accessible credit for poor informal sector women workers in four states of South India (Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka,Telengana) for inclusive holistic empowerment (2,30,000 poor women shareholders approximately). Indologist Prof.Dietmar Rothermund’s recent book “My Encounters in India” lists me as the only social activist amongst 133 eminent Indians (including Prime Ministers,Finance Ministers).

In India, women in the informal sector (89%) face multiple disabilities, low growth/investment, social and class oppression with poor access to productive inputs. The Indian Cooperative Network for Women (ICNW) / Working Women’s Forum (India) (WWF) model,highlights the transformation of atomized unorganized women workers when socially mobilized and capacity built as cooperative shareholders or unions, with social protection, loans (group collateral) savings, training and financial literacy.Beneficiary owned, driving social/economic change through a “counter culture”,shaping their own destinies by“a holistic gender and equity model” (in 1996, before SDG’s). Based on altered gender relations, challenging structural poverty, spearheading social integration; transforming labour into capital with surplus to poor women.  World leaders admire this model of grassroots women, as an effective financial holistic inclusion alternative. 

Transforming poor women’s community participation through a mass plat  form enhancing their multiple leadership roles, promotes independent entrepreneurship through decent employment with accessible credit.

Transformation of global/local conditions for unorganized women workers (both socially and economically) requires strong organizations of poor women sustaining their rights and development.

In Chennai city (Tamil Nadu State, India) 10,79,414 persons live in slums and squatter settlements (25.6% of population) with 48% women (2011 Census). To eradicate and combat poverty, social oppression, indebtedness, powerlessness an alternate new age social cooperative model “The Indian Cooperative Network for Women” was initiated in 1981 in Chennai. Spearheading change process for poor women entrepreneurs through social protection, financial inclusion, economic skills.

“By and for them” participating, learning various leadership skills facilitated on their own terms and needs (i.e., access easy credit, interest, profits, insurance, support services etc). Trained groups lowered their individuals risk to confront power structure, infuse confidence, generated incomes, employment and countered gender violence. Training was based on my Ph.D thesis (Syracuse University, 1987), “Building bases of women power in Tamilnadu cooperatives”. Creative training has led women to actively participate now as they own their co-operatives, have a long term perspective of the economy and agency building hitherto unavailable. Therefore, important to replicate this model globally, as Covid-19 has worsened poverty, requiring virtual resources for informal sector women workers to cope.

Lending survival resources to the unorganized poor requires additional non-financial interventions particularly to strengthen livelihoods for  illiterate/semi-literate women. Petty group loans of 20 US$ to 400 US$, have been lent over 40 years by rotation of initial seed money of 10,000US$ to 6,00,000 women workers. Nominal interest sustains ICNW expenses. WWF/ICNW believes in a collective training process of social mobilization for financial inclusion i.e., credit as a “entry point” towards a larger empowerment platform of women to elevate their economic development. Towards their real transformation as leaders in the family community. A self-realization/self-actualization training process was vital and key to the ongoing process of change for ICNW members. A path breaking methodology(1981) for internalizing poverty alleviation, solutions, institution building of poor not only to improve their families, but also “multiply the model” to other poor women, contexts was innovated by me. Various capacity development programmes on financial literacy, business development, social gender awareness, are delivered through building resource persons’ from beneficiary neighbourhoods.The process of training “other poor women” they facilitated by “themselves”. Developing their own training materials/modules such as role plays, skits, case studies, visuals with etc. With valuable information for women as potential agents of social change.

ICNW works in 276 different enterprises both in 3 urban and 11 rural, branches spread over 6000 slums and villages in South India.Their occupation varies with different cultural contexts. In Tamil Nadu, as hawkers,vendors, petty shopkeepers,fisherwomen,rural market vendors while engaged in business are also understanding poverty,traditional power dynamics, gender discrimination. In Vellore as Cigar and match-stick makers they countered wholesalers; in Kancheepuram as silk weavers fight for gender parity as workers for raw material/marketing support; in Andhra Pradesh, as lace artisans producing for world market in Narasapur negotiate the exporter as self-employed entrepreneurs; or in Hyderabad demand better wages as glitter embroidery workers. ICNW focuses on creative need based training through skill based programs delivered mostly by the beneficiary group to enhance women’s productivity. Financial literacy training helps women’s utilization of easy credit, nominal interest; market survival amongst vested interest nexus (including patriarchy) and strengthens their entrepreneurial skills.With firm custody of income, gender based violence training on manifestations, referrals helps women retain their income amongst wife beating. Creative methodologies are role plays/skill simulation exercises in communities that I adapted, after studying community mobilization worldover. Case-studies of poor women entrepreneurs of WWF’s children working with the formal sector are available.

Globally women workers in the informal sector are largely invisible,poor in resources in a non regulated environment with oppressive life and work conditions. In India, traditionally gender, caste, class converge to make poor women more excluded, exploited socially and economically. I focused on capacity building for group/civic action, generating a demand for services, awareness, knowledge, skills that hone their leadership to access credit, social protection. Building collective clout to counter daily challenges as poor women workers inspite of productive inputs. Integrating excluded informal sector women workers into the mainstream economy and social environment requires connected, local, global virtual social capital.

Working Women’s Forum (I) initiated with 800 poor working women in 1978 to free them from the clutches of exploitative moneylenders, charging/exorbitant interest, sapping their lives and productivity. Based on Tamil Nadu State Cooperative regulations, poor women became shareholders accessing loans, savings products and setup the Working Women Cooperative Society in 1981.My survey of 1200 poor women informal sector women workers in Chennai city of the WWF led to the publication“Empowering Women Workers” (UNICEF-1985). On 14 enterprises such as flower, vegetable vendors, mat weavers, pettyshop keepers. It recorded their constraints/oppression in their occupations, barriers of caste, class, gender apart from access to credit, productive inputs, markets, training. Gender violence, dowry, caste further marginalized their status both at home/workplace. WWF/ICNW platform initially provided microcredit in 1981 (it has a trade union wing)and began the various empowerment training programs.The training/research mission being “Poverty reduction and strengthening of economic, social status of poor working women through social mobilisation to confront their life work situations” (through holistic inclusion training, consciousness raising, awareness). The transformative capacity building I initiated has supported an alternate development model that can be adapted worldwide to counter feminized poverty albeit digitally in today’s virtual world.

In 1981, I began my career as a trainer – consultant of WWF for the FAO’s - Bay of Bengal Program by training 30 fisher women from cooperatives (in Tamil, my mother tongue) in the coast of Tamil Nadu(Adiramapattinam).I also received an diploma from CEDPA USA (1981) trained in development activities. A pictorial and creative training program was designed, after the 1200 entrepreneurial surveys and 14 participatory research workshops with informal sector women.On structural feminized poverty, myths and superstitions; the market, with wholesaler/supplier exporter nexus, women headed households and visible household contribution; social mobilization techniques for women groups, collective action, group meetings, group dynamics/conflict, communication modes and approaching power sources.Didactic training methodology was minimal, creative methods were taken up as the beneficiaries were mostly illiterate and could absorb experience to solve their challenges. Outcomes of the training led to the next stage in 1983 of training target group research investigators to undertake participatory workshops with landless women (labourers), dairying sector, fisher women etc., (I.L.O). This training I created became the fulcrum of the WWF – ICNW cost-effective, high impact training program now 40 years. Creating powerful leadership of poor women at all levels of its institutions and13 cooperatives.

I have a Phd (USA) on social mobilisation of credit groups in Tamilnadu.   Internationally/nationally I am known as an ardent advocate for gender cooperatives, financial inclusion and opportunities for “the excluded” for four decades. I was honoured recently for “an extraordinary and inspiring life, for my commitment to poor women” with a documentary made on my life journey (enclosed). Building empowered women’s leadership through creative non-verbal capacity building, skills for poor women leaders to live in dignity, autonomy and independence is my specialization. World leaders such as Mme. Hillary Clinton, Queen Juliana -Netherlands, Indian President R. Venkatraman, P.M. Rajiv Gandhi visited WWF/ICNW.I have made tireless efforts for the women’s workforce to become visible to policy makers,as architect of the National Perspective Plan for Women (in India’s Women Ministry). The pioneering Gender Disaggregated Status Study of Women that I undertook in 18 Asia-Pacific countries supported Regional Cooperative Ministers to take the historic decision to reserve 33% for women at all cooperative levels. The Cambodian Foreign Ministry commended my “Draft Beijing Country Report on Women” (1993) as a good example of cooperation between India and Cambodia during and after the war. I traveled fearlessly on warplanes to capacity build micro-enterprises for war widow entrepreneurs. My UN/multi­lateral work both in India and abroad (IFAD/ADB)earned recognition and led to my appointment as the only woman co-operator in 2014 – 2021 (to the Governments) Boards in Ministry of Agriculture’s “National Council for Cooperative Training” and National Women’s Credit Fund (Women’s Ministry).

In 2005, the Indian Prime Minister asked me to Head the Indian Planning Commission as a citizen activist upholding transparency/accountability (for 6 months). With skewed, poor data I overcame and produced the pioneering “Outcome – Outlay Report of 65 Ministries in Govt. of India” in 3 months,later commended by the P.M. 

Secondly, in March 2020 due to Covid 19 lockdown, helpless women members of ICNW were facing losses.(they live by daily/weekly income). I devised a plan to for our women members.I put together with the team, Covid-19banking emergency posters written on the vehicles (carrying Savings, Vitamin C, Masks, gender violence counsellors). A 100 new I.Ds of staff were created overnight (using existing models fetching photographs from over 800 kms). Through internet, it was transported to branches up to Central India. At check posts, our team faced wrath but later with internal/external id’s, WWF/ ICNW became one of the first Cooperatives to reach its members in pandemic situation. The Governments NitiAayog (think tank) recommended us to the State Government for access during lockdown, for good work with migrants, women. The Indian Health Minister invited me as the only co-operator for a presentation on our solutions to Covid-19 to the Niti Aayog.

To minimize impact of Covid pandemic losses to our entrepreneur members,I created a strategy wherein 5 staff by rotation (even during lockdown/curfew) attended the 13 branch cooperatives selflessly, re-established morale, relationship with members. Members decided not to take the call for 3 months moratorium as they wanted to “save their cooperative” (they call it their mothers home!).They felt the 3 month interest/principle amount paid together, would be too much for them to handle. Vitamin C was distributed and Ayurveda herbal “Kashayam”(concoction) to all staff. I was combating unknown officials for mobility passes even 800 kms away or using social capital as clout on their behalf (known youth workers etc) from Rameshwaram to Maharashtra (800 kms apart) struggling my way through 4 states.Persuading, negotiating at all levels of enforcement, revenue/municipality offices by utilizing ordinary letters from Govt. of India to NGO’s, to care for communities during Covid. Creating an exemplary strategy, leveraging  a routine letter requesting officials for mobility passes (with my visiting cards being on Central Government Committees), in curfew times.WWF/ICNW pulled through.My rapid thinking, decision making with tireless “26 hours”/workday supported “our bold heroines (our staff) moving into villages and slums to serve our members”. Global heroines! indeed.

Indian Co-operative Network for Women (ICNW)was promoted by Working Women Forum in 1981. ICNW is the first women only co-operative in South India for, by and of poor women, ensuring their participation at all levels of governance. ICNW enhances women’s financial independence from dependent home based producers to independent producers (accessible loans /capacity building, health immunity).  Today it has over 2,50,000 active poor women shareholders(98% repayments) in 13 cooperative branches in 4 States of S.India.(Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana).Having impacted 6,00,000 poor women’s lives through software operated, by children of labourers, fisherwomen from villages /slums, digitalized 20 years ago.

Indian Co-operative Network for Women (ICNW)-A new Model for Women’s Empowerment through multi–dimensional transformative training programmes.

 A new innovative and productive training programme plays a significant role for poor women to enhance their internalized individual and group agency for collective action(both new/old cooperative members).The main objective of capacity building in WWF/ICNW is for performance and enhancement of members capacity to make them“powerful”at home/workplace with new upto date effective information,attitudes,skills.The various training programmes for cooperative members is “an ongoing and on the job process”,a reason for the organizations success and sustainability for over 40 years.The training involves multi-dimensional low cost,cost effective process for women to develop their full potential and growth.Trainers delivering training (98%) to cooperative members are from the beneficiary group.These tools and knowledge,sharing and transfer of expertise is also done with other cooperative’s,civil society initiatives.Social mobilization training is provided during the identification/group process,while cooperative consciousness training is during disbursing credit/loans or other stages of membership. Women are facilitated to be good neighbourhood leaders who ultimately not only become successful entrepreneurs,but also take-up leadership positions to stand for their rights in local communities(for roads,water,sanitation etc). Training not only provides access to credit,addressing economic problems but also social issues i.e., domestic violence, gender discrimination, patriarchy, confronting power structures towards full participation as equals towards betterment of women’s lives. A replicable training model for inclusion and integration through capacity building in informal sector cooperatives/organizations. I have written several theoretical articles and case studies analyzing the performance of this model (and presentations worldover).

ICNW assists in capacity building for poor women participation in the governance process at all levels of cooperatives including functions, making it a way of life. I first conceptualized WWF’s theory of change in 1996 (UNESCO Journal,Volume on Poverty).It included challenging class exploitation, caste inferiority, male dominance,isolation in a closed world and physical weakness based on their needs/ priorities. I built this into the training of WWF,termed“A Counter Culture” while poor women demonstrated their capacity by creating a “new development model i.e,the Gender and Equity Model”.The poor creatively learned on the job, skilled to take their own decisions through collective consciousness and self-management process, despite being poor and vulnerable due to constant mentoring,facilitating and participatory training. Through this co-operative venture, women strengthened their economic roles (5 year impact study available but unable to detail as word constraint) but also enabled other neighbourhood women to join this effort.ICNW has reached 6,00,000 poor entrepreneurs by offering loans (17,24,856 loans provided) with around 97-99% repayment, savings/F.D’s,insurance products which play a crucial role in enhancing livelihoods and life options to cope with crisis.A training in Reproductive Health Care for women  with UNFPA partnership,WWF(I) has impacted 1 million population covering 16,00,000 families in 720 slums and 340 villages. The members are skilled/capacity built and can establish new forms of social change in these areas.

Leadership benefits: Increase in self-confidence.Respect within and outside family.

Business benefits: Additional income; financial independence.

Social Benefits: Interaction with others,trust in family, increased security, increased self esteem due to empowerment.

The groups’ effective delivery mechanisms to reach other poor women, infuses confidence through individual/group/collective cooperative training for them to join the cooperative.It follows the different stages of the “Gender and Equity model”that I list below.

Stage 1. Moving away from indebtedness

Stage 2. Diversification/ growth of enterprises.Household food security, improved quality of living condition, replication.

Stage 3.Asset creation, education, social status, community leadership. Leadership by merit, organizers represented as office bearers and governing board (many vendors have been Vice Presidents). A recent video of ICNW beneficiary ‘vegetable vendors’ transformation journey is given in additional video content that explains our project.

So far approximately we have reached 6,00,000 women entrepreneur loanee members with a recovery rate of 98%, even though the  beneficiaries have been urban slum dwellers and landless rural poor in slums and villages (in 14 branches in the 4 Southern States of India namely Tamil Nadu, Andra Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana). Members are involved in 276 occupations/enterprises (trading, production, services, manufacturing) – hawkers, vendors, petty shopkeepers, fisherwomen, processing, dairying, weaving, lace makers etc. Training therefore is a powerful catalyst to counter obstacles for poor women entrepreneurs. Earlier training took place under trees/village squares, Government’s free facilities etc.Frequently units conduct skill training/mobilization in the field to organize new members.  Since 1995 when the first cooperative branches had their buildings, the training moved to “the training halls”in office’s. In the coming year, the transformative digital training project proposal a) will focus on training women on around 4000 entrepreneur members/200 staff trainers in 4 branches of WWF/ ICNW. The end outreach will be reaching 20,000 persons in one year in the community (i.e., 4000 members multiplied into average family size of 5 members). B) In 5 years, the trained loanees, trainers could reach at least another 10,000 loanees with benefits to 50,000 persons. (10,000 loanees x 5 average family size). Apart from this, the WWF regular mobilization/group building/cooperative consciousness training will reach another 6000 members. Further training and one stop sharing for other cooperatives/civil society initiatives in Africa, Latin America, Asia for informal sector women workers would be done digitally too.

The Forum has grown into a large organization for poor women which are widely recognized as “an alternate model for development” at the grassroots.The major training programs are: transformative structural change issues; credit assistance, financial literacy training programs.Its flexible organizational structure, participative leadership style, unique mobilization approach members and sheer size makes it more than just a development NGO. The forum is unique because of the fact that almost 99% of its staff are from the beneficiary group of the informal sector. Yet, their participation in project identification, design, implementation, and evaluation is very high. The success of the Forum is due primarily to four factors: (a) Selection and identification is one critical issue for (credit), (b) utilization of local leadership, (c) organization of women around existing neighbourhood ties, and (d) decentralized, participatory management.

With the advent of smart phones, ATM and mobile banking, electronic banking is at another level (available 24 x 7).Being able to use the apps in any geographic location, speedy transactions, customer support will enable apps like Google pay, PhonePe, Paytm and also through mobile banking like NEFT and IMPS. With minimum training, poor women members can be facilitated, digitally to send/receive money wherever they are ICNW can include higher numbers of poor women entrepreneurs providing higher amounts of loans through the 4000 “digitally trained warriors”reaching 20,000 members (4000 x 5 family size) in the community. Replicate,it to elevate opportunities to excluded unorganized women in other continents, cooperatives/NGO through telecommunication networks.

The impact of corona pandemic is visible across the sectors globally, but its economic impact on marginalized sections, women and children has been immense in India,largely disruptive. More than 45% of households across the nation have reported an income drop as compared to previous year especially on peoples lives. This crisis affects the economy as never before leading to massive psycho-social impacts as well. Poor working women are at greater risk of being pushed back into poverty as predicted. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world in many ways. Of the several implications on humanity, the issues of health, the rapid decline of economy, shortage of medicines, sanitizers, masks, and other essentials, poverty, unemployment has undoubtedly taken centre stage.WWF/ICNW members face several obstacles due to lockdown particularly the financial crisis that will take a long time to overcome. Lack of demand, resources may create obstacles for them to  ply their business.Consumption needs may not be meeting members and would need loans for it to meet their daily expenses. If the unplanned lockdown continues and pandemic high, the poor working women members will suffer in the next few years especially coping financially, mentally and health wise. A reason why a “virtual” and ‘digital’ methodology is cost effective in sharing/training for one stop counselling in the aftermath of the Covid-19 world. This facility can help mobilization of informal sector women workers in “groups” as social protection for caring/sharing in this crises, based on the WWF/ICNW group process and grassroots leadership.

The Covid-19, lockdown has already been conducted in many phases and places continuously. Women have not been able to travel in these conditions for a minimum of 3 kms to a maximum of 50 km to make their payments their loans/savings/fixed deposits in the ICNW. It would be very opportune and strategic for review of WWF/ICNW to use this time to train women members/loanees digitally or anyone else in their family so that transactions can continue to happen between the cooperative and them. Now only 2% of ICNW members are currently utilizing the digital platform. With a view to increase the digital transaction at least to 40 to 50% in 6 months time, a 3 day training in basic concepts like download the apps and link the bank account with the app is being proposed in the project.Also educating them to send and receive money. Simultaneously ,health workers will focus on women/children’s immunity with “Ayurveda, yoga” especially indigenous nutrition for Vitamins, iron etc., through locally available low cost nutrition such as “moringa”,  local medicinal greens herbs.Basic immunity check will be through WWF-ICNW trained health workers awareness through skill placards for basic health issues through our barefoot women health workers. In public health issues, such as Gender based violence counselling from WWF – ICNW organizers (kits of skill placards will raise awareness).Also Disaster Management modules on Covid-19, cyclones, tsunami etc. Reducing psychological and social distress/distance amongst women, people and promoting relevant digital strategies for connecting, assuaging and mobilizing them.

I was the chair of the Outreach Committee for the “National Credit Fund for Women’s” (RashtriyaMahilaKosh-RMK) i.e., the ‘Mahila E-Haat’ i.e., “ India’s First Online digital portal for Women Entrepreneurs in Govt. of India;due to my expertise in women and digital systems for loaning to poor women. It reached around 5,00,000 artisans, entrepreneurs(2017-2019).

RashtryaMahilaKosh (RMK) is a national Government body under the Ministry of Women for empowerment of women, providing credit and loaning to ‘Women’s Self Help Groups’ in the unorganized sector, promoting micro finance, enterprise development, strengthening of women groups. I have been a member of the RastriyaMahilaKosh Governing Board (National Women’s Credit Fund) representing the ICNW as its President 2014 – 2020; and headed several Government of India, Committees on “Women”as the Chairperson of the Revitalization/Restructuring of the National Credit Fund for Women (RMK), also Chair of the Outreach committee for online national digital platform for marketing poor women’s products. Other linkages, networks of the WWF-ICNW is as follows: with UN agencies, all cooperative global alliances/unions as senior office bearer (chair, board member), Ministry of Agriculture, National Cooperative training boards, (Indian Government). Informal sector cooperatives and womens organizations all over Asia, Africa, Latin America for over 30 years (around 100 NGO’s/cooperatives). WWF partnered with Groots International as a co-founder; Asia Pacific Women Law and Development network (Thailand) as founder member; and several other important global networks. I’m also the Member – Secretary of the Independent Commission for People’s Rights and Development that has networked with 900 small NGO’s/CBO’s.

WWF (I) provides its informal sector members training to support their growth and operations in the labour market. The training covers areas such as investment, capital accumulation/savings, profits, business plan, diversification and awareness of labour laws. These training programs improve the quality of life/work by strengthening them in the low income rural/urban markets, stimulating local economic development and diversifying livelihood opportunities(accumulation, savings, capital, F.D’s, children education investment). It also contributes towards the Sustainable Development Goals of inclusive economic growth and poverty alleviation for women as follows: imparting knowledge to understand the importance of education for their children,(girls) revenue/growth increases from lowest levels of indebtedness to enhanced social status. Landless daily wage labourers without land have now acquired land and women farmers improved assets.(e.g., cattle, technology, diversified employment).Appropriate technology i.e., from being head loaders, to owning carts to three wheelers for marketing produce; or buy a house, or repair roofs/walls. Last year approximately 10,000 ICNW loan members, shareholders, benefitted from the training at cooperative branches in Chennai, Kanchipuram, Vellore, Adiramapattinam etc. In terms of impact and revenue of training to members/communities, it is manifold. For eg. Financial literacy training supports understanding business opportunities, enhanced capital investment, higher credit, interest, insurance/savings products better profits as well as risks, market structure and relevant cooperative/banking variables etc.Skill training also enhances productivity. Social issues training is facilitated through creative methods (pictorial charts, skill simulation exercises, song, skits). Training is need based, planned with the beneficiaries, provided through local trainers, members before delivering to the community.

WWF (I) also provides member oriented training services such as financial literacy, skill training, health and family planning, marketing, appropriate technology, to  women micro entrepreneurs. It functions with its own resources (investments) and own offices, training venues/experienced trainers and social capital of trainers in cooperative management, sectorial skills and health training. For the training division, the ICNW cooperative shares its resource’s, funds (25%) (from its interest generated on loan’s) with the WWF training division. A sustainable business model for “the Training and Research  division they provide combined resources together from the interest earned (ICNW) and investments(WWF). Our path to financial sustainability is by balancing poor women’s credit needs and achieving sustainably by viable financing of the poor with self-sufficiency. The business model is not only financially sustainable but inclusive cooperative’s with a “woman’s heart”. Profits, viability and investment on women/girls are all important for us i.e., poor households (SDG 1). But women’s structural access to resources and opportunities is the long-term solution (SDG5). Capacity is being built for the women worker to become a socially mobilized, empowered leader from the group process to take up successful entrepreneurship alongwith collective community, national and global action. The “M.I.T award amount” will be utilized for “the vital” training division for 2 years (while WWF/ICNW will instead reallocate their yearly contribution to the training division) instead reallocate it to ICNW’s loaning,(that requires capital during this crises).Subsequently, with the economy rejuvenating, ICNW/WWF could sustain back their training division by reinvesting their yearly allocation back.

We have neither requested nor received funds from donors, grants or other sources in the last five years.Interest income from the cooperative’s loans (ICNW) and investment resources (from WWF endowment fund) and also other non-material support is leveraged/contributed for training purposes.

 The cost of the WWF/ICNW training division, imparting the training for 12 months includes the following: 

For 300 training programs of 1 day (30 – 35) trainees it is approximately averaged at 45,000INR per program (approximately 700 US$) covering 10,000 women entrepreneurs.This includes resource person fees, TA/DA; local conveyance,meals/refreshments of trainees; salary of trainer’s per diem; maintenance cost of venue, kit materials, hiring training equipment, stationery etc. The total cost per year for this training is around 1,30,000US$ and includes above training costs. While administrative overheads, development of curricula / kit materials/training aids; project coordinator staff salaries; office expenses, ta/da of trainers, communication expenses etc. would be additional expenses (that is around 20,000US$).The approximate total cost is around US$ 1,50,000 for 300 training of trainer programs, in various locations of 1 day (13 areas) (10,000 trainees). Revenue generated for the leadership costs is as follows: I’m a voluntary worker/official and have not taken a salary ever from WWF/ICNW in last 18 years. My professional model is to simultaneously undertake (3 months a year consultancy till year 2010) with UN, fund banks abroad or India, various assignments, to subsidize my living. To give back to poor women, my community and organization is “my life time mission” selflessly with no expectations.

Training, which is an integral part of WWF/ICNW activities, is designed to enable the beneficiaries to participate fully in life/work and in all project processes. (identification planning with beneficiaries, upto implementation, evaluation). Also WWF training is unique as there is minimal stress on in-class lectures. Rather, emphasis is on participatory innovative methods where, women learn by sharing experiences about their struggles and suffering in poverty alongwith financial/social skills. Success stories and best practice cases have shown the way and also inspired the less successful and the poorest to empower themselves (such training is imparted to all members). A two year period, grant is required to first research/survey the situation of approximately10,000 women loanee/entrepreneurs in 13 locations in South India with varied trades/services/manufacturing (around 267 trades).Enquire about their business during Covid-19 situation in terms of i.e., loss, closure growth or coping mechanisms. With the results from the above survey, focus group discussions that are both enquiry/action, research/training sessions will be held. To verify their needs in terms of continuation of existing business, diversification to cope with Covid times or required skill training (imparted to 10% of total trainees) to less erratic supply chain environment business or upgrading or upscaling their business. We seek per year for cost of digital training, around 1 crore 30 lakhs INR (1,50,000 US$ at 75 Rs per 1 US$ rate) for training 4000 informal sector women trainers (impact reaching 20,000 persons)and 50,000 US$ approximately for the entrepreneurial survey described above.

Project Items/Budget

The Projects entrepreneurial survey has been described at Q.4 on challenges, limitations and solutions for women to cope in the informal sector.This will help analyse the situation,future growth,recession, profits,well being and health.

The activity includes: 1000 women entrepreneurs will be administered questionnaires (of half a day each) i.e., 500 workdays simultaneously in different locations (after FGDS) for questionnaire development, initial project Monitoring Committee finalizing questionnaire, pre-testing, SPSS nudist and software training of surveyors/tabulators/programmers in various local languages (it will generate income for educated/skilled young members too), translation computer feeding, decoding,report analysis,consolidation and writing. The approximate cost of survey/report process will be around 50,000 US$.(per questionnaire simply averaged would be around 50 US$ at the minimum (Detailed breakup is available but due to word limit not expanded).

Technical skill upgrading, i.e., digital learning and new skills training are part of the proposal. Training around 4,000 women trainers (micro entrepreneurs/loanees) costing(1,50,000 U.S$ for 100 workshops of 3 days of 35 women participants plus 200 staff trainers)will reach further 20,000 persons in their communities)at 4 ICNW branches(and for skill training too).

The survey will highlight existing skill level/strengths and identify possible diversification or new skills training for 10 - 15% of the 4000 trainees (about 1000 loanees/women).

Digital resource center will enhance savings/liquidity during pandemic, crises, disasters   to support women entrepreneurs coping mechanisms for them to easily reach the WWF/ICNW. For financial support, health training or gender violence counselling in emergencies;or receive loans, repay, withdraw savings, insurance through digital banking etc.

SKILL TRAINING PROGRAMS-LIVES TRANSFORMED

Transformation of women can be increased by combining hard and soft skills, in the form of business and life skills training, combined with civic education and guidance. In the current global scenario, it is imperative to support the ongoing transition of the informal economy to an organised sector that would empower people through such associations and enterprises. This transition is aimed not only to ensure preparedness by all, during crises and emergencies in the short term, but also to institutionally strengthen the socio-economic resilience of solidarity-based and values-driven micro small enterprises. 

To overcome women members’ crucial survival situation (Covid-19) training has to support coping mechanisms. The proposed entrepreneurial survey will provide feedback on coping mechanisms with rapid results. This would be a strategic global output with national experience/results through large sample and a digital training program experience. In the second year, build a global virtual resource centre for women workers in the informal sector. Secondly, new skill training may elevate their opportunities or on-line marketing portals i.e., digital systems which will provide the skills, (new sectors, non-stereotype increased income) experiences, knowledge in alternative/diversified employment. Finally, we seek your help to technologically connect to develop a virtual resource centre for the informal sector. That will be used by associations and democratically managed enterprises, particularly those led and owned by women, by facilitating access to accurate information and online tools for creating, strengthening and scaling up the social economy organisations including cooperatives, farmer producer companies, trusts & societies,etc. 

In terms of partnership, the goals critical for us are. (i) Financial and revenue –The women entrepreneurs survey will support ‘valuable enquiry’ into coping mechanisms, survival modes, new skills/techniques required (10000 women in 13 locations culturally, linguistically different). To provide pointers, ‘the way forward’ for informal sector women workers that are the worst hit by Covid-19 especially millions of cooperatives,artisans, service providers. Digital training developed for semi literate women in informal sector micro-enterprises can technologically, financially include them once again given “poverty pushback”. Transferred globally to thousands of informal sector women workers, supporting their families and enterprises survive during disasters, it will have a monumental impact today.

  (2) Marketing, media, exposure will help us realize a long time vision of transferring the WWF/ICNW model to Africa, Asia, Latin America to support the elevation of women for transformative opportunities in the informal sector through telecommunications aided financial/social inclusion (software, digitalization etc).

We would seek the support of “the Elevate Prize” to assist us identify partners like the UN’s International Telecommunications Union, to help build based networks. The WWF/ICNW’s social capital of associations exist with networks i.e., grassroots organisations operating in sister hood (GROOTS) International. (I was a co-founding member in Nairobi (1985); today a multi continent international advocacy network building poor women focused on housing; or the Asia Pacific Women, Law and Development – feminist legal rights, policy and advocacy network, I was a founder member (1987). SAPNA (South Asian Perspectives Association (now closed), led to “the Poverty Commission Report” persuaded 7 heads of State in SAARC countries sign for eradication of poverty in 1991.I set up their 900 member NGO network in India, the Independent Commission for Peoples Rights and Development still very active today, especially for women in the informal sector (whose lives are largely uncertain). Seeking other likeminded organizations that are willing to come together to counter structural poverty, provide transformative training, to build strong micro business, indigenous low cost health immunity strategies locally available. Political action, to make visible in their countries and continents to policy makers, governments, multi laterals “inspite of all efforts millions in informal sector, especially poor women “remain excluded”, need to be elevated with opportunities urgently NOW”. 

Within this context, there is a need for digital virtual resource centre for holistic inclusion of informal sector women workers locally, nationally and globally to replicate successful sustainable models such as WWF/ICNW.