Mumbai, Mar 12 (PTI) Adani Group’s CSR arm Adani Foundation plans to empower one million women across the country under its Swabhimaan initiative, its chairperson Priti Adani said on Thursday, while asserting that empowering a woman is not merely helping an individual but investing in the future of generations to come.
Speaking at an event “Swabhimaan: the Rise of S.H.E,” organised by the Adani Foundation in partnership with Adani Electricity and Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), here to celebrate the achievements of women associated with this particular initiative, Priti Adani also said that that women’s empowerment does not happen through charity alone but happens through opportunity, through possibilities and through the building of capabilities.
“Whenever I meet the women of Swabhimaan, their aspirations deeply inspire me. They talk about how to expand their small businesses, how to price their products correctly, how to repay loans responsibly and how to save money,” she said.
They also think about how to provide better opportunities for their children. In reality, their conversations are about shaping the future, she said.
“Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in the Swabhimaan journey, with the Adani Foundation leading this next phase. In the first year, the aim is to connect one lakh women in Maharashtra to this initiative. In the coming years, the foundation’s commitment is to empower one million women across India,” the Adani Foundation chairperson said..
The flagship women empowerment and livelihood generation initiative, launched in 2022, aims to empower urban poor women by equipping them with essential skills, financial knowledge and entrepreneurial understanding.
The initiative has benefited over 4500 women in Mumbai, according to her.
“The Adani Foundation has supported these women by providing skill training, financial literacy and digital literacy, and by connecting them to markets,” she said and added that MAVIM has played a crucial role over the years in organising these women and forming Self Help Groups (SHGs).
“Yet, millions of talented women still remain outside the economic mainstream. This is not because they lack capability, but because they have not always received the opportunities, confidence and support systems they deserve. The Swabhimaan initiative carries forward the belief that women’s empowerment forms the strong foundation for the progress of society and the state,” she stated.
According to her, economists often speak of the “multiplier effect” of women’s empowerment and research across the world shows that when women earn, nearly 90 per cent of their income is spent on education, healthcare and the well-being of their families.
“This means empowering a woman is not merely helping an individual, it is investing in the future of generations to come. Women’s empowerment does not happen through charity alone. It happens through opportunity, through possibilities and through the building of capabilities,” she stated.
That is why initiatives like Swabhimaan are extremely important for society, because they go beyond financial assistance,” she said and added that these women have received training in modern technologies and digital systems.
The initiative connects them with skills, with businesses, and with financial inclusion and the strength of collective business groups, she said.
The event was also attended by several leaders and dignitaries, including Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde, Maharashtra Cabinet Minister for Women and Child Development, Aditi Tatkare, along with women entrepreneurs and members of the Swabhimaan programme, PTI IAS MR
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