British High Commission in India launches ‘Pledge for Progress’ campaign towards gender equality

To promote gender equality and bring about real change, the UK in India network has launched a campaign which is joined by a collective of 114 organisations associated with both business and civil society having shared interests of taking practical steps to tackle gender inequality and be the change to catalyse further action.

 

“Achieving true gender equality is a priority for us all – in the UK, India, and the world over. Real progress can take time, but it starts with small, practical steps. I am hugely excited to see what we can accomplish by bringing together the best of British, Indian and global expertise under this humble initiative. This is just the start, and I hope that this group of like-minded partners committing to be the change and implementing tangible measures in their own organisations will together deliver truly trans-formative results,” emphasised British High Commissioner to India Jan Thompson.

 

Gender disparity is a global issue and demands the collaborative efforts of both public and private organisations to realise the perceptible changes, though there is a vast potential in women leadership as estimated by global research organisations yet  they continue to be paid less, have fewer rights and only make up 24% of representatives in national parliaments. Scenario in the rural workforce is even more grim. 

 

The Pledge for Progress aims to empower  women through five keys commitments : Lead, Represent, Embed, Include and Mobilise. The UK and India have been working towards strengthening resilience to the impacts of climate change and promote livelihood security among women in rural communities, as part of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.

 

Financial inclusion programmes focusing on financial and digital literacy have given 12 million Indian women access to credit to build livelihoods. Projects have helped set up or scale 10,000 women-owned micro businesses, created 6,000 jobs, and supported over 270 micro-entrepreneurs.   

 

Cover pic by Holidifyw