The National Commission for Women (NCW) in collaboration with the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII) announced the launch of 100 Entrepreneurship Awareness Programmes (EAPs) for potential women entrepreneurs across the country at Vikram University in Ujjain. The first EAP out of the 100 to be organized across the country, was launched by Chief Guest, Shri Mangubhai Patel, Governor of Madhya Pradesh and Guest of Honour, Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai, Minister of State, Ministry of Women, Child Development, GoI, in the presence of dignitaries including Smt. Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW; Dr. Sunil Shukla, Director General, EDII; and Smt. Meenakshi Negi, Member Secretary, NCW.

Other dignitaries present on the occasion were Shri P. Narhari, IAS, Secretary, MSME & Industries Commissioner, Govt. of Madhya Pradesh; NCW members including, Smt. Mamta Kumari, Smt. Delina Khongdup, Smt. Kushboo Sundar and dignitaries from the Rajbhawan and the Government.

At the launch of the EAP, the Governor of MP, Shri Mangubhai Patel, said, “India is moving ahead with the vision of 'Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas'. Development under women-led leadership is coming up big way and is getting accepted and recognized. Women associated with the Self-Help Groups are moving forward significantly. They are showing the confidence of speaking about their success, their enterprises and their future plans. Women have progressed phenomenally under the initiatives implemented by the country under the leadership of Prime Minister of the country. Rural areas have especially progressed with subsidy to women to set up enterprises. Under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana, training and development opportunities have opened up for women. I congratulate National Commission for Women and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India for this extraordinary initiative towards women empowerment through entrepreneurship.”

Emphasizing on the need for a conducive environment for women entrepreneurs, Dr. Munjpara, said, “We have been working towards taking forward India's women-led development agenda by accelerating women's leadership and empowerment in public as well as private sector. Women who are the backbone of our society play a pivotal role in shaping our future. Empowering them is not only our moral responsibility but also a necessary condition for sustainable development. This collaboration between National Commission for Women and Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India will help build capacity of women entrepreneurs and also sensitize relevant stakeholders.”

Ms Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, NCW said, “Women although are a critical part of society, still lag behind when it comes to economic empowerment and independence. Women need to be encouraged to become economically empowered. India has a conducive ecosystem to support women entrepreneurship. Given this, women are getting motivated to set up their MSMEs. Women entrepreneurs extend job opportunities to other women, and that is the need of the hour. Women need to speak about their success, network and step forth. I am sure with the support of Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII), all of this will be possible. If institutions like EDII handhold us in our endeavor, we will sure succeed.”  

Dr. Sunil Shukla, in his address, said, “Over the last ten years, India has noticeably progressed and that has been possible only because the women populace of the country has been encouraged to become financially independent. I am happy to announce that NCW and EDII have collaborated to promote women entrepreneurship. This will strengthen the country immensely.”

Member Secretary, NCW, Smt. Meenakshi Negi felicitated the dignitaries and applauded the efforts being undertaken towards empowering women. Smt. Negi highlighted how women had always proved to be great leaders. She stressed on the significance of ensuring that their potential is harnessed in a way that they step into the mainstream economic activities, and termed the Entrepreneurship Awareness Camps a great step in this direction.

The aim of the one-day EAP is to orient participating women to the benefits of adopting entrepreneurship as a career, learn the finer skills and overcome social, economic, and familial barriers to becoming entrepreneurs. The EAPs are aimed at developing entrepreneurial skills among women so that they could gain knowledge, skills and motivation to build their own businesses.

After the inauguration, the sessions and panel discussions were organized where experts deliberated on topics such as the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, identifying business opportunities, cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, strategies to overcome challenges commonly faced by women, understanding gender specific issues and challenges, and information on government schemes and policies for women business owners.

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