International Women’s Day is celebrated every year on March 8th to honour women’s contributions to society and to highlight the ongoing struggle for gender equality. As founder of IVillage, it has been nothing short of an adventure to watch the organisation grow by leaps and bounds with the courageous women of rural India with all their incredible strength, resilience, and achievements.
At IVillage, we are committed to empowering rural women by providing them with the tools and resources they need to thrive in all aspects of their lives. Our continuous community building initiatives, upskilling programs, and skill development resources are designed to support these women as they pursue their goals and dreams. The basic aim behind all these initiatives is to bring those women, who have no prior work experience, a step closer to becoming financially independent. At IVillage, we believe that every woman should have the opportunity to reach her full potential, regardless of her background or circumstances.
To empower women and to give them their rightful place in the society, IVillage incessantly works to give them an opportunity to be financially independent. These women come from low income families, where either the whole family or the male members migrate to metropolitan cities in search of better jobs and livelihood opportunities but they are faced with dismaying conditions and are left worse-off. To solve this problem, we set up production units in villages themselves so that women could work with us and support their families. To add further meaning to the initiative, IVillage has been working along the lines of United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Under the 5th and the 8th SDGs, the United Nations aims to achieve gender equality and empower women and girls through the creation of decent work opportunities, while also promoting economic growth. IVillage, since its inception has been devoted to fulfilling these goals and making the organisation a gender neutral workspace.
On this International Women’s Day, let us boldly recognize and honour the extraordinary women of IVillage who have overcome tremendous challenges and accomplished remarkable feats. Let us also acknowledge that despite the progress made, there is still much work to be done to achieve true gender equality. Together, let us stand up, speak out, and take bold action to dismantle systemic barriers and build a future that is bright, equitable, and just for all women, everywhere.
We at IVillage are committed to the idea of change and believe that by empowering women, we are building a stronger society and a stronger nation. On this International Women’s Day, let’s celebrate the progress that has been made, and continue working towards a more equitable world for all.