IKEA Foundation pledges Rs 117.76 crore to empower 1 million women in India

NEW DELHI: IKEA Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Swedish home furnishing major, has partnered with UNDP, Xyntéo and India Development Foundation (IDF) to provide employment and entrepreneurship opportunities to one million underprivileged women across India.

The three-year programme with a budget of euro 16 million (around Rs 117.76 crore) will focus on Karnataka, Maharashtra, Telengana and the National Capital Region.

The programme will be implemented by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Xyntéo and India Development Foundation (IDF).

IKEA Foundation CEO Per Heggenes said: "We believe that women can be the most important catalysts for change in their children's lives as well as in society more generally. By empowering women, we can improve children's health, education and future - and that's good for everyone in India."

Objectives of the programme are to create a positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of women through training, employment and entrepreneurial skills development, test and establish an innovative model of a public-private partnership that responds to the aspirations and needs of women, and identified needs of the private sector and establish a continuum that connects education, to skills, jobs and growth.

The programme will address the demand and supply side of women's employment by securing commitments from businesses in identifying employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women; mobilising women to participate in skills and training courses; and supporting the development of training curricula relevant to aspirations of women and business needs.