Empowering Women Through the Faral Sakhi Initiative

Empowering Women Through the Faral Sakhi Initiative

• The ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative was launched by the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) in collaboration with NITI Aayog’s Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP).
• It aims to empower women entrepreneurs in Mira Bhayandar, Maharashtra.
• The program focuses on providing training and support to women involved in producing traditional festive snacks called ‘Faral.’
• The initiative helps women scale their businesses sustainably.

Background and Objectives

• WEP Origin: Established in 2018 as an aggregator platform for women entrepreneurs.
• Public-Private Shift: Transitioned into a public-private partnership in 2022.
• Key Focus Areas: Addresses access to finance, market linkages, training, mentoring, compliance, and business development.
• Faral Sakhi Alignment: Supports WEP’s mission of fostering women-led development.
• Employment Creation: Focuses on permanent employment through traditional snack production and sales.

Training and Support

• Participant Selection: 25 women from Mira Bhayandar were chosen for the program.
• Technical Training: Training focuses on business operations.
• Training Partner: Facilitated by the Centre for Education, Governance, and Public Policy (CEGP Foundation).
• Skill Development: Participants gain essential skills for sustainable businesses.
• Economic Contribution: Women are empowered to significantly impact the local economy.

Operational Framework

• Central Kitchen: MBMC set up a central kitchen for SHG women to professionally prepare festive snacks.
• Sales Support: Entrepreneurs receive sales spaces and product promotion through advertisements.
• Diwali Success: Over three tons of snacks sold during Diwali, showcasing product quality and appeal.

Collaborative Efforts

• Program Integration: The ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative is part of WEP’s ‘Award to Reward’ program.
• Stakeholder Framework: It provides a framework for stakeholders to create impactful programs for women entrepreneurs.
• Entrepreneur Engagement: Over 30,000 women entrepreneurs are already engaged in this partnership.
• Market Success: The initiative aims to help participants succeed in domestic and international markets.
• Financial Support: Backed by WEP partner Appreciate to strengthen the initiative.

Guiding Principles

WEP operates on three guiding principles to empower women:

• Iccha Shakti (Motivation): Encouraging women to start and scale businesses.
• Gyaan Shakti (Knowledge): Providing the necessary information to overcome barriers.
• Karma Shakti (Action): Offering support through mentorship and networking.

Future Prospects

• Holistic Development: The initiative supports the overall growth of women entrepreneurs in Mira Bhayandar.
• Ecosystem Building: WEP and MBMC are fostering a thriving ecosystem for women-led businesses.
• Life Transformation: The program is helping transform the lives of women entrepreneurs.
• Economic Contribution: It contributes significantly to India’s socio-economic growth.

Important questions

1. What is the primary objective of the ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative?
2. Which organizations collaborated to launch the ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative?
3. How does the initiative support women in producing traditional festive snacks?
4. What are the three guiding principles of WEP under the initiative?
5. How does the ‘Faral Sakhi’ initiative contribute to India’s socio-economic growth?

Conclusion

‘Faral Sakhi’ exemplifies a successful collaboration between local government bodies and national platforms to empower women entrepreneurs. By focusing on traditional snack production, the initiative not only preserves cultural heritage but also provides sustainable economic opportunities for women, fostering inclusive growth and societal transformation.

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