NextBillion - An Initiative of the William Davidson Institute at the University of Michigan

Thursday, October 29, 2015

By Ajay Khanna

Globally, societies are riddled with multiple problems and long-standing issues that remain unresolved by the institutions and the government sector. This is where social entrepreneurs step in to challenge, question and rethink concepts and assumptions. They work on the existing infrastructure, plugging the gaps, providing time and innovative solutions to alleviate problems that exist at the grassroots level. In the current scenario, women are equal participants in bringing about a direct impact in the society.

The world over, a growing number of women are starting or running businesses. They have, for long, been proactively contributing towards diverse sectors ranging from education to healthcare, renewable energy, waste management, e-learning and e-business, housing and slum development, water and sanitation, violence against women, other issues related to women, children and the elderly, etc. The trend clearly reflects that women have been involved in not only creating jobs for themselves and their co-founders, but are also employing less trained and fostering the underprivileged women.

Talking of India, around 350 million Indians still live below the poverty line and struggle to access basic education, healthcare or proper nutrition. These people need better education, healthcare and other basic infrastructure. And this is where women social entrepreneurs are now working to provide innovative, practical and sustainable solutions. India is gradually recognizing that women are not just equal citizens in the society but are vital agents of direct social transformation. This is evident from various government initiatives and new policies taken up by the corporate sector identifying women as agents of sustained socio-economic growth and change.