March 6, 2025
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Introduction
Women Empowerment in simple parlance means promoting women’s self-worth, ability to determine their own choices, and their right to influence social change for themselves and others. It also enables them to have control over their lives, make choices and decisions, and have equal access to resources and opportunities.
Recently, the Indian Government has taken many steps towards women’s empowerment, such as making triple talaq illegal, reserving one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies for women, and giving over 70% of houses under the PM Awas Yojana in rural areas to women as sole or joint owners, which has enhanced their dignity.
The results of the efforts can be seen in the following:
- As per Union Budget 2024, there has been a 28% jump in female enrolment in higher education in the last 10 years.1
- In STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and mathematics) courses, women comprise 43% of the overall enrolments, one of the highest figures in the world.
- Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, in a Budget 2024 speech, highlighted that out of the total 44.46 crore loans sanctioned under Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana (PMMY) in 2023, 69% have been sanctioned to women.
- Further under Stand-up India (SUPI), as on 24th November 2023, out of 2.09 lakh loans sanctioned, 1.77 lakh (84%) have been sanctioned to women entrepreneurs.2
As we navigate the CSR landscape, initiatives dedicated to women’s empowerment are witnessing a remarkable upswing. Major corporations are now weaving comprehensive strategies, placing a special emphasis on initiatives tailored to uplift women.
The Companies Act of 2013(the Act) has also played a pivotal role in shaping CSR initiatives. The legal mandate requiring companies to allocate a percentage of their profits to CSR, has catalysed a surge in initiatives with a heartfelt focus on women’s welfare.
The Indian Ministry of Corporate Affairs revealed that the total CSR spending state-wise for FY 2021-2022 was Rs. 52,557.44 Crores.3
CSR Spend on the basis of Development Sector:
| Development Sector | CSR Spend 2020-2021 (in crores) | CSR Spend 2021-2022 (in crores) |
| Women Empowerment | 206 | 253.86 |
| Education | 6693.25 | 6482.72 |
| Gender Equality | 43.83 | 97.86 |
| Socio-Economic Inequalities | 149.81 | 161.72 |
Source: National CSR Data Portal
CSR Spend on Women Empowerment by big companies in India4:
| Name of the Company | Name of the Initiative | Total Expenditure on the Project | Total Prescribed CSR in 2020-21 | Actual CSR spent in 2020-21 | Implementing Partner |
| Hindustan Unilever Limited | Project Shakti | 57.29 Crores | 161.7 Crores | 165.08 Crores | Direct Implementation |
| Hindustan Zinc Limited | Project Sakhi | 3.72 Crores | 196.5 Crores | 214.0305 Crores | Manjari Foundation |
| ITC Limited | Women Empowerment Program | 3.41 Crores | 352.84 Crores | 365.43 Crores | Adarsh Yuva Samiti, Learning Links Foundation, Lokmitra etc |
| Sterlite Technologies Limited | Jeewan Jyoti Women Empowerment Program | 2.80 Crores | 11.60 Crores | 11.64 Crores | MAVIM Rangsutra Lighthouse Communities Foundation |
| Godrej Consumer Products Limited | Project Saloni | 2.27 Crores | 28.05 Crores | 34.09 Crores | Saath, Dhriti, Pratham, Vrutti, YUVA, Vision India |
| CCL Products India Limited | Self-employment& Skill development | 1.73 Crores | 4.19 Crores | 4.36 Crores | Direct Implementation |
| Pidilite Industries Limited | Women Self Help Group | 1.15 Crores | 25.88 Crores | 27.7 Crores | Gram Nirmansamaj Gram Vikas Yojna, Triveni Kalyan Foundation |
| Grasim Industries Limited | Women Empowerment | 1.11 Crores | 45.06 Crores | 84.67 Crores | Grasim Jana Seva Trust, BCCL Jan Seva Trust, Aditya Birla Jan Seva Trust, Jan Seva Trust, Indo Gulf Jan Seva Trust |
| JSW Steel Limited | Women Empowerment Program | 1.08 Crores | 164.81 Crores | 78.32 Crores | JSW Foundation |
| Cummins India Limited | Women’s Initiative in India | 1.0276 Crores | 16.0848 Crores | 16.0848 Crores | Cummins India Foundation |
Source: https://csrbox.org/Impact/description/India_CSR_news_Large-10-Women-Empowerment-CSR-Projects-in-India-in-the-year-20-21_1548
CSR projects on Women Empowerment:
Education: Globally, corporations are becoming champions of change by investing in educational initiatives that bridge gender gaps. These initiatives extend beyond borders, with programs providing digital literacy to women in developing countries and focusing on digital education for women in rural areas.
- Mahindra & Mahindra contribute to the Nanhi Kali (Little Bud) project to educate underprivileged girls in India.
- L & T Finance Limited contributes to the Digital Sakhi Program. Digital Sakhis have effectively helped empower over 11 lakh rural communities by promoting digital financial inclusion, providing impetus to 2,400 women entrepreneurs.” Thus, rising up the ranks from the confines of their homes to being change agents in their community.
Economic Opportunities: In CSR initiatives, creating economic opportunities for women takes center stage. Initiatives empower rural women, with organizations playing a pivotal role in supporting ventures that echo the spirit of entrepreneurship.
- Lakhpati Didi program, implemented by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. The Lakhpati Didi scheme aims to catalyze economic empowerment and financial independence among women in rural areas by encouraging them to start micro-enterprises and providing training in various skills such as plumbing, LED bulb making, drone operation and repair, tailoring, and weaving. Lakhpati Didi is a Self-Help Group member who earns an annual household income of Rupees One Lakh (Rs. 1,00,000) or more. The Lakhpatididi web portal was launched on 29th February 2024
Digital Education: The digital gender gap remains a poignant global concern. CSR initiatives like ‘Women Will’ and ‘Skill to Succeed’ actively address this, providing skills and a bridge to enhance employability and break digital barriers.
India Philanthropy Report 20245
Women givers: While women have historically held a smaller share of wealth due to social inequalities, GivingPi 7data indicates that women-led family philanthropy is gaining prominence.
Women show greater accountability through their funding initiatives and focus on intersectional approaches incorporating gender equity, diversity, and inclusion (GEDI) to address complex societal challenges.
1.Women philanthropists as heralds in giving to underrepresented causes
- While women constitute a minority of UHNI wealth and philanthropic contributions in India, emerging insights from GivingPi showcase substantial engagement—54% of the members indicate women-led family philanthropy and 70% report active women representation in their family philanthropy.
Women show greater accountability through their funding initiatives
- Women philanthropists lead with high involvement, preferring “own and operate” initiatives to directly impact outcomes (65% vs. 43% for men), shaping champions, fostering collaborations, and building institutions
- For example, Vidya Shah shifted from a corporate role to leading the EdelGive Foundation, which aids in shaping inclusive narratives and building institutions for supporting child education, women’s empowerment, and community resilience
- Early insights based on a limited dataset suggest women contribute more as a percentage of their net worth toward philanthropy than men. Similar trends have been captured through studies undertaken in the US.
Women philanthropists prioritize adopting a GEDI lens in their giving approach
- Women are reshaping funding narratives and institutions by adopting a GEDI lens to their giving (44% vs. 33% men).
- The emphasis on GEDI could be correlated to women’s lived experiences in the Indian landscape. It may contribute toward shifting power dynamics by addressing complex issues (social justice, caste discrimination, intersectional mental health).
- For example, Leena Dandekar’s Raintree Foundation fosters community stewardship for sustainable and resilient ecosystems. Meanwhile, Rohini Nilekani advocates for societal healing, championing empathy, creativity, and collaboration.
Conclusion:
A holistic approach to social, political, economic, and health is required to empower women and create an equitable and prejudice-free society. It is heart-warming to witness organisations working on women’s empowerment. Recently, Paytm bagged the CSR Sustainability Awards 2024 for ‘Impactful Sustainable Business Practice in Women Empowerment’ by The All-India Business & Community Foundation (AIBCF) Awards for CSR and Sustainability, for their voluntary initiative on Financial Literacy through their CSR arm Paytm Foundation. Through this programme, they bridged the gap by providing valuable knowledge and skills that empower women to make informed financial decisions, create budgets, save for the future, and build a foundation for financial independence.
CSR could contribute to women’s empowerment in several ways, including by enabling women to participate in the workplace, giving them access to equal opportunities and resources, providing digital and financial education, putting them in positions of power, and encouraging gender parity.
This article has been published on Taxmann. The link for the same