World Bank's BETI project empowering micro-level women in India to build businesses

New Delhi, Oct 8 (IANS) The World Bank’s project BETI (Business Enterprise Technology for Indian women) has trained micro-level women in the country in digital tools and financial management, enabling them to build businesses.

The pilot project, along with SEWA (Self-Employed Women’s Association), one of the world’s largest organisations of informal workers, trained women in Gujarat to use mobile apps and manage their finances.

“Micro-level women entrepreneurs in #Gujarat are using mobile apps to manage thriving businesses. They are trained in financial management and market access through World Bank and SEWA support,” the World Bank India shared in a post on social media platform X on Wednesday.

In a blog post, the World Bank shared how the project was an extension of the ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ initiative, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2015.

The BETI project added the dimension of ‘Beti Kamao’ to focus on empowering women economically. The project supports women’s growth as entrepreneurs and job creators in the country.

“Empowering women entrepreneurs is an economic priority that will bring considerable benefits to India’s economy,” the blog post read.

It noted that providing a proper support system can be key to increasing the number, scale, and sustainability of women-led enterprises in the country.

“For this to be achieved, however, micro-level women entrepreneurs will need to better manage their businesses, find ways to reach wider markets, and obtain easier access to finance,” the blog post said.

The pilot, operating in four districts of Gujarat -- Mehsana, Ahmedabad, Anand, and Bodeli -- equipped the women with mobile-based tools to “improve their bookkeeping, better manage their inventory and debt, and systematically catalogue their products for sale”.

The digital tools helped them with a better understanding of basic business concepts such as revenue, costs, and profits.

Although the project faces roadblocks such as limited access to smartphones by small women entrepreneurs and some being wary of new technology, but “many women said that the new digital tools have made it easy for them to track their income and expenditure, giving them a more accurate picture of their businesses,” the blog post said.

--IANS

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