India News | Odisha, UN Agency Join Hands for Financial Empowerment of Women

Bhubaneswar, Dec 13 (PTI) The Odisha government and the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF) signed an agreement on Monday to announce the launch of Mission Shakti Living Lab to empower women economically and drive gender equality.

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The Mission Shakti Living Lab will address barriers that limit the access of women to autonomy and financial freedom with the use of digital technologies and e-commerce, an official release said.

The agreement was signed by Mission Shakti commissioner Sujata Karthikeyan and UNCDF executive secretary Preeti Sinha.

Karthikeyan said the partnership with the UNCDF's Centre for Financial Health was crucial to accelerate access to digital services that can increase the income and financial well-being of women.

Mission Shakti was launched in 2001 to bolster the holistic development of women.

There are 6.02 lakh self-help groups (SHGs), comprising 70 lakh members across rural and urban areas of the state under the initiative, the release said.

The Living Lab will help 10,000 women-led micro-enterprises get better access to affordable market opportunities, capital for business promotion, and market solutions for better linkages, the release said.

The programme will improve the ability of SHG members and households to plan, save, borrow or spend better thereby improving the financial well-being of women.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)