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Author: Samhita - CGF

The Blended Finance Continuum: A Catalytic Pathway for Financial Inclusion

In India, the informal sector represents a significant portion of the workforce, employing more than 90% of workers and contributing around 50% to the country’s GDP. However more than 160 Million Indians remain underserved by formal credit systems

Access to formal credit, economic growth, and financial inclusion are critical for the development and empowerment for entrepreneurs in underserved communities. The lack of credit score and credit history is an impediment for getting credit opportunities, as many lenders are hesitant to extend credit to consumers without any credit history or score.

The innovative approach of a blended finance continuum can be a catalyst and pathway towards accessing future formal credit, driving economic growth, and providing financial inclusion for underserved communities.

In this blog, we will explore how the Returnable Grants, in conjunction with a pre-credit score, and credit guarantee, has the potential to create opportunities to transform lives for those in the informal sector.

 

Blended finance continuum: Opportunities or graduation into the formal economy

Blended Finance Continuum

The blended finance continuum offers a progressive pathway for participants to move up the chain of financial instruments from grants to commercial debt. As participants repay grants, they build a credit history and become eligible to unlock more capital from mainstream financial institutions. 

The aim of the model is to eventually make participants eligible for commercial loans. A large proportion of women are first-time borrowers and don’t have the credit history, collateral or documents to take formal loans. 

The pre-credit score with financial institutions and experts can be used by banks and NBFCs to offer affordable credit to first time borrowers; acting as a proxy for credit ratings and proof of ability to payback.

A rural women using a laptop

Paving the Way for Financial Inclusion

The Returnable Grants(RG) serves as a stepping stone for individuals and enterprises to transition from the informal sector to the formal financial system. By providing safe and flexible capital, the RG model enables micro-entrepreneurs, artisans, and job seekers to expand their businesses, invest in raw materials, and access new markets. 

As participants successfully utilize and repay the Returnable Grants, they build a credit history, gain financial knowledge, and establish their creditworthiness. This process aligns with the graduation model, which helps individuals progress from informality to formality, increasing their chances of accessing future formal credit.

“Fairoza Banu, a beauty-entrepreneur, used the RG model to expand her business. With the capital she received, Fairoza invested in high-quality materials and diversified her services. As Fairoza repaid the grant, she was able to show that she was able to pay back and be creditworthy.”

 

Pre-Credit Score: Unlocking Opportunities for New Borrowers

One of the significant barriers faced by individuals with no previous credit history is the lack of assets or creditworthiness. A pre-credit score framework is able to assess the creditworthiness and enable them to transition to the formal economy for accessing credit. 

Through evaluating repayment behavior and financial capacity, the RG model assesses the creditworthiness of underbanked individuals. Data collected from first time borrowers of the returnable grants along with other interventions can serve as a proxy to a traditional borrower..

This approach can provide first to credit borrowers with an opportunity to establish a credit history, demonstrate their repayment abilities and credit worthiness. 

Steps for building credit history:

  • First-time borrower repays returnable grant/debt
  • Provides access to financial, behavioral and repayments data which will feed into the pre-credit score
  • Pre-credit score will be used to estimate repayment capability of the borrower when trying to avail commercial credit from Banks/NBFCs

“Repayment of the Returnable grant builds positive credit history and for entrepreneurs like  Fairoza, can put the on a pathway toward formalization to access formal capital, so that in the future she could potentially take formal business loan and expand her business, and even support in the creation of jobs as her business expands.”

 

Improve access to relevant financial services on appropriate terms

A credit guarantee can mitigate the risk associated with lending to underserved communities and individuals. It acts as a form of assurance for financial institutions to provide formal credit to these marginalized groups.

  1. Risk Mitigation: A credit guarantee reduces the risk for lenders by providing a backup plan in case of default. This increased security will encourage financial institutions to extend credit to underserved communities who would otherwise be denied access. 
  2. Access to Formal Credit: A credit guarantee can bridge the gap between underserved communities and formal financial institutions, ensuring they have equal access to credit opportunities, establish financial stability, and become part of the mainstream financial ecosystem.

“As Fairoza’s business grows she may want to access higher credit amounts and access financial services, with a pre-credit score and a credit guarantee, a bank, confident in the credit guarantee provided by the RG model, can offer Fairoza and entrepreneurs like her access to great financial services. Such a collaboration can not only facilitate Fairoza’s growth but also encourage other financial institutions to support underserved communities.”

Indian women smiling

 

The Returnable Grant (RG), in conjunction with the graduation model, pre-credit score, and credit guarantee, has the potential to be a transformative approach to improve access to  future formal credit, increase economic growth, and provide financial inclusion for underserved communities. 

Through the graduation model, individuals and enterprises in the informal sector can overcome the barriers that traditional financial institutions impose on them,

  • The Returnable Grant: acts as a stepping stone for individuals to transition from the informal to the formal financial system, enabling them to access future formal credit and expand their businesses.
  • Pre-Credit Score: Evaluates repayment behavior and financial capacity of participants, to establish a proxy credit score, which paves the way for accessing formal credit in the future.
  • Credit Guarantee: mitigates the risk for financial institutions, encouraging them to lend to underserved communities and fostering economic growth.

The impact of the RG model can be seen through real-life examples of individuals who have transformed their lives and communities. 

It has empowered women like Fairoza to access formal credit, formalize and expand their businesses, and contribute to local economic growth and her family’s needs.

Through partnerships with financial institutions and philanthropic agencies we aim to create public goods like the pre-credit score and credit guarantee facilities, and unlock the full potential of the MSME sector to drive sustainable and inclusive economic growth.

Frequently Asked Questions: Compliance & The Returnable Grant

Returnable Grants (RGs) have emerged as a transformative financial instrument, driving economic empowerment and livelihood for vulnerable communities. A Returnable Grant (RG) provides short-term, affordable, and flexible capital (zero interest and zero collateral) to individuals and entrepreneurs. The RG levies individuals with a moral (and not legal) obligation to repay.

Organisations such as Godrej, S&P Global, 360 One, Michael Susan, and Dell Foundation have embraced RGs as a central component of their projects aimed at supporting financial inclusion and livelihoods of informal workers, microentrepreneurs, farmers, artisans, and beauty entrepreneurs, and have seen its transformative impact through increased financial knowledge, increased incomes, and access to new skills and jobs.

This blog addresses frequently asked questions on compliance of Returnable Grants.

Here’s how it works

Returnable Grant Fund flow

Donors who are interested in adopting Returnable Grants as a feature in their projects onboard a technical partner (Collective Good Foundation), who designs and structures the returnable grant, provides performance management support, and identifies the donor’s choice of recipients.

The criteria for selection are as follows:

  • First-time participants who are in need of capital, also known as ‘New to Credit’ or NTC, and can be introduced to the credit ecosystem through the returnable grants model
  • Potential ability of selected participants to repay as a cohort
  • Existing engagement or relationship with non-profit partners, to understand if the Returnable Grant can be a good layer on other interventions

Where does the Money Go?

Returnable Grants allow money to be directly credited into the  beneficiaryaccounts or given out as cash equivalents such as vouchers. This process is supported by non-profit organisations or non-banking financial company (NBFC) partners. Once a returnable grant is repaid, it is circulated back into the repayment ecosystem to support additional participants with similar needs.

What are the FCRA/CSR norms, and how does it apply to organizations (donor and non-profits) using the RG model?

Compliance from an FCRA lens

What is the FCRA, and how does it apply to organizations using the RG model?

  • The FCRA is a regulatory framework that aims to regulate foreign contributions for economic and social programs.
  • This applies to foreign funds from foreign donors (foundations, bilateral agencies, multilateral agencies, HNIs, etc.)
  • RGs, designed within the FCRA guidelines, fall within the ambit of an economic and social program under Section 11(1) of the FCRA, 2010. This ensures the utilization of funds aligns with the intended purpose.

How does the RG model comply with FCRA regulations?

  • RGs are implemented through trusted partners, such as Non-Banking Financial Companies (NBFCs).
  • These partners distribute the funds to selected participants, who repay the partners instead of repatriating the money to the original funders.
  • This continuous circulation within the beneficiary ecosystem maximizes outreach and impact while complying with the FCRA guidelines.
  • Funds given by CGF (registered under FCRA) to the beneficiary Is not considered as sub-granting under FCRA as amended In September 2020.
  • Also, the NBFC Is simply the channel for transfer of FCRA funds to the beneficiaries Bank Account

Compliance from a CSR lens

CSR regulations apply to corporates registered under the Indian Companies Act.

How do RGs align with CSR regulations?

  • RGs can be categorized under Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013, which outlines eligible CSR activities.
  • By deploying RGs for approved initiatives, organizations fulfil their CSR expenditure obligations and contribute to social impact.

How is the utilization of RG funds tracked to ensure CSR compliance?

  • Once RG funds are received by the first set of beneficiaries, they are deemed to be utilized, satisfying the company’s CSR obligation.
  • As participants repay the funds, they are recirculated within the participant ecosystem and tracked to ensure compliance with CSR regulations. The recirculation within the beneficiary ecosystem Is purely a value added advantage of this model.

Common compliance:

  • Once the first round of RGs are disbursed, funds are recorded as utilised for the project – fulfilling FCRA and CSR regulations
  • Repaid funds are given to other deserving participants within the eco-system. Money is never returned to the donor and continues to rotate in the participant ecosystem until all funds are utilized.
  • Alternatively, at the end of a certain period, the donor can choose to spend the money as a grant for aligned activities, compliant with CSR and FCRA norms
  • Donors can choose to receive updates and impact reports until all funds are exhausted

 

What are some key considerations for non-profits using the RG model to ensure compliance with CSR regulations? 

  • Adhering to FCRA guidelines when utilizing foreign funds for RGs.
  • Aligning RG activities with the approved categories in Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.
  • Ensuring beneficiaries receive the funds in their designated bank accounts.
  • Verifying that the funds are used for specific business use cases and not for activities prohibited by law.

Are Indian not for profits typically tax exempt? Who are the secondary recipients who can recover and redeploy Returnable Grants

  • Yes, Indian non-profits are tax exempt
  • Secondary recipients can only be not for profits, or designated intermediaries on behalf of the NGOs such as NBFCs (Non Banking Financial Corporations)

What are the factors affecting the returnability of a Returnable Grant?

  • The timeline of a Returnable Grant depends on nature and requirement of the cohort.
  • It may be returned during any time period – from a few months or within a few years – depending on the size of Returnable Grant, nature of cohorts and changed field conditions.

Are there any restrictions on the use of RG funds for CSR activities, and if so, what are they?

  • While there are no specific restrictions, organizations must ensure that the utilization of RG funds aligns with approved CSR activities as per Schedule VII of the Companies Act, 2013.

What reporting and monitoring requirements are associated with the use of RG funds for FCRA/CSR activities?

  • Organizations must maintain proper records of fund utilization, prepare periodic reports, and ensure transparency in reporting.

Returnable grants (RGs) provide a compliant and transformative approach for donors and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to create sustainable impact in communities they service. By embracing RGs, donors can unlock greater financial resources to drive economic empowerment and improve livelihoods for vulnerable individuals and entrepreneurs. The unique design of RGs instils a sense of responsibility and empowerment among recipients, fostering a culture of self-sufficiency and long-term success.

Through the adoption of RGs, donors and NGOs have a powerful tool to effect long term positive change with vulnerable and at-risk communities.

Amplifying Impact: The Multiplier Effect of Returnable Grants in Financial and Social Transformation

Returnable Grants (RGs) have revolutionized the landscape of financing and social impact, providing leverage from a funding perspective while creating a multiplier effect for participants that drives positive change. The RG with its unique zero-interest, zero-collateral, no legal obligation to repay has the potential to become a catalysing tool that can empowering individuals and businesses that were previously deemed “ineligible” or “high-risk” to access formal credit.

Since 2021, our experience with the RG has shown success and scalability across various communities:

  • Over 32,000+ participants have already been impacted
  • Outstanding overall repayment rate of 93%.
  • More than 50% of these participants are women, emphasizing the role of RGs in promoting gender equality and empowering marginalized groups.

In this blog, we will explore the transformative potential of RGs and how they have garnered support from leading donors – corporate and philanthropic – to create a ripple effect leading to sustainable change for the communities they serve.

Driving Leverage from Funding and Financial Perspectives

RGs have captured the attention from corporate and philanthropic donors due to their ability to mobilise additional capital and maximize the reach and effectiveness of financial support. This ‘leverage’ expands the pool of resources,  bridges funding gaps. As RGs are repaid, the funds can be recycled and reinvested, creating a sustainable funding cycle that perpetuates the impact over time. Additionally, RGs can complement larger-scale initiatives, multiplying their impact through the integration of financial resources.

Creating a Multiplier Effect for Lasting Impact

The multiplier effect of RGs goes beyond the immediate participant group. By supporting micro-entrepreneurs access capital, RGs can stimulate local economies, generate employment opportunities, and contribute to community development. As these businesses flourish and incomes increase for the microentrepreneur, they are able to expand their business and create more employment opportunities leading to overall economic growth in their community – demonstrating the transformative potential of RGs in addressing socio-economic challenges and fostering sustainable development. Several successful cohorts have witnessed multiplier effects of 2-3x, indicating the power of RGs when supported by the right partners and infrastructure.

Examples of Donor Support for Returnable Grants

Returnable Grants have garnered significant attention and support from  donors who recognize the transformative power of the RG and have actively supported their implementation across various stakeholder groups. For instance:

  • Vinati Organics where over 4000 people got the RG at 100% repayment rate
  • Arvind Ltd has supported 297 blue-collar workers, providing RGs to enhance their livelihoods and create economic opportunities.
  • S&P Global has targeted 1920 street vendors and artisans, enabling them to thrive through RG support.
  • Godrej has focused on empowering 692 beauty entrepreneurs, fostering their growth through RG investments

 

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These initiatives have been able to demonstrate the tangible benefits of RGs in transforming communities, promoting gender equality, revitalizing rural economies, preserving
traditional crafts, and improving livelihoods. Moreover, RGs provide a sustainable funding cycle, as they can be recycled and reinvested into new cohorts, ensuring a continuous flow of capital for long-term impact amplifying the effectiveness of their philanthropic efforts.

Towards Institutionalization and Financial Inclusion

To further enhance financial inclusion, efforts are underway to institutionalize RGs as a viable alternative for improving livelihoods. Collaborations with regulators and financial institutions aim to link RGs with pre-credit scores and a credit guarantee to providing access to formal credit for high-risk individuals who would otherwise be excluded. By leveraging RG repayment rates to build pre-credit scores, participants’ creditworthiness is enhanced, opening doors to the formal economy. This integration fosters sustainable economic growth and development, benefiting both individuals and the larger community.

Returnable Grants offer a unique approach to funding and financial inclusion, providing leverage and driving a multiplier effect of impact. As the momentum behind RGs continues to grow, we see potential to enhance the way we address social challenges, paving the way for a future where finance empowerment becomes a force for positive change and where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Becoming an all-rounder

Artisan: Salma Ben Rajanpur, Gujarat

Supported by STFC’s sewing training

44-year-old Salma Ben comes from the Rajanpur area of Gujarat. “I am an all-rounder,” she says when asked about her skill set that makes her a growing artisan and micro-entrepreneur. “I have my sewing, tailoring business that runs out of my house. I do all kinds of work – cutting, designing new patterns, stitching, tailoring, etc.”

Salma Ben has been associated with STFC for the past three years and it all began with the advent of COVID-19. “Everything was shut. My husband lost his job. We had no income to make ends meet,” says Salma, who is a mother of three daughters and two sons. “All my children have passed class 10th except one son who is still studying. None of them are working and so I was the only provider at that critical time,” she adds.
This kind of crisis was met by Salma after she was determined to find new work. “I was asking everyone if there was a way to find more work. And this is when through a relative, I was introduced to STFC. They instantly became my pillar of support as they pulled me into their tailoring training and the first thing I ever made for them were thousands of masks,” remembers Salma.

At that point when many households were struggling with basic income, STFC began running its training programs and onboarded women who could make masks, cloth bags, basket bags, etc. This training usually consists of about 25 women in each batch and continues for about 3 months totaling nearly 45 hours. “I feel so fortunate that STFC provided me with free training when it was most needed. Earlier, I was doing tailoring work but that didn’t amount to much income majorly because I was dependent on local orders, which would only come at festivals or weddings. Also, the sewing machine was an old one and it was only during the training that I was introduced to a better machine that helped me do all tasks without depending on others. I also learned very critical skills such as cutting, and pattern drawing/designing – which earlier, I had to get done from someone else thereby losing further money,” explains Salma.

 

The training was crucial in not only their support but also in providing raw materials and equipment at zero cost. “I had earlier taken private classes but since I had to purchase my raw material, I could not continue those classes for long. It became a super expensive affair,” she says. Adding to this, Salma ben was introduced to a pool of determined women just like hers who took charge of their households at such a crucial time. “I was in such awe to see so many neighboring women just like I come out of their houses and learn a skill and become an entrepreneur. My husband still makes very little income- about INR 3000/month and with the support of STFC, catering their orders alone amounts to INR 8000/month. Right now, without my support, we can’t run our family. And without STFC’s support, I couldn’t have reached here”.

Salma ben has not only been influenced by so many other women like her but has also inspired many other women who have joined the training courses and are determined to work towards raising their income levels. “During COVID, I used to work for 10-12 hours straight. But then I fell sick and could not sit for so long. I have trained my daughters and now they help me in finishing orders.”

While Salma ben has still not named her business, she is determined to reach an income of INR10,000-12,000/month by taking more orders through STFC.

 

 

 

The Need for Partnership: Empowering Women-led Businesses through Collaboration

 

In this series, we delve on the key lessons from the Samhita -Collective Good Foundation (Samhita-CGF) and Microsoft Project on how to empower women entrepreneurs through digital financial literacy and build a stronger framework for the second iteration.

 

Women Entrepreneurship: The Indian Landscape

The COVID-19 pandemic had long-lasting devastating effects on the Indian economy, especially when more than 75% of small-scale livelihood families, who were into jobs like farming, construction and owned shops/stalls lost their ability to earn their daily wage income. But it also inevitably encouraged a new wave of women entrepreneurship, as the women, who were traditionally homemakers, realised that they could utilise their basic skills to make masks and other products and generate money, and decided to take on the mantle to run their households for the sake of survival through those tough times.

This wave of change quickly transformed women entrepreneurship into a fast-growing sector, and as of 2022, there are more than 13.5 million women-led enterprises in India. But they still attribute to only 20% of the total entrepreneurship in India. There is much more that needs to be done, and that can happen with the help of digital and financial inclusion. Financial inclusion can be considered the basis for enhancing the economic growth and empowerment of a particular country, and is a core need when thinking of establishing any entrepreneurship. This is even more imperative for women, as they lack the financial independence that is naturally granted to men in a patriarchal society. This is in different forms as outlined below:

BARRIERS TO ENTRY

  1. Socioeconomic and Cultural Barriers: There are many women who still end up handling a second shift model, where they are expected to handle both their businesses and homes simultaneously. 63% of women prefer to work from home for the same reason. This restricts their ability to expand their businesses, as they are not able to give in more time to establish it.
  2. Lack of Access to Funding: Women entrepreneurs usually tend to depend on immediate family, friends and relatives for financial support to start up and establish their business. Due to lack of financial literacy, many women do not even know how to be able to handle their own bank accounts. As a result, even as of 2022, even with 85% women who have bank accounts, there is a 37% gap in funding for women enterprises.
  3. Low level of awareness of government schemes: There are a variety of social security schemes provided by the Government of India like financial inclusion, insurance and direct benefit transfers (DBTs)which help to safeguard the future of Indian citizens, irrespective of gender, age, religion or class. However, a majority of women are not aware about them because it is not a topic that comes up in general discussions with other women.

All of these factors play a significant role in determining how women-led businesses are able to flourish in the Indian market.

EMPOWERING WOMEN

Financial and Digital Empowerment of Small Women-Led Businesses

In order to recognise the need to bridge the gap between women entrepreneurs and digital financial mechanisms, Microsoft decided to empower 5000 women through their pan-India scale-up project with Samhita-CGF. These interventions included:

  1. Provision of access to government schemes and services: The women entrepreneurs were made aware about the schemes provided by the Government of India, broadly covering financial inclusion, insurance and direct benefit transfers (DBTs). They were educated about eligibility criteria, and were provided with hand-holding support in procuring the scheme related documents, and the post-application process.
  2. Advanced entrepreneurship training: The women were trained on the MeraBills digital bookkeeping app, on topics like retaining a bank account, cash flow management and how to use the digital banking services. Additionally, they were taught financial planning. The entrepreneurs were also provided training the marketplaces to sell their products.
  3. Mentoring and capacity building to help other members with their existing skill sets: The entrepreneurs who were provided with the advanced training were also moulded to become mentors to the other women in the cohort.
  4. Enabling credit for their respective businesses: Samhita-CGF got in touch with the banks and non-banking financial companies to create a criterion for the beneficiaries to be connected to the right financial schemes that suit their business. The information included the process of loan disbursement, and how they can return the money in the signed period of time.

PARTNERSHIP FOR STRONGER IMPACT

One of the core reasons why partnerships like these are needed is because each firm has their own expertise, which can be utilised to help those that need it the most. For instance, Microsoft has access to the most innovative technological services available, while Samhita-CGF, through its REVIVE program has an understanding and expertise on financial inclusion. They also give businesses a chance to expand their particular customer base which makes it easier to reach out to more beneficiaries.

Stitching Her Business with Digital Empowerment: Meenakshi from Barmer

“Now I’m able to take money from my creditor and keep

monthly accounts of my deposits.”

 

Meenakshi, a 26-year-old resident of Barmer in Rajasthan has always had a strong desire to contribute to her family’s income through her tailoring business. However, managing the finances was a challenge for her, and she often had to depend on others for assistance. Her lack of familiarity with digital payments and bookkeeping made it difficult for her to transition to the new normal. Fortunately, through the REVIVE Project, Meenakshi was able to acquire the digital financial literacy skills needed to thrive.

Her story is a testament to the power of digital financial literacy in empowering women entrepreneurs. Here’s how she did it:

Meenakshi was introduced to the REVIVE Project through Pappu Kanwar, a master trainer from Barmer. She was taught how to operate the phone, use online banking, and send money using UPI. Additionally, Meenakshi was introduced to a digital bookkeeping app called MeraBills, which made it easy for her to keep track of her finances. In addition to reminders, financial reports, and budgeting, she no longer requires assistance with her finances and is independently operating her business.

Just like Meenakshi, there are several other women micro-entrepreneurs that are being connected to the digital world through skill building.

 

FINDINGS & WAY FORWARD/ ISSUES TO CONSIDER

Some of the considerations for the future could be as follows:

  • Enabling online training via mobile phone: Women who participate in such cohorts usually come from a low-income background, hence have to delve into multiple odd jobs in order to support their families’ livelihoods. Enabling online training will allow more women to be able to participate at their convenience, and hence gain digital and financial literacy skills.
  • Having a women-only training: This might prove to be effective in ensuring dissemination of learnings. Additionally, personalising the experience with one-on-one sessions, will help the women to develop more trust in the process and work harder on incorporating digital and financial literacy into their livelihoods.
  • Provision of data connectivity: Teaching skills is effective only when the women will be able to practise and use the MeraBills digital bookkeeping app in their shops and neighbourhoods too. Hence, the provision of adequate data connectivity in common service centres, panchayat buildings should also be included as part of the programmes.
  • Promoting more diverse learning: Curriculum content is better understood when it is supplemented with stories, videos and activity-based learning. The trainers can be equipped and encouraged to deliver their complex ideas in a simpler manner for the women to be able to better retain the information in the long-term.
  • Associating the women with unique identification to track their progress: Women in these cohorts usually use their family’s phone numbers to register and implement the program. Creating a unique id will help to identify them as individuals, and monitor their individual areas of improvement and growth.
  • Determining an effective pay-for performance process: On achieving a particular milestone, the women were paid ₹400 to encourage them. However, money can often be seen as charity and/or insufficient for the particular need. A change in amount and more clarity on the rationale to the beneficiaries will help to make the process more efficient.

The Samhita-CGF- Microsoft program has been instrumental in changing the lives of more than 5000 women entrepreneurs so far, and the second iteration will help to take this partnership forward to benefit many more women. It is inspiring to see stories of resilience like Meenakshi, and it is our hope that many such women are able to utilise the digital book-keeping and capacity building skills and tools to further advance their businesses and live a life of dignity.

 

This article was editorialised by Ayushi Bhatnagar and Tanvi Deshmukh

Implementing the SDGs for Women’s Health using a Global Approach

“All countries should strive to make accessible, through the primary healthcare system, reproductive health to all individuals of appropriate ages as soon as possible and no later than the year 2015.”

In 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) collectively agreed upon achieving the goal of reproductive health for all by 2015. Although universal agendas set the tone for progress in the allied areas, there prevails a significant vacuum between the implementation stages and the practice of engaging with family planning needs. The United Nations has stressed the importance of reallocation and mobilisation of financial resources.

‘Among the 1.9 billion women of reproductive age (15-49 years) living in the world in 2019, 1.1 billion have a need for family planning, that is, they are either current users of contraceptives or have an unmet need for family planning. Of these 1.1 billion women, 842 million use modern methods of contraception and 80 million use traditional methods of contraception.’   Source: Family Planning and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: Data Booklet

Healthcare interventions need to recognize the local context, unique to certain cultures. the nature of health facilities, commercial outlets, and existing community-based systems. The WHO also promotes a reproductive health strategy that emphasises on strengthening the existing healthcare services to introduce new interventions in the allied areas.

Women’s participation in community organisations like SHGs and other microfinance programs generates non-financial benefits, improves social capital, reduces inequality, and improves health outcomes in terms of access to maternal services. It establishes a positive correlation in the improvement in availability of SHGs and an improvement in maternal health and wellbeing. In India, several studies have found an association between self-help groups (SHGs), the most prominent model of microfinance delivery and maternal health and well-being[1]. For instance, a project in Maharashtra trained women SHG members as health workers and provided funds for health emergencies with literacy training showed a reduction in infant mortality from 176 to 19 per 1000, 40 to 20 per 1000 birth rates, nearly universal access to antenatal care, safe delivery, and immunisation and decline in malnutrition from 40% to 5%  in two decades after 1970[2]. 

An integrative approach (both top down and bottom up approaches) towards Sexual and Reproductive Health is critical for the purpose of better health outcomes, education and gender equality. All the 17 goals under SDGs are interconnected and they intend to drive the allocation of the global financial and human resources along with guiding nations’ policy priorities until 2030.

The SDGs must address areas pertaining to SRHR and gender equality explicitly. Without doing so, the progress in such areas will be difficult to measure and to act upon the SDGs. In other words, there are two central challenges the SDGs face with regard to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, i.e. lack of direct attention based on sexual health and lack of focus on context-specific problems in terms of meeting and improving sexual health needs. Specific targets pertaining to Sexual and Reproductive Health are as follows:

SDG 3. Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages  SDG 5. Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
Target 3.1:  By 2030, reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to less than 70 per 100,000 live birthsTarget 5.1: End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere  
Target 3.7:  By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual and other types of exploitation  
 Target 5.3: Eliminate all harmful practices, such as child, early and forced marriage and female genital mutilation

In addition SDG #4, which seeks to Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all canprovide children and youth with unbiased, scientifically correct information on all aspects of sexuality. At the same time, it helps them develop the skills to act upon this information. Such education also incorporates concepts of human rights and gender equality. Research shows that programmes sharing certain key characteristics can help in promoting safer SRH practices: abstaining from or delaying the start of sexual relations, reducing the frequency of unprotected sexual activity, reducing the number of sexual partners, and increasing the use of contraceptive options against unintended pregnancy and STIs during sexual intercourse.

Working with men and boys to challenge gender inequalities can also have a positive impact on the health and well-being of women and girls. It is also important to recognize that men and boys also have health vulnerabilities. There is a growing recognition that an improvement in the SRH of boys, an area that has largely been neglected, is crucial for the improvement of that of girls.

SDG# 17 highlights the need for multi-stakeholder partnerships for the Goals to achieve impact at scale. Better access to family planning programs has been estimated to result in almost 40% increase in women’s monthly wages, increasing women’s control and agency over finances and property, and enabling greater long-term savings. This requires engagement with collaborative partnerships at local, national, and international levels. Governments and stakeholders, including corporates, can workwith family planning organisations at national and international levels, and with local NGOs and government health services to ensure long term capacity building to address reproductive and sexual health needs of the community. This is important to address issues of high maternal mortality, poor access to contraception and reproductive health services, and high cervical cancer death rates. For instance, the partnership between USAID and the Indian government, along with private and civil society organisations has strengthened health challenges including maternal and child mortality in the country. The partnership focused on improving the reach, impact, affordability, and quality of healthcare services[3].

In alignment with the WHO, SRH action plan and its three closely interlinked goals, corporates can align their health projects with the global goals and benchmarks by:

  1. Undertaking extensive and intensive awareness programmes for adolescents and youth, enabling informed decision making and preventing and responding to sexual violence by addressing gender inequality and cultural norms from a rights-based perspective.
  2. Build capacities of local health facilities by expanding and strengthening people-centred SRH care services for the vulnerable, disadvantaged, and hard-to-reach groups.
  3. Collaborate with governments at multiple levels to exchange learnings and promote people centred laws regarding SRH rights that are capable of addressing the needs of all.

Living up to the commitment to achieve universal access to reproductive health by 2030 requires the monitoring of key family planning indicators. Many SRH services, like contraception and abortion care, antenatal and post-natal care, can be provided through primary healthcare centres (PHCs). Thus, integrating SRH with PHCs for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) requires development of strategy and commitment from different stakeholders.

Information on sexual and reproductive health is important to support decision-making to advance initiatives and to develop effective programs addressing health needs. The two new tools – Handbook and Learning by Sharing Portal, released by WHO can be used by funding corporates, policymakers, programme managers, implementers, civil society and research organisations in developing coherent strategies to integrate best practices for making health systems more adaptive[4].

HandbookLearning by sharing portal
A guide for planning and implementing SRH services in health benefit packages, accountability processes and measures. It highlights best practices from different countries can serve as an information resource lesson that can be adapted in different contexts. For instance, a safe abortion service in Ireland, evidence-based solution in addressing mistreatment of women in institutional deliveries in Guinea, etc. are learning lessons for strengthening SRH service delivery.Launched in July,2022, is a SRH-UHC portal for peer learning. The portal is an online repository of qualitative case studies that documents experiences of different stakeholders in integrating SRH in Universal Health Coverage(UHC) reforms. It serves as guide in developing normative tools to address SRH needs of women, adolescents, and other vulnerable communities. It features implementation stories from across the world like changing laws in Kazakhstan, partnerships for progress between governments, NGOs and the private sector in Mexico, Nepal, and Pakistan etc.

Both the tools emphasise on the importance of meaningful participation of the people affected through health policies. However, to achieve universal access to SRH services integral efforts are required from the all the stakeholders including governments and corporates that will help align the FP2030 agenda with the SDGs to provide universal access to family planning and lead to healthy lives, informed decision making and participation of women as equals in the society. 

[1] https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1475-9276-12-36

[2] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236956603_The_effect_of_Self-Help_Groups_on_access_to_maternal_health_services_Evidence_from_rural_India

[3] https://www.usaid.gov/india/health

[4] https://www.who.int/news/item/19-07-2022-universal-access-to-sexual-and-reproductive-health

Empowering Women through gender inclusive Sexual and Reproductive Health & Family Planning projects

Improving sexual and family health and well-being within communities starts with engaging both females and males. Traditionally, females have been the target beneficiaries for Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) & Family Planning (FP) initiatives. These initiatives complement each other towards population control, curbing the social problem of child marriage, and promoting children’s health and education. However, it is important to refocus SRH and FP initiatives on the health of family life; and that begins with the females and their male counterparts – the operative word being ‘and’.

In India, there has been an imbalance between male and female sterilizations dating back to the 1970’s. The forced sterilization of 6.2 million men at the time of the Emergency and mass protests, deepened stigmatization, and misinformation about vasectomies. The onus of SRH and FP fell on women in India[i], despite vasectomies being safer and less invasive in nature than most FP initiatives targeted at women. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS)-5 (2019-21), only 0.3 percent of family planning methods are male sterilizations, whereas 37.9 percent are female sterilizations[ii]. This stark disparity can be seen continuing since NFHS-1 (1992-93) and has only widened[iii], [iv].

Inspiration from global approaches to male engagement can be drawn, to increase the participation of Indian men in the FP ecosystem. Globally, the approach to include males in the dialogue around SRH and FP is by having SRH and FP programmes engage with males as clients, and/or agents of change towards SRH and FP. This means enabling men and boys to have healthy engagement regarding SRH and FP with their female partners, families, and communities, thereby, fostering equitable distribution of roles and responsibilities among males and females in making FP decisions. By doing so, unequal power dynamic and harmful gender norm practices, like delegating family planning as only the female’s/woman’s prerogative, are challenged and can be transformed[v].

International Commitments for Male Engagement in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights:

International commitment to involving men in reproductive health has been affirmed through various international conferences and statements, particularly the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action in 1994[vi] and the Beijing Platform of Action in 1995[vii]. The ICPD Programme of Action calls for the innovative and comprehensive inclusion of men and boys to help achieve gender equality and present men primarily as allies in this endeavour. The Beijing Platform of Action reaffirms this[viii].

Programmes around the world that are engaging with males[ix]

According to a report by ICRW titled “How are Men & Couples Engaged in Family Planning? – Learnings from a Review of Programs,” there have been initiatives around the world since 2001 that have been engaging men in their SRH and FP programmes. These include:

  • PRACHAR (Promoting Change in Reproductive Behaviour in Bihar) in India from 2001 to 2013
  • SASA! (Start, Awareness, Support & Action) in Uganda from 2007 to 2012
  • Male Malawi Motivators in Malawi in the year 2008
  • CHAMPION (Channelling Men’s Positive Involvement in the National HIV/AIDS Response) in Tanzania from 2008 to 2014
  • Smart Couple in Nepal for a duration of 1000 days in 2014
  • Promoting Health – Adjusting the Reproductive Environment (Transform/PHARE) in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Iviore, and Niger from 2014 to 2019
  • Project Ujjwal in India from 2013 to 2016
  • Cyber Rwanda in Rwanda in the year 2016
  • A360 (Adolescent 360) in Nigeria, Ethiopia, & Tanzania from 2016 to 2020

How these programmes have engaged with males[x]

These programmes have engaged with men in three potential areas: as clients, as partners to women in SRH & FP, and as influencers or agents of change.

The programmes provided the men space and support for one-on-one interpersonal communication or small group interaction in the form of:

  • Counselling in person/hotline,
  • Couples/family counselling – specifically with the female partners to encourage joint-decision making,
  • Peer education via community motivators/male community activist, and
  • Community theatre that showcased aspirational family communication around SRH and FP. 

Some programmes employed the use of social media and digital online and mobile phone tools that encouraged participants to:

  • Connect with age-appropriate services,
  • Think about fertility desires,
  • Talk and actively participate in discussions & openly raise concerns with SRH/FP provider or counsellor, and
  • To be confident in sharing about employing or changing family planning methods with family and friends.

A couple of key recommendations by ICRW to consider for including males in SRH and FP Programmes:

  • Develop peer support networks between the participants as well as with community motivators/activists. These networks should be intended to thrive post the end of intervention as participants could continue dialogue on these sensitive issues and have a constant support system to reflect and continue progress towards healthy sexual and reproductive & family planning behaviours such as HIV/STI prevention, contraceptive use, physical violence, domestic chores, and parenting.
  • Being mindful of the need of anonymity and requiring a safe environment free from backlash and negative implications to consume information about safe sex, sexual intimacy, other sensitive family planning topics.  

Other sensitive family planning topics could include sex education, sexuality education, pre-conception risk assessment, infertility, genetic code, anatomy/physiology, psycho-sexual problems, healthy emotional relations & responsibilities, assisted reproductive technologies[xi]. “…engaging men and boys in FP may improve FP outcomes for men, boys, women, and girls, as well as challenge harmful forms of masculinity that prevent men from fully participating in their own RH. Addressing gender dynamics has the potential to influence a host of factors that impact the health and well-being of men and women across the lifespan, including couple communication and decision- making about fertility desires and FP and shared responsibility for their family’s health and well-being.” – USAID[xii]

[i] Kaushik, Ashutosh. (2022, July 11). Man should be equal partners in family planning. Hindustan Times. https://www.hindustantimes.com/ht-insight/public-health/men-should-be-equal-partners-in-family-planning-101657511573064.html

[ii] International Institute for Population Sciences. (n.d.). The national family health survey 5: 2019-2021. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. http://rchiips.org/nfhs/NFHS-5_FCTS/India.pdf

[iii]  International Institute for Population Sciences. (n.d.). The national family health survey 4 (nfhs-4): 2015-2016. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. http://rchiips.org/nfhs/pdf/NFHS4/India.pdf

[iv] International Institute for Population Sciences. (n.d.). Key indicator for India from nfhs-3: 2005-2006. Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India. http://rchiips.org/nfhs/pdf/India.pdf

[v] (1995). Beijing declaration and platform for action. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf

[vi] United Nations Population Fund. (2014). Programme action of the international conference on population development. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/programme_of_action_Web%20ENGLISH.pdf

[vii] (1995). Beijing declaration and platform for action. https://www.un.org/womenwatch/daw/beijing/pdf/BDPfA%20E.pdf

[viii] United Nations Population Fund. (2014). Programme action of the international conference on population development. https://www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/pub-pdf/programme_of_action_Web%20ENGLISH.pdf

[ix] Sahay, A., Joseph, J., Prashad, V.P., Yadav, K., Jha, S., Vachhar, K., Seth, K. (2021). How are men and couples engaged in family planning? Learnings from a review of programs. International Center for Research on Women. https://www.icrw.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/ICRW_How-Are-Men-Couples-Engaged-in-Family-Planning_LearningReview_Feb.2021.pdf

[x] -Ibid.

[xi] Wikipedia. (2022, November 19). Family planning. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Family_planning#Assisted_reproductive_technology

[xii] Office of Population and Reproductive Health, Bureau for Global Health. (2018). Essential considerations for engaging men and boys for improved family planning outcomes. USAID. https://www.usaid.gov/sites/default/files/documents/1864/Engaging-men-boys-family-planning-508.pdf

Inclusive Health of Women: Building a case for corporate engagement with Sexual and Reproductive Health

The COVID-19 pandemic challenged the planning capacity, efficiency, effectiveness, and preparedness of the global public health systems. With increased socio-economic insecurities in low and middle-income countries, progress on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), was stalled. The United Nations has forecasted a $2.5 trillion annual financial deficit to fulfil the SDGs, which has been compounded by the pandemic. Given that we are in an era of transnational governance, where companies, civil society, international organisations, and governments play interconnected roles in standard-setting, supervision, and enforcement of welfare policies and programs it is the responsibility of all the stakeholders in the health ecosystem, including the private sector, to collaborate and strategize how best we can do our part if we are to make progress on our shared goals and targets. This view is reflected in Goal 17 (Partnership for the Goals) of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aims “to mobilise, redirect and unlock the transformative power of trillions of dollars of private resources”.

In 2013, India became the first country in the world to make Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) mandatory for eligible corporations in India. In doing so, it acknowledged industry as a key change agent and recognized the critical need for utilizing the skills and resources of the corporate sector. Through 2014-2021 CSR spending has been a crucial enabler of development services. Education and health were the highest recipients of support, these being the basic needs of most India’s underserved populations.

The COVID 19 pandemic however reshaped the CSR agendas in India. The pandemic set in motion an interesting trend – while there was a greater overall focus on health for all, women’s health was subordinated due to the immediacy and urgency of the COVID-19 crisis. 

Source: CRISIL CSR Yearbook 2021

One of the most severely affected areas of health, during the pandemic was and continues to be in the domain of Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Family Planning. For instance, access to contraception and reproductive healthcare has been greatly hampered while several countries were under a state of lockdown, due to very low mobility of people and services. The lockdown also had a disproportionately negative impact on women, due to its gendered manifestations. As per the UNFPA report, in 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic prevented 12 million women from accessing contraceptives, leading to 1.4 million unwanted pregnancies. In addition, COVID-19 related school closures and economic poverty have led to more sexual abuse, early child marriages and early pregnancies.

While India with its oldest family planning programme in the world has made progress, several gaps remain. Therefore womens’ health must be located in an intersectional analytical framework, which acknowledges women’s different experiences and identities. For instance, women, transgender and gender non-binary folks who are subjected to racism, ableism, and other forms of marginalization, discrimination, gender-based violence, sexual abuse and socio-economic exploitation have been exposed to such instances at a greater intensity, which has been further aggravated due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In addition, globalisation has considerably influenced the nature of relationship and shared responsibilities present between business and society whilst the gender composition of such workplaces has witnessed a significant shift. Women currently make up a significant proportion, if not the majority, of the workforce in several industries. Therefore, there is a need to adopt standards and practices, in alignment with the changing gender composition in the workplace.  These changes necessitate inclusive Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) and other industry initiatives can help attain SDGs 3 (healthy lives and well-being for everyone) and 5 (gender equality and empowerment).

Sexual and reproductive health, and family planning is a cross-sectoral investment which impacts all the 17 goals of the SDGs, directly or indirectly. A collaborative and alliance-based approach can prove to be fruitful when the key stakeholders invest directly in fields such as education, reducing child marriages, sexual and reproductive health, and family planning, using an intersectional lens, as these sectors have a multiplier impact resulting in greater economic and social returns.

Sexual and Reproductive Health and Family Planning is an opportunity for India Inc. to ensure systems change and make a lasting difference at the grassroots. Some potential areas of engagement are offered below,

  • The National Family Health Survey 5 reported several gains for women’s health in India. However, some gaps remain. The need for family planning has declined among married women (15-49 years) across all states and Union territories except Meghalaya. This unmet need can be key to improving the maternal mortality record of India as well as to ensure child health. Further, according to the latest National Family Health Survey-5 (2019-2021) only 9.5% men used condoms but 37.9% of women underwent sterilisation. While the fertility rates have reduced in India, access to contraceptives and modern family planning methods remain patchy and were mostly virtual in the Covid 19 phase. It is key to a variety of development goals and is an opportunity for corporations to diversify their CSR agenda through comprehensive programmes on women’s health and engage with men as partners in change.
  • ESG provides a sustainable and long-term strategy to leverage opportunities and invest in behavioural change among the large number of youth employees across the supply chain. In addition, engagement with ESG ensures competitive advantage for both donors and recipients. The mandatory reporting format of Securities and Exchanges Board of India (SEBI)’s Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) requires corporates to report on 9 different sustainability parameters. The immediately relevant principles for the SRH and (Family Planning) FP sector include:
    • PRINCIPLE 3 Businesses should respect and promote the well-being of all employees, including those in their value chains
    • PRINCIPLE 5 Businesses should respect and promote human rights
    • PRINCIPLE 8 Businesses should promote inclusive growth and equitable development
  • Adopting an alliance model presents an opportunity to bring together resources and knowledge of different stakeholders.  India’s Condom Alliance established by SHOPS Plus in 2019 and Samhita’s REVIVE Women@Work coalition may be considered as an innovative model that is actively engaging with multiple stakeholders with a focused agenda and messaging that resonates with all stakeholders. The Condom Alliance, is a collaboration of market leaders such as DKT India, HLL Lifecare Limited, Janani, Population Health Services India (PHSI), PSI India Private Limited, Reckitt Benckiser, Raymond Group, TTK Healthcare Ltd, undertakes campaigns like ‘Break The Wall’, ‘The Birds & Bees Talk’ and ‘ConSenSuality’ aimed to remove the mindset barriers while delivering adequate and effective sexual education to Indian youth. The REVIVE Women@Work a $15 million blended finance platform, supported by United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Michael & Susan Dell Foundation (MSDF), Omidyar Network India, British High Commission New Delhi and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) continues to support the revival, resilience and growth of India’s informal economy.

As a way forward, Samhita-Population Foundation of India proposes the Stakeholder Alliance Creation for Collaborative Impact (SACCI), a multi-stakeholder alliance of policy makers and practitioners, private sector, civil society organizations, and institutional funders in furthering the significance of autonomy, freedom and choice for women and young girls, whilst ensuring better, affordable, and quality healthcare services for the citizens through various milestone policies.

Against All Odds

“During these tough times  I was struggling, distressed and did not have any stable source of income. This is when the Returnable Grant came to my rescue.”

Fatima encountered many Pandemic induced ups and downs before she could conquer a state of being independent and having a reasonable growth in her business. She is a beauty entrepreneur based in Sangam Vihar of Delhi.

“People were scared to come to the parlour and instead started calling parlour services at home. And even when people started going out they were more comfortable taking parlour services at my home rather than visiting my parlour. And few who were coming to the parlour were getting their towels or band for their safety and hygiene,” says Fatima on the impact of COVID-19 on her business.  

Before the pandemic, she was also  conducting beauty training sessions and provided a 6-month training session with 2 hours of class every day and charge a fee of Rs 500 for each trainee. Everything was going on smoothly in her life until COVID-19 engulfed her in unexpected turmoil and havoc. She had to close her training centre because trainees stopped showing up for the sessions. As a result, a source of stable income began crippling. “Even if 4-5 children would take my session I could pay off my rent,” says Fatima. 

With reduced customers, the income started dangling and soon Fatima didn’t have enough to run her business. This is when she got in touch with Dhriiti, a social enterprise based in Delhi. It was here that she was provided a Returnable grant in the form of zero-interest loan with the intention of helping her to restart her lost business. 

Fatima used the money and training efficiently. She took advantage of this opportunity and started brushing up on her beautician skills through the training sessions conducted by Dhriiti. The returnable grant helped her reshape her business and also assisted her to venture into the business of cosmetics. “The process of procuring returnable grant was easy and comfortable as we had no such condition of providing a guarantor, no compulsion of visiting the bank, no fixed amount to pay back and zero-interest. There were no compulsions or boundations. This was of the best facility provided through returnable grant,” she adds.  

With the support that she received from Dhriiti, Fatima was able to take the first leap toward income stabalisation post pandemic. She opened a parlour near her home.  “My mentors at Dhriiti suggested that I open a beauty training centre as I was good at providing training and I had previously trained many young students,” recalls Fatima. “It’s a big parlour compared to my previous one, which was quite small. The previous one had no cosmetic business and could accommodate only one chair with a small counter,” she adds.

The bigger facility not only provided her with enough space to run her parlour but also supported her with apt space to conduct her training sessions. “My spacious parlour has definitely helped me increase my business”, Fatima happily remarks.  

Even though Fatima received a small returnable grant amount, she says it was sufficient enough for her to kickstart her life and business. It gave her the confidence and strength to stand on her feet and took her on the road of being financially independent. Since she had repaid the entire amount, her credit score has helped her enter the formal system of banking, and increased her awareness of banking and loan schemes. Fatima desires to train as many young students as she can and take her parlour to great heights.
“The money that we received helped us in some way or another. The strength that ignited in us gave us the hope that we will be able to help and grow our business,” adds Fatima.

This story was editorialised by Avantika Seth

Driving Her Happiness

“It’s almost like this rickshaw is currently our caretaker. It’s the sole reason we’re able to survive.”

When the pandemic hit, Usha ben was making sense of the losses she had incurred by setting up a roadside chow mien stall. With the lockdown in place, she had to stall her business. Her only resort was to make her rickshaw run. But with everything going downhill, the rickshaw, too, couldn’t support her much. In the middle of the lockdown, its battery drained. As there was no money even to get basic food on the table, repairing the vehicle was out of the question.

“It was one of the most painful times of my life,” recalls Usha ben. However, a ray of hope showed up when she got in touch with SEWA Bharat and understood that the returnable grant of INR 20,000 could help her get the rickshaw’s battery repaired to enter the market once again. She first came to the SEWA Bharat centre to get her younger daughter’s ‘janampatri’ made, and that’s how she continued to remain in touch with the centre. After three-four years, she applied for an account in the bank with the help of SEWA and that’s when their journey began.

Since 1999, the SEWA Delhi microfinance program has enabled women to be financially included and independent. The aim is to ensure that members have access to savings and loans, particularly for working capital, and are prevented from exploitation by moneylenders.

“I was very disappointed as my work had stopped. I was facing severe issues, my income dropped and our ration was finishing. I approached Dolly didi from SEWA Bharat and she guided me through the process of procuring an interest-free loan. It helped me get the rickshaw battery changed and I was back on the road,” adds Usha ben.

Usha used to make electrical seals at her home before working as an e-rickshaw driver. For 1000 pieces she would get Rs 50 and in a day she could only make 220-250 seals in spite of working for more than 12 hours. Therefore, her elder brother suggested that she should drive an e-rickshaw. Usha has fond memories attached to the vehicle. Her elder brother not only went along with her for the purchase but also taught her how to drive.

UshaBen_Revive

“At the beginning, I was quite scared of how to drive the rickshaw and was so nervous thinking what if I hit someone or something.  My brother sat beside me and taught me how to drive.  I am very happy every time when the people of the centre are my passengers,” she tells.

Today, she earns anywhere between INR 700-800 per day and can provide for the education of her two young girls. “I take care of this rickshaw more than anything else in my life right now. I make sure it is always in good shape, I make sure I don’t park it randomly and so the chances of theft reduce, basically I make sure it is up and working -because this is the whole and sole of our lives right now,” she further adds.

In the Returnable grant program by Samhita, 202 women micro-entrepreneurs were aimed to be supported in Delhi. They are from Jahagirpuri, Sundarnagri, Gokulpuri, New Ashok Nagar and Raghubir Nagar areas of Delhi and are associated with SEWA Delhi Trust and Delhi credit cooperative. These women are from the backward communities and informal sector who have lost their livelihood during COVID-19. Mostly women micro-entrepreneurs involved in some trades i.e Home Based worker, Vendor, Domestic Worker, Self Employed. Like Usha ben, most of them have set up their small business such as selling garments, jewellery or tie&dye dupattas. The Grant has helped them scale their reach and led to a consistent source of income.

Usha ben received the Returnable Grant in the first cycle, September 2021. With the help of her rickshaw business, she will complete the repayment of the loan (INR 6000) by July 2022.

“After all being your own boss is the best, isn’t it? I can drive this rickshaw as much on as many days as I feel. When I’m sick, I can just let it park. No one’s going to ask me questions on that, no? It’s a great feeling,” she concludes.

This story was editorialised by Avantika Seth

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