Page 83 - Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21

72 Reliance Foundation Annual Report 2020-21 73

Special initiatives for women: bridging the divide Employee volunteering: engaging with children and youth

Gender disparity manifests itself in various forms, including in social norms and cultural through the pandemic
stereotypes, apart from unequal access to infrastructure and services. Women from Activities in FY 2020-21, many of them run virtually, supported education and engagement of children Initiatives Other
marginalised sections of society face further barriers to essential services, which makes their and youth across India.
development journey a difficult one.

Reliance Foundation believes that empowerment of women is essential HerCircle platform Volunteering activities
for sustainable development and supports women in actualising their For women-centric content
potential and gaining agency over decisions that affect their lives. gained traction in FY 2020-21 during FY 2020-21
Empowered women mean a stronger and better India. Technological
interventions focused specifically on empowerment can support women Focused on education and engagement
in becoming equal citizens in an increasingly digital post-COVID-19 world. activities for children and youth
Through its programmes, such as WomenConnect Challenge India and
Her Circle, Reliance Foundation is working in the space of “Technology Volunteers helped government school
and Innovation for Gender Equality”, promoting women’s leadership,
financial inclusion, entrepreneurship, skilling programmes and solidarity. students cope with missed classes by
Reliance Foundation empowers and supports women to play a catalytic providing supplementary classes over
role in society, positioning them to achieve transformational economic, the phone
environmental and social changes.

300+ students of government schools
Virtual concert organised for SOS Children’s Villages, Bhimtal, Uttarakhand
from low income group families and
seven NGOs benefited from one-
Reliance Foundation has a structured employee volunteering to-one teaching and doubt-solving
programme which gives employees and their family members sessions from June 2020
an opportunity to address the most pressing needs of society.
Volunteering initiatives focus on two thematic areas – education
and environment – and range from skill-based volunteering
(education programmes) to hands-on volunteering or shramdaan Volunteers recorded 320+ children’s
A woman cotton farmer from Maharashtra receiving telephonic (clean-up drives or cooking at a community kitchen). audio stories and podcasts in seven
advisories on pricing and market conditions
Volunteering initiatives moved partly to a digital mode during the Indian languages together with
pandemic. Many employees and their family members helped The Kahani Project shared with
Reliance Foundation and the USAID Her Circle: a digital platform for people in need by contributing their time, skills and support. various NGOs
WomenConnect Challenge India women

WomenConnect Challenge India, launched by Reliance hercircle.in 2,600+ youth from 12 NGOs across
Foundation and the United States Agency for International A worldwide digital collective of women, Her Circle, was the country benefited from job-
Development (USAID), aims to identify and nurture innovative launched by Smt. Nita Mukesh Ambani on Women’s Day in readiness training and career guidance
solutions to close the gender digital divide and empower 2021. This unique initiative synergises women’s power with 2,600+ youth
women with access to technology. workshops run by Reliance employees
the power of digital. Envisioned to be a worldwide digital
Apart from identifying and supporting innovative solutions collective of women — initially for Indian women — Her Circle Provided with job-readiness training and
to empower women in India, the programme will facilitate will, in due course, be open to women from all over the globe. career guidance by volunteers Senior members from different
women’s access to and use of digital technology for positive It is an all-encompassing content, social media and goal teams held workshops for youth on
health, education and livelihood outcomes for themselves and fulfilment platform that caters to the rapidly rising aspirations,
their families. Under this initiative, Reliance Foundation will ambitions, dreams and competencies of women from all social career options in the Indian army and
support 10 not-for-profit organisations with grants for a period backgrounds. across retail, hospitality, and other
of 12-18 months to implement their solutions across India. Circle of Kindness sectors
Designed as a one-stop destination for engaging, women-
10 NGOs related content, Her Circle provides women the space where For the second edition of Month of Good Deeds in
they can share their life stories, provide inspiration, hope and December 2020, employees and their families engaged
Will be awarded grants, for periods ranging from resilience to others. It is private and safe, with an exclusive in acts of kindness in the virtual mode by holding online 17 virtual volunteering sessions
12-18 months, to empower women in India by personal space devoted to medical and financial help. It also skill-sharing sessions, audio recording of content, conducted by employees and family
facilitating access to and use of digital technology provides app-only trackers to inculcate and sustain the right Feed-the-Needy (where possible) and other initiatives.
habits like a supportive friend. Overall, HerCircle.in aims to Throughout December, 100 volunteers engaged members by way of the Jio Digital
accelerate women’s empowerment globally with a joyous and in these activities, which included 24 skill-sharing Monsoon Camp, including a virtual
safe space for collaboration and mutual support. workshops for children and women SHGs, connecting music concert; 2,300+ children
with 4,000+ individuals. from nine NGOs across the country
Her Circle launch video
connected through these activities