Our Commitments
Women Empowerment
Committed to Pioneering Women, Empowering Generations
Overview
Empower Women. Empower the Nation.
At MCRF, we have meticulously designed our dynamic and transformative programmes with the aim of enhancing the prospects of young girls and women coming from all walks of life, thereby contributing to the betterment of the state.
History demonstrates that, among all the marginalised groups worldwide, women have borne the greatest suffering. This suffering transcends cultural, racial, regional, and religious boundaries. In Indian society, women have endured social, political, religious, and economic subjugation and exploitation, often facing discrimination that restricts their equal participation in democratic activities alongside men.
As India’s economy continues to expand, there is a growing demand for the government to prioritise social and human development, with a particular emphasis on women’s empowerment. Women’s empowerment is vital for achieving gender equality, where both men and women enjoy equal access to education, healthcare, economic opportunities, and personal growth.
Women’s empowerment in India is the most effective tool for development, as these days, women around the globe are actively participating in politics and surpassing men in every sphere of life.
Empowerment encompasses a wide spectrum, from enhancing self-confidence to equipping women with practical skills. In the contemporary context, women’s empowerment can be categorised into five key dimensions: social, educational, economic, political, and psychological.
A closer look
Despite comprising 50% of the country’s population, the majority of women remain economically dependent on others due to limited employment opportunities.In the era of feminism, a minority of women in India enjoy the freedom to exercise their free will and lead lives on their own terms. However, there is a sizable proportion of women in our country who seek positive encouragement. Most women are still denied educational opportunities in most Indian villages and semi-urban towns. They are never encouraged to continue their education, even after gaining the necessary knowledge.
Women are paid less (if they work) or are confined to domestic roles in their households. Their true ability is not recognised. Empowering women is imperative to overcome these challenges and enable them to play self-sustaining roles in Indian society. Women’s empowerment is an essential right. They should be given proportional rights to contribute to society, the economy, education, and politics. They are entitled to pursue higher education and to be treated in the same manner as men.
At the Marri Channa Reddy Foundation, we are dedicated to a multifaceted approach to women’s empowerment, recognizing its significance as both a pursuit of social justice and equity in itself and as a pivotal means to achieve broader development objectives. We firmly believe that empowering women is not just a matter of fairness; it is a catalyst for addressing pressing issues such as poverty alleviation and investment in vital human capital, including nutrition, employment, and education.
1. Nutrition & Health
Better nutrition lays the foundation for a healthy newborn, child, and mother: stronger immune systems, safer pregnancy and delivery, a decreased risk of non-communicable diseases (including diabetes and cardiovascular diseases), and a longer life.
The food system has the potential to preserve and improve human health, sustain and regenerate the environment, and be reconstructed with equity at its core. We can create a system that makes proper nutrition affordable and accessible to everyone while also providing fair returns to those who produce and supply our food. We are implementing a systemic approach to nourish people and the earth in a sustainable and equitable manner.
In partnership with organisations from around the globe, the Marri Channa Reddy Foundation is working on groundbreaking approaches and interventions that can combat malnutrition in humans, especially the most vulnerable groups.
2. Skilling-Savithramma Skill
In India, 3 of every 4 women do not engage in any recognised economic activity. The youth labour force participation rate is 37.1%, but this figure is significantly higher among men (57.1%) than among women (12.7%).
Savithramma Skill connects aspirations with skill and empowers women and young girls to achieve their full potential, creating a generational impact and a path to a better future for all.
Our Mission: Revolutionise the way women and youth approach their future.
Savithramma Skill, powered by the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Foundation and the Telangana Skill Development Center (TSDC), turns your passions into a profession. With industry experts as partners, we provide knowledge and skills to unlock livelihood opportunities, empowering you and your aspirations.
Our work is inspired by the remarkable Savithramma (wife of Dr. Marri Channa Reddy), who balanced her studies and family life as well as helping those in need. Join us to gain skills in booming sectors that can translate into an income.
Skill Shakti:
Jewellery
Fashion
Embroidery
EV
Furniture
Creating employment and entrepreneurial opportunities for women is the overarching goal of this programme. By providing them with the required skill sets, this skilling programme helps women from backward areas earn a better livelihood through stitching, embroidery, carpentry, EV, and jewellery making.
In urban areas, urban slum areas, and rural areas, we aim to skill thousands in the coming years. In addition, we aim to integrate the tribal population into the mainstream by empowering and upskilling tribal women. One of the various efforts designed to improve the lives and livelihoods of tribal women is skilling in jewellery making, which has had a significant impact so far.
Our foundation also aims to assist, advise, and mentor female entrepreneurs who are developing business models in order to sustain or revitalise crafts and communities, generate local employment, and promote heritage.
3. Women farmers
Agriculture has a powerful track record for alleviating poverty and hunger, addressing climate change and biodiversity loss, and decreasing rural-urban disparities. Furthermore, it plays a major role in empowering women and girls with economic opportunities.
According to the international humanitarian organisation OXFAM, women account for about 75% of full-time workers on Indian farms. Female farmers produce 60% to 80% of the South Asian country’s food. Women farmers in India labour over 3,300 hours throughout a crop season when fields are sown and harvested, more than twice the 1,860 hours their male counterparts put into farming. Yet they remain an unpaid, invisible labour force.
Part of the reason for the disparity in property access is due to India’s inheritance rules. In 2005, Hindu, Jain, Sikh, and Buddhist women in India were legally granted equal inheritance rights to family property, if not necessarily in practice. In India, women of various faiths have unique personal laws governing property rights.
Since over 90% of agricultural land in India is passed down by inheritance, women are trapped as labourers for generation after generation, never owning the land they work on or even their own houses.
When three-quarters of a country’s farmers are women, their difficulties become national ones. Researchers in India refer to this as the “feminization of its agrarian misery.”
Over the next few years, the MCR Foundation aims to improve the livelihoods of farmers, including economically empowering women farmers.
Developing a holistic strategy to build a more nourishing, sustainable, and equitable model that involves both farmers and food producers to better support the transformation of today’s and tomorrow’s farming and food systems goes hand-in-hand with our comprehensive strategy.
4. Women weavers
Telangana’s weaving communities have meticulously preserved the ancient Indian technique of handloom weaving for decades. Telangana’s weaving sector is the state’s second-largest, employing thousands of people. Because of their exquisite designs and craftsmanship, these handwoven goods represent the embodiment of the state’s culture and customs. This industry appears to honour the state’s past at first glance, but upon closer inspection, it is the weaving community’s primary source of cash.
Many weaving families work as a family unit, but the main weaving is done primarily by men. Here is where MCRF steps in. Our goal is to teach and upskill the women in these communities so that they can accomplish a lot more in life and work towards entrepreneurship.
Through capacity building, market linkage, and product design development, our foundation hopes to help hundreds of handloom and handicraft artisans improve their lives over the next few years. We will empower hundreds of rural craftsmen by connecting them to domestic and international markets through retail and export, while also ensuring that they are treated fairly.
5. Girls in tech
In an advisory capacity with the “Girls in Tech” organisation, MCRF is working towards the growth of women in the IT industry as both creators and entrepreneurs. We’re dedicated to developing the nation’s most diverse and inclusive IT workforce. And we want to see everyone in tech welcomed, confident, and respected for who they are.
Through the programme, women will be able to network, mentor, influence, learn new skills, and be inspired to become leaders and entrepreneurs. We are committed to diversity and inclusion because we recognise that technology today demands individuals with a wide range of skills and experience.
We are organising events that have boosted women’s confidence, business skills, and leadership.
A Necessity for Progress
In an era where women’s empowerment is no longer just an option but an absolute necessity, we at the Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Foundation are committed to driving lasting change. We understand that achieving gender equality is not only a matter of justice but also a vital lever for advancing development goals and creating a more equitable and prosperous society. Through our programmes, partnerships, and advocacy, we are working tirelessly to make women’s empowerment a reality, one that benefits not only women themselves but the entire community and nation as a whole. Together, we can pave the way for a brighter future where gender disparities are a thing of the past and the potential of every individual is realised to its fullest extent.
