Airbnb partners with Princess Diya Kumari Foundation to empower rural women in Rajasthan
Airbnb has partnered with Princess Diya Kumari Foundation to empower rural women in Rajasthan with micro-entrepreneurship.
With a mandate to uplift the lives of rural women in Rajasthan and empower them with micro-entrepreneurship, Airbnb has partnered with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation (PDKF). Founded in 2013 by Princess Diya Kumari of Jaipur, PDKF is a social outreach initiative.
The partnership aims to create economic empowerment opportunities for women in the rural parts of Rajasthan by helping them become Airbnb hosts and have the opportunity to open their homes to tourists from around the world.
The partnership will also help create social impact experiences to promote local culture and unique handicrafts made by local women in Rajasthan.
“Rajasthan has a legacy of strong women who have overcome societal biases to prove their mettle right from the medieval times. It is only fitting, in this context, for us to develop a programme, which will help our women become entrepreneurs. We’d like to leverage the state’s immense cultural wealth of heritage, architecture, painstakingly beautiful crafts and colourful festivals to create irresistible travel experiences that will draw visitors from all over India and the world while simultaneously benefitting women in local communities,” said Princess Diya Kumari, founder of PDKF.
This partnership is also a part of Airbnb’s ongoing efforts to boost tourism across India and empower underserved communities through tourism.
Chris Lehane, Head of Global Policy and Communications, Airbnb, who was in Jaipur to formalise this partnership, shared,
It’s a pleasure and privilege to work with the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation to further empower potential female hospitality entrepreneurs in Rajasthan. This partnership perfectly embodies one of Airbnb’s core values of enabling local communities to benefit from the growth of tourism. PDKF has been instrumental in bringing Rajasthan’s artisans, culture and heritage to a global audience, and we look forward to showcasing Rajasthan to the world.
As part of the MoU, Airbnb will also support select PDKF initiatives under its Project Shiksha Diya. The aim of the project is to provide digital literacy to young women.
(Edited by Evelyn Ratnakumar)
