Meta partners with FICCI to enable 5 lakh women-led SMBs across India
Meta emphasised the need for gender equality as only 20 percent of 63 million small businesses in India are owned by women. It further stated access to capital and relevant digital tools remain the leading issues faced by women led businesses.
Meta aims to support five lakh women-led small businesses across India In partnership with FICCI’s ‘Empowering the Greater 50 percent,’ the company announced during its National Women Entrepreneurship Summit on Friday.
Meta is running the initiative under its #SheMeansBusiness programme to plans to address the barriers to access digital tools and resources.
The company revealed three key initiatives including Facebook Business Coach which will offer self-paced lessons via Meta’s educational chatbot tool on WhatsApp on maintaining digital presence whereas Grow your Business Hub will act as a one-stop online destination for MSMEs to find relevant information, tools, and resources for business growth.
Through Meta’s Commerce Partners Program, these businesses will learn to build a digital presence and approach the direct-to-customer market by leveraging technology.
Meta emphasised the need for gender equality as only 20 percent of 63 million small businesses in India are owned by women. It further stated access to capital and relevant digital tools remain the leading issues faced by women-led businesses.
Narayan Rane, Union Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises said, “While digital adoption through social media platforms has led many businesses to grow and succeed for a tangible inclusive economic development of the country, we need to support women owned businesses by creating an ecosystem which offers opportunities."
“Our Government has been creating several opportunities through progressive policies for women to thrive. However, achieving a common vision of building a gender-inclusive nation with focus on women-led development calls for aggregated efforts and multi-stakeholder partnerships,” said Sanjeev Mehta, President, The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI).
He added that the partnership will encourage more women entrepreneurs and augment the existing efforts in sync with the government's larger agenda of being Atmanirbhar and an inclusive nation.