Announcing groundbreaking support for Women on Wings’ work with government institutions

Women on Wings and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have engaged in a partnership to increase livelihood opportunities and income for rural Indian women. Women on Wings works pan India and provides pro-bono tailor made business knowledge and mentoring to Indian social entrepreneurs who create employment for women in rural India.
It also provides pro-bono business consultancy to state government women entrepreneurship initiatives to accelerate growth and create sustainable livelihoods for women producers.

Partnership to accelerate job growth for women
“An extra income can move rural Indian families out of poverty. With the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation as a major donor, we can support the income creation and empowerment of rural Indian women,” says Shilpa Mittal Singh, joint Managing Director of Women on Wings. “Women on Wings is honored to receive grant funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This enables us to sustainably plan for reaching our goal of co-creating one million jobs for rural Indian women.”

“Women on Wings has deep experience in accelerating rural Indian women’s livelihoods working closely with Indian social enterprises,” says Anjani Kumar Singh, Senior Program Officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We see value and potential in Women on Wings’ approach to alleviate generational poverty and promote gender equality in rural communities.”

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s focus
Since 2000, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation has focused their efforts on eradicating poverty, diseases, and social inequity around the world.

Its Gender Equality Division works to ensure women and girls in Africa and South Asia can enjoy good health, have agency, earn their own income, and be leaders in their societies. It accelerates progress toward a gender-equal world by identifying and dismantling the barriers that prevent women and girls from being fully active in their homes, economies, and societies.

Commitment to empower women
Many women in rural India are still in an economically disadvantaged position. They often suffer from a lack of education, unequal property rights and limited control over resources. Research shows that when women control additional income, it not only increases her self-worth and agency in the household, they spend more of their salary than men on food, health, clothing, and education for their children. It is the way to break the cycle of poverty.

Thanks to this partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Women on Wings will be able to sustainably contribute to empowering women in rural India.