Participating in a panel discussion on ‘Inspiring Women Changemakers: The Power of Communication, Storytelling and Advocacy’, Amitabh Kant, government thinktank’s CEO said that India has some great examples of women who have carved a space for themselves.
“Women are naturally resilient leaders who care about the institutions they establish. We have seen instances of women leaders carrying the communities they work with along with them, helping them grow and develop as well,” he said.
“The gendered lens has also been extended to the innovation landscape. Niti Aayog‘s own Women Entrepreneurship Platform has been tirelessly working to champion the cause of women entrepreneurship,” the Niti Aayog CEO added.
Speaking at the event, Gunjan Saxena, who was the first woman combat aviator to fly into a war zone during the 1999 Kargil War, said that she was just somebody in uniform trying to do her duties to her best abilities. “If in doing so I am a pathbreaker, then it is an honor,” Saxena added.
NITI Aayog has launched a Women Entrepreneurship Platform (WEP) for providing an ecosystem for budding & existing women entrepreneurs across the country. SIDBI has partnered with NITI Aayog to assist in this initiative.
As an enabling platform, WEP is built on three pillars- Iccha Shakti, Gyaan Shakti & Karma Shakti.
- Iccha Shakti represents motivating aspiring entrepreneurs to start their business.
- Gyaan Shakti represents providing knowledge and ecosystem support to women entrepreneurs to help them foster entrepreneurship.
- Karma Shakti represents providing hands-on support to entrepreneurs in setting-up and scaling up businesses.
WEP (Women Entrepreneurship Platform) has more than 30 partners from various industries and sectors and have signed Statement of Intent (SoI) with many of those who have committed specific deliverables towards WEP users. These partners include, Atal Innovation Mission, CRISIL, SIDBI, FICCI, NASSCOM, Google, Facebook, Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Institute of Company Secretaries of India, CII, WEE Foundation, Nexus Incubator, MannDeshi Foundation, ShopClues, SEWA Bank amongst others.