January 14, 2019
Around 80 per cent women-owned entities are self-financed and over 60 percent of 8 million units are owned and/or led by women entrepreneurs from backward sections of the society
As women tend to invest 90 per cent of their earnings back in their families for better nutrition, healthcare and education, economic empowerment of women bolsters poverty alleviation
Government e-Marketplace’s Womaniya will also address objectives under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
GeM has more than 731,430 product categories, with over 180,860 registered sellers and more than 32,110 government buyers; GeM has processed transactions worth over US$2.4 billion
Government e-Marketplace (GeM) has launched ‘Womaniya on GeM’, a programme to enable women entrepreneurs and women self-help groups (WSHGs) to sell handicrafts and handloom products directly to various Government ministries, departments and institutions. The initiative seeks to develop women entrepreneurship to achieve gender-inclusive economic growth. At the launch, S Radha Chauhan, chief executive of GeM, highlighted on the fact that 80 per cent women-owned entities are self-financed and more than 60 percent of 8 million units are owned and/or led by women entrepreneurs from backward sections of the society.
Since women tend to invest up to 90 per cent of their earnings back in their families to provide better nutrition, health care and education to their children, economic empowerment of women bolsters the nation’s poverty alleviation drive. Products such as handicrafts and handloom, accessories, jute and coir products, home décor and office furnishings have been categorized for procurement under ‘Womaniya’. The move aligns with Government’s steps for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), especially to reserve 3 per cent in state procurement from women entrepreneurs. Womaniya will spur opportunities for women entrepreneurs.
Meanwhile, Womaniya will also address objectives under United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls. The GeM, launched by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry to facilitate procurement of common-use goods and services for Government departments, organizations and PSUs, has reported a strong uptake. GeM was setup in 2016 and has more than 731,430 product categories, with over 180,860 registered sellers and more than 32,110 government buyers. Since its inception, GeM has processed more than 1.2 million orders worth over US$2.4 billion in gross merchandise value.
Womaniya homepage will inform procurement officers in various government ministries, departments and CPSEs about the drive to promote procurement of common use goods and services from women entrepreneurs