If making the life comfortable for senior citizens in the country (through their senior living projects) was not enough, Ashiana Housing Ltd, has moved a step ahead and after taking up CSR activities for educating its workforce, they are now making novel efforts to empower their women folk. What more? Recognizing the efforts made by the housing giant and in order to help them in this CSR initiative, a grant to the tune of Canadian $70000 (approximately Rs 35 Lakhs) is awarded by the Sustainability Innovation Grant fund (SIG fund) towards women empowerment project of the company. The award is instituted by Mennonite Economic Development Associates (MEDA), a Canadian organisation.

Ashiana Housing Ltd was recommended by Creador, a fund management company working in India. Ashian aaccepted the proposal and applied for the grant with a focus on women empowerment.

Empowering the women, empowering the nation

“If you economically empower a woman, she represents enormous opportunity that can actually be transformative not only for her family and for her community, but at the aggregate level for the economy.” Keeping these few words in mind, Ashiana housing felt the need to take an initiative for women specific CSR activities like women’s skill enhancement program. Under this project, they will be training 250 women within a period of 18 months and the total spends for the same is decided at Rs 70 lakhs including the grant received.

The company aims to utilise the whole amount for women’s skill training programs, so as to make this section of the society independent and enable them to earn a better living. Through this initiative,women will be trained to become better masons, housekeeping and security staff, thereby increasing their employability quotient.

As a part of this initiative, women will be provided practical training along with theory classes in the morning. As a part of the next phase of training program, after three years, all semi-skilled women will be given an advanced training for more complicated tasks such as pasting tiles on wall, skirting, etc.

Undoubtedly, this training would provide a wider range of employability options to these women and help them even if they move to other construction sites. This is one of the most novel steps taken by the housing major for the betterment of their women folk.