• Reliance Foundation commits USD $10 million to the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a joint effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
• Reliance Foundation’s commitment as a global anchor partner to WiDEF will double the consortium’s funding for innovative projects in India
• Reliance Foundation and USAID will help accelerate progress to close the gender digital divide and share best practices from India for the Global South

In a move to significantly close the gender digital divide in India, Reliance Foundation will provide up to $10 million to the Women in Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a joint effort by USAID and BMGF.

Announced by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2023, WiDEF aims to improve women's livelihoods, enhance economic security, and strengthen resilience, by identifying, funding and advancing effective solutions for women's economic empowerment. WiDEF in India is a joint effort between USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Reliance Foundation to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide. WiDEF in India is managed by the GSMA Foundation with support from the global WiDEF managing consortium.

Reliance Foundation’s support will double the available WiDEF funding in India and support the 2023 G20 Leaders commitment under India’s presidency to halve the digital gender gap by 2030.

Additionally, Reliance Foundation will support learning through development of knowledge products, dissemination of promising practices and other tools, and bolster measurement and learning for all India grantees.

“The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is a historic step for global collaboration to achieve the G20 commitment to close the gender digital divide by 2030 and Reliance Foundation is proud to come on board as a Global Anchor Partner,” said Ms. Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Foundation. “We are committed to increasing our efforts to advance digital inclusion to improve women’s livelihoods, economic security and resilience. Through WiDEF, Reliance Foundation will work together to accelerate innovative solutions to empower women through technology in India and also share best practices with other countries to help drive global progress towards this shared vision for a more equitable future.”

USAID/India Acting Mission Director Dr. Alexandria Huerta, said, “As the United States and India partner to advance and achieve global development goals, closing the gender digital divide is essential to progress in India and around the world. USAID is proud to partner with Reliance Foundation through the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to accelerate women’s economic empowerment. Building on our longstanding partnership and impactful results, USAID and Reliance Foundation aim to empower millions of women across India, ensuring that the benefits of the digital economy are accessible to all and fostering a more equitable future.”

This partnership builds on Reliance Foundation and USAID’s collaboration on WomenConnect Challenge India. The WomenConnect Challenge is USAID’s global call for solutions to improve women’s participation in everyday life by meaningfully changing the ways women access and use technology. USAID and Reliance Foundation created the USAID and Reliance Foundation WomenConnect Challenge India in 2020 to help bridge the gender digital divide for 600,000 women across the subcontinent. The initiative has selected 17 awardees across two rounds, focusing on innovative and culturally contextual solutions to bridge the gender digital divide. The awardees were selected based on criteria that emphasized the ability to effectively dismantle barriers, ensure equitable access, and digitally empower women from marginalized communities through innovative solutions.

In India, Reliance Foundation is also working together with BMGF to empower one million women entrepreneurs in several states of India. In addition, Reliance Foundation is supporting Reliance Jio and GSMA on a national roll-out of their Digital Skills Program, under the broader GSMA Connected Women Commitment initiative which aims to provide training to rural women and individuals from marginalized communities to help them make meaningful use of digital access.

Similarly, the U.S. Government prioritizes the advancement of women’s economic empowerment and digital inclusion in India and across the globe. USAID is also facilitating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to build their digital skills, including in digital financial literacy, which accelerates their participation in the formal economy. USAID has applied best practices from India throughout the South Asia region, including improving digital skills for over 16,000 women entrepreneurs to grow and sustain their businesses digitally through the South Asia Regional Digital Initiative.

Since its launch in March 2023, the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has several strongly committed partners in the global consortium, in addition to Reliance Foundation, USAID and BMGF. This includes governments, private sector companies, foundations, civil society, and multilateral organizations. Together the partners have pledged more than $1.01 billion to accelerate gender digital equality.

“When women lead, we make impossible change a reality”, says Ms Isha Ambani.

• Women social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs from across India, selected for their work in Climate Resilience, Education, Livelihoods and Sports for Development
• The Fellows will be engaged in a 10-month structured programme with access to a network of global leaders and experts
• Through the second round of this Fellowship, Reliance Foundation is taking forward its agenda for women empowerment to enhance India’s development sector ecosystem

Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices are excited to announce the selection of 50 exceptional women chosen for the 2024-2025 WomenLeaders India Fellowship. This second cohort of the Fellowship identifies women with deep commitment to driving change and change within their communities as social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs.

During India’s G20 Presidency in 2023 the focus shifted for the first time, from women’s development to women-led development. India’s collective and unwavering dedication to champion ‘Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls’ secured a firm place in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration.

In line with this vision, the WomenLeaders India Fellowship will provide leadership capacity building for talented women leaders, including social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs.

The WomenLeaders India Fellowship 2024-2025 kicked off with an in-person convening in Mumbai on September 13-14, 2024, where the Fellows had the opportunity to connect and learn from a range of experts in the social sector from India and around the world.

Speaking on the launch announcement, Ms Isha Ambani, Director Reliance Foundation said, “When women lead, we make impossible positive change a reality, we bring new ideas and perspectives to the table. Congratulations to the 50 Fellows selected for WomenLeaders India Fellowship 2024-25 powered by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices! The strong networks, joy and learning that women bring to other women, is the foundation of this Fellowship to strengthen and amplify social sector impact. We are privileged to be part of this programme in creating transformations together for the social sector.”

“We are thrilled to partner with Reliance Foundation to support India’s next generation of women leaders who are truly at the forefront of driving social change. We believe that by harnessing and leveraging our collective network and resources, we are able to provide women leaders with support, mentorship and guidance as they strive to be a catalyst for change in India and beyond,” said Ms Alyse Nelson, President and CEO of Vital Voices Global Partnership.

Throughout the next ten months, the Fellows will work on their own personalized project to advance the SDGs (sustainable development goals), and will be supported with leadership development webinar trainings with Indian and global experts, to enhance their unique skill set and build their network. Additionally, each Fellow will have access to mentors for personalised guidance for the duration of their journey, as well as having the opportunity for peer to peer learning from the current and alumni Fellows. The WomenLeaders India Fellowship will end with a final in-person gathering where Fellows will reflect on their overall progress on their SDG projects and celebrate their accomplishments. WomenLeaders India seeks to build a strong community of women leaders in the social sector and ignite sustainable change across India by leveraging the power of women-led development across India.

The WomenLeaders India Fellows 2024-25 are recognised for their impactful work across four critical areas: Climate Resilience, Education, Sports for Development, and Livelihood Generation, using innovative solutions to address some of India’s most pressing challenges. From empowering future generations to transforming communities, these Fellows are leading efforts for lasting economic, social, and environmental change, advancing gender equality and strengthening community resilience through collaborative, forward-thinking initiatives and are true catalysts for change.

In the inaugural cohort in December 2022, Fellows were selected for their work on Education, Rural Transformation, strengthening livelihoods, as well as Sports for Development from various organisations, working at the grassroots level across rural and semi-urban areas of the country. Working on a range of issues and geographies from waste management in southern coastal villages to affordable energy sources in north-east India the first cohort Fellows reported increased leadership opportunities, enhanced confidence and improved participation in SDG-related projects in their work.

Learn more about the Fellows and follow the programme on social media using #WomenLeadersIndia.

• Reliance Foundation commits USD $10 million to the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a joint effort by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF)
• Reliance Foundation’s commitment as a global anchor partner to WiDEF will double the consortium’s funding for innovative projects in India
• Reliance Foundation and USAID will help accelerate progress to close the gender digital divide and share best practices from India for the Global South

In a move to significantly close the gender digital divide in India, Reliance Foundation will provide up to $10 million to the Women in Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a joint effort by USAID and BMGF.

Announced by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2023, WiDEF aims to improve women's livelihoods, enhance economic security, and strengthen resilience, by identifying, funding and advancing effective solutions for women's economic empowerment. WiDEF in India is a joint effort between USAID, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the Reliance Foundation to accelerate progress on closing the gender digital divide. WiDEF in India is managed by the GSMA Foundation with support from the global WiDEF managing consortium.

Reliance Foundation’s support will double the available WiDEF funding in India and support the 2023 G20 Leaders commitment under India’s presidency to halve the digital gender gap by 2030.

Additionally, Reliance Foundation will support learning through development of knowledge products, dissemination of promising practices and other tools, and bolster measurement and learning for all India grantees.

“The Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) is a historic step for global collaboration to achieve the G20 commitment to close the gender digital divide by 2030 and Reliance Foundation is proud to come on board as a Global Anchor Partner,” said Ms. Isha Ambani, Director, Reliance Foundation. “We are committed to increasing our efforts to advance digital inclusion to improve women’s livelihoods, economic security and resilience. Through WiDEF, Reliance Foundation will work together to accelerate innovative solutions to empower women through technology in India and also share best practices with other countries to help drive global progress towards this shared vision for a more equitable future.”

USAID/India Acting Mission Director Dr. Alexandria Huerta, said, “As the United States and India partner to advance and achieve global development goals, closing the gender digital divide is essential to progress in India and around the world. USAID is proud to partner with Reliance Foundation through the Women in the Digital Economy Fund to accelerate women’s economic empowerment. Building on our longstanding partnership and impactful results, USAID and Reliance Foundation aim to empower millions of women across India, ensuring that the benefits of the digital economy are accessible to all and fostering a more equitable future.”

This partnership builds on Reliance Foundation and USAID’s collaboration on WomenConnect Challenge India. The WomenConnect Challenge is USAID’s global call for solutions to improve women’s participation in everyday life by meaningfully changing the ways women access and use technology. USAID and Reliance Foundation created the USAID and Reliance Foundation WomenConnect Challenge India in 2020 to help bridge the gender digital divide for 600,000 women across the subcontinent. The initiative has selected 17 awardees across two rounds, focusing on innovative and culturally contextual solutions to bridge the gender digital divide. The awardees were selected based on criteria that emphasized the ability to effectively dismantle barriers, ensure equitable access, and digitally empower women from marginalized communities through innovative solutions.

In India, Reliance Foundation is also working together with BMGF to empower one million women entrepreneurs in several states of India. In addition, Reliance Foundation is supporting Reliance Jio and GSMA on a national roll-out of their Digital Skills Program, under the broader GSMA Connected Women Commitment initiative which aims to provide training to rural women and individuals from marginalized communities to help them make meaningful use of digital access.

Similarly, the U.S. Government prioritizes the advancement of women’s economic empowerment and digital inclusion in India and across the globe. USAID is also facilitating opportunities for women entrepreneurs to build their digital skills, including in digital financial literacy, which accelerates their participation in the formal economy. USAID has applied best practices from India throughout the South Asia region, including improving digital skills for over 16,000 women entrepreneurs to grow and sustain their businesses digitally through the South Asia Regional Digital Initiative.

Since its launch in March 2023, the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF) has several strongly committed partners in the global consortium, in addition to Reliance Foundation, USAID and BMGF. This includes governments, private sector companies, foundations, civil society, and multilateral organizations. Together the partners have pledged more than $1.01 billion to accelerate gender digital equality.

• The WomenLeaders India Fellowship is looking for true catalysts for change, who are building climate resilience, enhancing access to sports, advancing educational initiatives, and strengthening livelihoods.
• Over ten months, the programme aims to empower 50 exceptional women social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs from across India, each dedicated to driving transformative change within their communities.
• In 2023, India’s G20 Presidency shifted the focus from women’s development to women-led development. This Fellowship aims to strengthen this vision by providing leadership capacity building for talented women leaders.

Following the success of the inaugural WomenLeaders India Fellowship powered by Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices to nurture women leaders in the social sector in 2022-23, Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices are thrilled to launch the call for applications for the 2024-25 cohort.

In 2023, India’s G20 Presidency shifted focus for the first time, from women’s development to women-led development. India’s collective and unwavering dedication to champion ‘Gender Equality and Empowering All Women and Girls’ secured a firm place in the G20 New Delhi Leaders’ Declaration

In line with this vision, the WomenLeaders India Fellowship will provide leadership capacity building for talented women leaders, including social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs. The WomenLeaders India Fellowship is looking for true catalysts for change, who are building climate resilience, enhancing access to sports, advancing educational initiatives, and promoting economic self-sufficiency through livelihood strengthening.

Over ten months, the programme aims to empower 50 exceptional women leaders from across India, each dedicated to driving transformative change within their communities. The future cohort will be selected for their ground-breaking work in Climate Resilience (including Disaster Risk Reduction), Sports for Development, Education (by strengthening early childhood care and education or addressing foundational literacy and numeracy), and Livelihood Generation at the grassroots. All Fellows will also work on their innovative projects aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through the Fellowship, benefiting from mentor and peer support.

The applications are open from July 1, 2024 to July 28, 2024, 23:59 IST.
(Apply now: Click here)

The Fellowship starts in September 2024, beginning and ending with in-person convenings in India. In the intervening months, the programme includes a blend of virtual webinars and community gatherings focused on leadership and skills development with leading Indian and international experts. Each selected Fellow will also benefit from personalised mentorship to support their leadership journey, as well as peer-to-peer engagement.

The Fellowship training focuses on leadership capacity building and skills development and is designed to ultimately strengthen the leadership of the participants and increase the success of their ventures and efforts. The Fellows will also benefit from joining a vibrant WomenLeaders India Fellowship alumni community. This will provide opportunities for visibility and networking at the national and international levels, through the Reliance Foundation and Vital Voices network.

The programme will culminate with a final in-person gathering, where Fellows will present their impactful projects aligned with the SDGs, where selected winning projects will receive a grant award to help scale their project further.

In December 2022, fifty inspiring women from India’s social sector were identified for the inaugural Fellowship. The Fellows in the inaugural cohort were selected for their work on Education, Rural Transformation, strengthening livelihoods, as well as Sports for Development. This dynamic, and intergenerational cohort hailed from various organisations, working at the grassroots level across rural and semi-urban areas of the country. The Fellows included social sector leaders and social entrepreneurs working on a range of issues and geographies from waste management in southern coastal villages to affordable energy sources in north-east India.

Watch this video to see the glimpses from the previous cohort’s convening and graduation ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieHp6nPAWpo

Together, we look forward to elevating a new generation of women-led development in India.
Applications close on July 28, 2024, 23:59 IST.

To learn more and apply, visit: Women Leadership