Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

In her <keyword id="19906106" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Interim-Budget" source="keywords">Interim Budget</keyword> speech in February 2024, <keyword id="20385790" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Finance-Minister" source="keywords">Union Finance Minister</keyword> <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> celebrated what she termed as the Modi government's landmark achievement: unleashing 'nari shakti' or women's power through various initiatives since 2014. Among these, the creation of one crore 'Lakhpati Didis' — women whose annual household income exceeds one lakh rupees — under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), has garnered significant attention. <h2>The hype around it </h2>Imagine being a <keyword id="20416259" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lakhpati-Didi" source="keywords">Lakhpati Didi</keyword> — a rural woman whose annual household income exceeds Rs. 1 lakh. These women are not just financial achievers; they are community leaders who inspire others through their entrepreneurial journeys. Their success stories highlight the transformative impact of self-help groups (SHGs) and collective action in rural India. Launched amid much fanfare on August 15, 2023 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself, the 'Lakhpati Didi' scheme aims to empower women through diverse skill development programs, from producing LED bulbs to operating agricultural drones. Partnering with entities like Patanjali, Flipkart, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the initiative also focuses on branding and marketing these products, ostensibly connecting women with credit lines and MUDRA loans for financial support. Almost an year on, the scheme is all set to get some well-deserved boost in the Budget 2024 to be presented on July 23. However, the time also apt to examine if it has actually contributed to <keyword id="20009191" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="women-empowerment" source="keywords">women empowerment</keyword> in the country. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111915324" title="Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to table Economic Survey in Parliament today" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>The reality check </h2>Critics argue that such schemes may inadvertently tether women's SHGs to corporate networks, potentially benefiting transnational agribusiness giants aligned with the government. Programs like 'Namo Drone Didi', allocated Rs. 500 crore in the Interim Budget, exemplify this trend by integrating women into digital agriculture, albeit under the influence of corporate agendas. Further, while the Interim Budget championed the narrative of women's economic prosperity, it failed to adequately address their basic needs. Despite claims of empowerment, essential schemes such as PM Awas Yojana (Rural) and Har Ghar Jal have seen significant budgetary underspending, raising concerns about the government's commitment to women's welfare beyond mere rhetoric. For instance, the underutilisation of funds in Swachh Bharat Mission (Gramin) and the shrinking allocations for crucial subsidies like nutrition and education further highlight the disconnect between budgetary outlays and on-ground impact. This trend suggests a shift in responsibility towards state governments without commensurate support from the Union government, leaving vulnerable populations like widows and rural women at risk. Overall, the well-intentioned narrative around the scheme needs better translation and execution on ground to achieve desired outcomes. <h2>Looking ahead </h2>Until now, the budgetary allocation for women-centric programs have remained disproportionately low, with the Ministry of Women and Child Development having been allocated Rs 26,000 crore in 2024-25, an increase of 2.52% compared to the previous budget. This paltry investment underscores a broader pattern of neglecting systemic issues such as gender-based violence, social discrimination and pro-corporate stance. As Budget 2024 approaches, stakeholders eagerly anticipate policies that not only boost economic growth but also empower rural women as entrepreneurs and leaders. While Lakhpati Didi stands poised to empower rural women with opportunities and support, more steps are needed to make it more sustainable. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111689743" title="Union Budget 2024: A handy FAQ guide to decode the upcoming budget" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Budget 2024: Can Lakhpati Didi Yojana’s reality inspire better focus on women?

The Department of Social Justice and Empowerment has been allocated Rs 13,539 crore in the 2024-2025 budget, an increase of 37 per cent from the 2023-2024 revised estimates of Rs 9,853.32 crore. This increase is primarily focused on enhancing <keyword id="20312810" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="welfare-programmes" source="keywords">welfare programmes</keyword> for <keyword id="21384605" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marginalised-communities" source="keywords">marginalised communities</keyword> and improving infrastructure for social services. The key areas of funding include Rs 9,549.98 crore for the 'Umbrella Scheme for Development of Scheduled Castes', a significant increase from the Rs 6,780 crore in the previous financial year. For achieving social justice comprehensively, the saturation approach of covering all eligible people through various programmes, including those for education and health, will be adopted, Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> said on Tuesday while presenting the 2024-25 Union Budget in Parliament. She said to ensure <keyword id="22517725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="inclusive-human-resource-development" source="keywords">inclusive human resource development</keyword>, a social justice saturation approach will be adopted. Social justice through the saturation approach refers to a strategy where the government aims to ensure that all eligible individuals are covered by various programmes and initiatives. The department has been allocated Rs 2,150 crore for the 'Umbrella Programme for Development of Other Vulnerable Groups' and Rs 314 crore for the National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction. The establishment expenditure of Rs 145.80 crore for the central administration includes allocations for the secretariat and national commissions. The amount is a slight decrease from the previous year's Rs 152.60 crore. The National Commission for Scheduled Castes has been allocated Rs 38 crore and the National Commission for Backward Classes Rs 21 crore. The budget of the Development and Welfare Board for Denotified, Nomadic and Semi-Nomadic Communities remains at Rs 5 crore. Central sector schemes and projects are among the focus areas of this budget, with the <keyword id="22517726" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="scholarships-for-higher-education" source="keywords">Scholarships for Higher Education</keyword> for Young Achievers Scheme for Scheduled Castes being allocated Rs 428 crore. This scheme encompasses various sub-schemes, including the National Fellowship for SCs, Free Coaching for SCs and OBCs, Top Class Education for SCs and the National Overseas Scholarship for SCs. The Scheme of Residential Education for Students in High School in Targeted Areas for SCs has been allocated Rs 133.07 crore. The department also prioritises <keyword id="22024434" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-assistance" source="keywords">economic assistance</keyword> and <keyword id="20068989" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="skill-development" source="keywords">skill development</keyword> through initiatives like the Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi Yojana -- that has been allocated Rs 130 crore -- and the <keyword id="20245482" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="venture-capital-fund" source="keywords">Venture Capital Fund</keyword> for SCs and OBCs -- that has bee allocated Rs 50 crore. Additionally, the Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers, which previously had allocations, does not feature in the current budget, indicating a possible reallocation of funds or a change in strategy. Support for marginalised individuals, particularly through the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood and Enterprise programme, which includes comprehensive rehabilitation for persons engaged in begging and welfare of transgender persons, has been allocated Rs 98.46 crore. This marks a substantial increase from the previous year's Rs 32.82 crore, highlighting a growing commitment to addressing these vulnerable groups' needs. Transfers to states and Union Territories under centrally sponsored schemes form a major part of the budget.

Budget: Rs 13,539 cr allocated to social justice department, 37% higher than last year

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Olga Loiek, a college student with a YouTube channel, says she's being used for deepfakes in China.</li><li>She's not the only one. Multiple caucasian women feature in pro-Russia deepfakes on China's internet.</li></ul>Olga Loiek was barely awake one mid-winter morning when she read a cryptic Instagram message."Do you speak any Mandarin?" it read in English.Loiek had received similar messages in weeks prior from self-professed fans of her small YouTube channel, where she uploads self-empowerment videos to just over 15,000 subscribers.Confusingly, several of those comments also lauded her command of the Chinese language.Loiek doesn't speak Chinese at all, the 20-year-old student told Business Insider from her apartment in Munich.But this last message — sent in late January — was a warning, not a compliment. Someone may be trying to impersonate you, it said.That message included a link to a video on Xiaohongshu, a social media platform rapidly gaining steam in China. The clip appeared to show Loiek speaking to the camera in Chinese as photos of the Kremlin and Russian leader Vladimir Putin jumped on-screen."At first, I kind of felt like, oh, it's just a funny trick. But then I started translating it," Loeik said. Bearing her face, the woman in the video spoke glowingly of Sino-Russian ties, bemoaning sanctions on Moscow while selling Russian products on a store page.To Loeik, who is Ukrainian, it was outrageous. "I felt violated because these were things I would never, never say in my life," she said.<div type="image" title="Loiek attends a rally in support of Ukraine, her home country." height="2793" width="3724" msid="108773463" hostid="261" sizebytes="310942"></div>Abuse of deepfakes, a swiftly developing technology that uses AI to replicate a person's likeness virtually, has been documented for years.But the crossover between Western faces and Chinese accounts presents a new layer of complexity, because China's social media ecosystem is largely walled off from the world.<h2>Deepfakes behind the Great Firewall</h2>To China's<a target="_blank" href="https://english.www.gov.cn/archive/statistics/202308/28/content_WS64ec5126c6d0868f4e8dee21.html"> estimated 1.08 billion internet users</a>, YouTube and Instagram are blocked and replaced by moderated alternatives to international platforms. There's WeChat for WhatsApp and Facebook, Weibo for X, and Xiaohongshu as a mix of TikTok and Instagram.On these Chinese platforms, deepfakes of non-Chinese women can often go undetected since viewers may not easily recognize the original person. Meanwhile, the creator is less likely to discover their face has been stolen because they, in turn, do not typically access the Chinese platforms where the theft is happening."In an 'open world' social media environment, when someone's deepfake shows up, we can very easily demonstrate this is not real because we can find the original person," said Lyu Siwei, a computer science professor who runs the Media Forensics Lab at the University at Buffalo. "But inside China, because it's not so easy for Chinese users to go beyond the Great Firewall, they will not be able to do that cross-validation."Lyu and another AI researcher, Haibing Lu of Santa Clara University, told BI that over the last six months, they've observed what they suspect are other deepfakes of women on Chinese platforms like Douyin, China's version of TikTok.Loiek's case shows that at least some of these deepfakes are non-consensual, they said.The account that ran deepfakes of Loiek was described on Xiaohongshu as Natasha, a 31-year-old Russian woman who lives in China's Heilongjiang province. The account had 140,00 followers — more than Loeik's actual page. A store page affiliated with the account sold Russian candies for $3.60 per packet.<div type="image" title="Left: Loiek speaks in a YouTube Short uploaded on her channel. Right: A deepfake of Loiek touts Russians celebrating the Lunar New Year." height="1440" width="1920" msid="108773464" hostid="261" sizebytes="86642"></div>Dozens of videos on "Natasha's" page contained telltale signs of digital manipulation. For one, in these videos, Loiek's lips are not always synced to the voiceover, which is in a mainland Chinese accent. There are times when the software fails, and her intonation is flat. The audio quality is also close to perfect, with no breathing sounds or background noise, which the two researchers said was a red flag."It was so creepy because I was literally seeing my face talk about things I would never condone," Loiek said.<h2>From one woman comes a dozen Russians</h2>Loeik, who studies cognitive neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania but is now in Germany for an internship, is unsure why these Xiaohongshu accounts chose her.But whoever targeted Loiek found her fledgling YouTube channel in a matter of weeks.The student started her self-empowerment channel in November and has so far published eight videos and seven YouTube Shorts.In a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FQSFnZpsqw&amp;t=385s"> YouTube video she uploaded in late January</a>, Loiek asked her followers to help report the Natasha account. The dupe was removed from Xiaohongshu by February 25.And while "Natasha" is gone, other accounts also bearing Loiek's face have cropped up. Loiek said she's discovered about 30 other accounts on Xiaohongshu that use her face and claim to be Russian.<div type="image" title="Left: Olga Loiek speaks in a YouTube Short on her channel. Right: A deepfake of Loiek tells Chinese viewers to buy Russian candies." height="1440" width="1920" msid="108773465" hostid="261" sizebytes="73238"></div>BI has seen some of them. There is April Annie, the Russian woman who moved to China eight years ago; Sophia Elena, who gushes about Russian ladies wanting to marry Chinese men; and Katyusha, who praises China and Russia's partnership. All use deepfakes of Loiek.The Xiaohongshu deepfakes of other YouTubers do the same. The perpetrators seem to target female creators who upload easily accessible content of themselves but aren't major celebrities.These accounts aren't hard to find, as the Xiaohongshu app often suggests pages similar to the one you're already viewing. In a matter of about 10 minutes, BI found deepfake videos of at least five caucasian women on Xiaohongshu. In all of these videos, the deepfake doppelgangers fawned over and praised Russia and China.Lana Blakely is one of them. Blakely is a Stockholm-based content creator who has 1.6 million subscribers on YouTube, where she discusses topics like self-reflection and managing relationships. But at least one Chinese deepfake version of Blakely has a different agenda to share on Xiaohongshu."When we were young, we learned in school that China and Russia are brothers in hardship," a deepfake version of Blakely says in Chinese in a video BI viewed.<div type="image" title="Left: A deepfake of Lana Blakely found on Xiaohongshu features her talking about Russian women wanting to marry Chinese men. Right: A screenshot of Blakely's Instagram page." height="1440" width="1920" msid="108773466" hostid="261" sizebytes="132502"></div>London-based Elizabeth Filips, who has 950,000 subscribers on YouTube, uploads videos covering neuroscience tips and personal improvement. On Xiaohongshu, an account posted deepfakes of her discussing China's international relations."China has three good friends. The first is good brother Pakistan, there is good brother Serbia, and lastly, the good brothers China and Russia," said a deepfake version of Filips in one video.<div type="image" title="Left: A deepfake of Elizabeth Filips receives warm praise from Chinese users. Right: A screenshot of Filips' Instagram page." height="1440" width="1920" msid="108773467" hostid="261" sizebytes="184694"></div>Blakely declined through her talent management agency to comment. Filips did not respond to requests for comment sent by BI.On the dozens of videos reviewed by BI, not a single Chinese user commented with suspicions that the clips were manipulated."The messages are consistent with what they're already exposed to, that China is great," said Lyu. "And I think on top of that is that a beautiful young woman of foreign origins is speaking Chinese. That adds to the curiosity factor and attracts Chinese viewers."When asked about the deepfakes, a Xiaohongshu spokesperson told BI: "As artificial intelligence has continued to develop, Xiaohongshu encourages and values its innovations. At the same time, many risks have emerged due to AI-generated content on online platforms."They pointed to the<a target="_blank" href="https://www.xiaohongshu.com/en/community_guidelines"> platform's guidelines</a>, which prohibit impersonation and posting content that is not "based on real experiences."<h2>Origins still obscured</h2>Though Loiek succeeded in shutting down the Natasha account, the people creating these videos are still a mystery.New accounts purporting to be her surface occasionally. One<a target="_blank" href="https://www.xiaohongshu.com/user/profile/65aea7610000000014007b32?xhsshare=CopyLink&amp;appuid=64520c5f0000000012035bf6&amp;apptime=1709886673"> account</a> that once used her face as a profile picture started uploading videos of cats.<div type="image" title="Videos of Loiek found on Xiaohongshu." height="1061" width="1415" msid="108773468" hostid="261" sizebytes="99582"></div>AI has been extensively reported to often be a<a target="_blank" href="https://www.technologyreview.com/2023/10/04/1080801/generative-ai-boosting-disinformation-and-propaganda-freedom-house/"> tool for propaganda,</a> even outside China. US intelligence agencies have<a target="_blank" href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/china-russia-ai-divide-us-society-undermine-us-elections-power-rcna142880"> accused both Russia and China</a> of using deceptive methods to sway public opinion and cited AI as a prime concern.But Lyu said it's unclear if these deepfakes are part of a government operation or an effort by a third party, such as a pro-Russia or pro-China group.The Chinese and Russian foreign affairs ministries did not respond to requests for comment sent by BI.The culprits could also simply be experimenting with deepfakes in China, said Vincent Conitzer, the head of technical AI engagement at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University."Let's see what we can do. Let's see how people react. Do people buy it?" Conitzer said of the possible mindset behind the videos' creation. "Sometimes there might even be an aspect of, 'Let's see how people react to it,' even when they can pretty clearly identify that it is fake."<h2>No good options for Loiek</h2>AI experts like Lyu say Loiek is taking the best course of action available by drawing attention to the deepfakes and asking her followers to report them.Few other options are realistically available to her, they said.Lu, an information analytics professor at Santa Clara University, is another researcher besides Lyu who's recently seen deepfakes like Loiek's on Chinese social media. He told BI that he's tried to report them to the Chinese authorities.Filing an internet crime report typically requires a Chinese ID, akin to a Social Security number, he said."It would be very difficult for foreign victims to report this," Lu said. "Technically, it's impossible."Nirupam Roy, an assistant professor at the university's computer science department, said his team is working on an anti-manipulation software called TalkLock that can flag altered content.But fighting deepfakes like this would require companies like Xiaohongshu to come on board and use such software."The push for a standard measure like this typically depends on how aware people are of the problem," Roy said.And with no international agreement yet on AI issues, it would be difficult for Loeik to sue even if she found the culprits, said Ari Lightman, a digital media professor at Carnegie Mellon University."These things are going to happen over and over again," he told BI.Meanwhile, Loiek says she'll still work on her channel despite knowing that any content she uploads can become a deepfake in China."I don't think I have to think from a place of fear," she said. "But I understand every time I post a video, there's a possibility that it can happen."

A UPenn student started a YouTube channel. In weeks, her face was stolen on China's social media.

New Delhi, Feb 1 (PTI) The Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry, which caters to the welfare of the backward classes and those with disabilities, was allocated Rs 13,134 crore in the Union Budget 2022-23, a 12 percent increase from the last fiscal. An amount of Rs 11,922 crore has been allocated for the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment and Rs Rs 1212 crore for the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities in the financial year 2022-23. The Budget for 2022-23 saw an allocation of Rs 56 crore for the three national commissions -- National Commission for Scheduled Castes, National Commission for Backward Classes and National Commission for Safai Karamcharis, as against the allocation of Rs 49 crore for 2021-22. However, certain crucial schemes of the ministry like the Support for Marginalized Individuals for Livelihood &amp; Enterprise (SMILE), Scheme for Economic Empowerment of DNT/NT/SNTs (SEED), Pradhan Mantri Dakshta Aur Kushalta Sampann Hitgrahi (PM DAKSH) Yojana and Self Employment Scheme for Rehabilitation of Manual Scavengers saw a budget cut. Under the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment, the budget for central sector schemes was allocated Rs 969.50 in 2022-23, a drop from Rs 1,395 crore in 2021-22. Autonomous bodies -- National University of Rehabilitation Science Disability Studies, Rehabilitation Council of India and Indian Sign Language, Research and Training Centre, Centre for Disability Sports, National Institute for inclusive and Universal Design, National Institute of Mental Health Rehabilitation and Support to National institutes -- have been allocated Rs 431 crore for the next financial year. The National Program for the Welfare of Persons with Disabilities was allocated Rs 635 crore in 2022-23. In 2021-22, an allocation of Rs 584 crore was made. PTI UZM AQS AQS

Union Budget 2022-23: Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry allocated Rs 13,134 cr

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Five <keyword id="11896033" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="wnba" source="Orion">WNBA</keyword> players were featured in <keyword id="12127526" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="sports-illustrated" source="Orion">Sports Illustrated</keyword>'s iconic <keyword id="13878210" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="swimsuit-issue" source="Orion">Swimsuit Issue</keyword> this year.</li><li>Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Te'a Cooper, Nneka Ogwumike, and DiDi Richards posed in the US Virgin Islands.</li></ul>Five WNBA stars — Sue Bird, Breanna Stewart, Te'a Cooper, Nneka Ogwumike, and DiDi Richards — posed for photographer Laretta Houston in St. Thomas of the US Virgin Islands, as part of <keyword id="11893855" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports" source="Orion">Sports</keyword> Illustrated's 2022 Swimsuit Issue. For Bird, a 20-year veteran of the WNBA and a league legend, the players' involvement represents an opportunity to "showcase [the] evolution" of SI's Swimsuit Issue.<div type="image" title="WNBA players will be featured in this year's Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue." height="3250" width="2167" msid="91452311" hostid="261"></div>"We represent a variety of things: of course women, women of color, members of the LGBTQIA2+ community and much more," Bird told <a href="https://swimsuit.si.com/swimnews/wnba-2022#gid=ci02a0b57cf00027e0&amp;pid=sue-bird">Sports Illustrated's Dorothy J. Gentry</a>. "The [Swimsuit] issue for so many years has been iconic and has represented a lot for women. Now you are seeing an evolution in what that can mean and what that can look like, and I think the WNBA players being a part of that is what makes it special."And according to MJ Day, the Editor-in-Chief of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit, the brand "couldn't be more thrilled to have such a badass group of women come together for this specific issue.""These players not only dominate on the court but are tirelessly leading the charge in speaking out on social justice issues — fighting for racial justice and equality and working together to create sustainable change," Day said in a statement. "Their participation in this year's issue couldn't come at a better time with the launch of Pay With Change and the work that we are doing to evolve and grow our brand."<div type="image" title="Sue Bird for Sports Illustrated's 2022 Swimsuit Issue." height="3750" width="2500" msid="91452313" hostid="261"></div>In January of this year, Sports Illustrated <a href="https://www.si.com/sports-illustrated/2022/01/20/si-swimsuit-announces-pay-with-change">announced its "Pay With Change"</a> gender equity advertising initiative surrounding its famed Swimsuit Issue. As part of the effort, Sports Illustrated will only allow brands with "demonstrated programs to advance gender equality" to advertise on the Swimsuit platform.Companies that fit the bill will create ads for the campaign that showcase their gender equity efforts. And Sports Illustrated has committed to contributing a percent of every advertising dollar to its Gender Equity Fund supporting nonprofits in the <keyword id="13878209" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="womens-empowerment" source="Orion">women's empowerment</keyword> space.The WNBA players — who have "always been at the forefront of social issues," Stewart told Gentry — perfectly embody the ideals of the new-look Swimsuit Issue.<div type="image" title="Nneka Ogwumike for Sports Illustrated's 2022 Swimsuit Issue." height="3750" width="2500" msid="91452315" hostid="261"></div>"It's all so amazing to see and understand we are living in history," Ogwumike, the Los Angeles Sparks superstar and WNBA Players Association president, added. "I love the differences we celebrate and moving them forward."The 2022 WNBA regular season tipped off Friday, and fans can watch Bird, Stewart, Ogwumike, and Richards play into August. Cooper, who previously Ogwumike's teammate on the Sparks, was waived by the team ahead of the regular season.

WNBA stars posed for Sports Illustrated's iconic Swimsuit Issue as the brand champions pay equity efforts

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Cause marketing can help businesses support social causes that align with their values and connect with customers. </li><li>They can help a business highlight its mission and goals through action-oriented campaigns.</li><li>These experts say cause marketing should be equally balanced with the needs of the business. </li></ul>In November 2022, Philadelphia-based jewelry brand <a href="https://bario-neal.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Bario Neal </a>debuted a "<a href="https://bario-neal.com/product-category/fine-jewelry/jewelry-for-charitable-giving/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Bans Off Our Bodies</a>" charm and pledged 100% of the profits to <a href="https://arc-southeast.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">ARC Southeast</a>, a nonprofit that provides funding and support for reproductive care and abortion services to people in the South. <div type="image" title="Headshot of Page Neal" height="1478" width="1971" msid="99416508" hostid="261" sizebytes="308294"></div>"We're a female-founded business, and supporting female organizations has always been really important to us," Page Neal, principal and lead designer of Bario Neal, told Insider. "To us, the rollback of Roe v. Wade was such an oppressive action taken by the Supreme Court to take away women's rights. It's really important to us to support women in areas where rights have been taken away." By March 2023, she said the company had sold 70 of the charms and raised about $2,400 for ARC Southeast. The "Bans Off Our Bodies" charm is just one way Bario Neal engages in <a href="https://mailchimp.com/resources/what-is-cause-marketing/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">cause marketing</a>, which refers to for-profit businesses and nonprofits engaging in corporate activism. Cause marketing can include sponsoring events, fundraising, or raising awareness for a social or charitable cause. Nicole Conway, principal of <a href="https://www.conwaymarketinggroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Conway Marketing Group</a>, told Insider that this type of marketing works best when businesses support causes or charities that align with their values or make a difference in their local communities. <h2>How cause marketing can benefit small businesses </h2>Cause marketing can increase brand awareness for businesses and exposure for nonprofits, Conway said. It boosts a company's credibility in communities and helps companies attract customers who "want to see that their purchasing power is well-spent and goes to something they care about," Neal said. More than 80% of consumers said they prefer spending with companies that have values that align with their own, and 75% will stop buying from brands over a conflict in values, according to a <a href="https://cloud.google.com/blog/topics/consumer-packaged-goods/data-shows-shoppers-prioritizing-sustainability-and-values" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Harris Poll</a> commissioned by Google Cloud. When businesses support causes, it can also improve employee morale and help with hiring and retention, Conway said. "People want to work with real people who have hearts, brains, and consciences." To create a successful cause marketing campaign, small businesses can take these steps: <h2>1. Establish clear values and goals </h2>"What is the company's mission, vision, and values?" Conway said that's the first question business leaders should ask themselves when delving into cause marketing. Having a mission to do good in the community or a desire to make a difference and identifying causes that are important to the company will lead to opportunities to get involved, she added. A clear mission also helps bring authenticity to cause marketing. <div type="image" title="Headshot of Logan Mallory" height="935" width="1248" msid="99416510" hostid="261" sizebytes="24690"></div>One of the values at <a href="https://www.motivosity.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Motivosity</a>, an employee engagement and recognition software, is "serve always." The Lehi, Utah-based company looks for ways to give back locally, including within its tech and business community, said Logan Mallory, the company's vice president of marketing. In December, Motivosity teamed up with a local networking group, <a href="https://tacostogether.com/about-us/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Tacos Together</a>, on a toy drive and donated 500 plush yetis. Motivosity's mascot is a yeti. <h2>2. Identify causes that make sense for the business </h2>Businesses should choose nonprofits and causes to support that make sense based on their mission and values, Conway said. "Wearing your values" is Bario Neal's mission. The company supports causes dedicated to the ethical sourcing of materials for the jewelry industry, women's empowerment, and LGBTQIA+ rights. Neal said the brand also supports arts and educational organizations in Philadelphia, where it's headquartered. For this year's upcoming Earth Day, Bario Neal launched a collection made from ethically-sourced <a href="https://fairmined.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Fairmined gold</a>, and 15% of the sales of these items will go to <a href="https://mercuryfreemining.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">Mercury Free Mining</a>, an organization working to eradicate mercury use in gold mining. Neal said her company researches the organizations it works with to ensure that most of their donations go toward the cause, rather than a nonprofit's administrative expenses. Motivosity often supports causes that are important to its employees, Mallory said. For instance, a fundraising drive for Ronald McDonald House was inspired by an employee's personal experience with the organization. <h2>3. Structure an action-oriented campaign</h2>Cause marketing can take many forms, and it can be an inexpensive way to boost brands while helping others, Conway said. Action-oriented campaigns — like devoting a percentage of sales to a charity, holding fundraising drives, sponsoring events, encouraging employees to volunteer, or raising awareness about a cause on social media — tend to resonate with consumers according to a 2021 <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7862132/" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">psychology study</a> by the School of Management at Jinan University. Social media plays a central role in Motivosity's cause marketing. The company previously ran a campaign, where it donated $1 to Ronald McDonald House and <a href="https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/sistergoods" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">SisterGoods</a> (an organization helping fight period poverty) every time someone used its hashtag #ThanksMatters on social media. Motivosity created social media posts and tagged the nonprofits, and encouraged their <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?h=255253c0e9601544858509c63d0eefb139b0a65bc64411751bdfb8091eb83fb2&amp;postID=642e8d1e2001446c850e1970&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fposts%2Fbrady-knapp-558693189_thanksmatters-activity-6866080564814888960-njbs%2F%3Futm_source%3Dshare%26utm_medium%3Dmember_desktop" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow sponsored">employees to post</a> about the campaigns, too. Mallory said the campaign raised about $1,000 each for Ronald McDonald House and SisterGoods. "There's a corporate side, and then there's a personal side where our team members will say, 'Here's why this matters to me,' and they'll tag the organization to celebrate them," he said. Bario Neal has marketed its "Bans Off Our Bodies" charm online, in its newsletter, on social media, and gifted it to influencers to spread the word, Neal said. Conway recommends small businesses be prepared for any potential backlash that could accompany their cause marketing efforts, and create a process for handling complaints or negative comments on social media. But, ultimately, she said businesses should stick to their missions. "You have to remain focused and not get distracted by the outside influences that may not love what you're doing," Conway said. "You can't make all the people happy all the time." Bario Neal has received some negative reactions from supporting reproductive rights and LGBTQIA+ rights, Neal said. But, the company hasn't wavered from its values. "Our position is we're not for everybody," she said. "We're not willing to take back our stance on reproductive rights to make someone feel good about their opinion on it." <h2>5. Don't forget to focus on the business </h2>Cause marketing is as much about supporting an important issue or organization, as it is growing brand awareness, Mallory said. "When businesses decide to be overly service-oriented or overly cause-oriented and the business suffers, then it limits your ability to give back later."Sometimes less is more with cause marketing, Mallory added. "Being intentional and choosing a few groups at appropriate times would be more impactful than trying to be everything to everyone." Successful cause marketing also often takes trial and error — and, thinking outside the box, Conway said. "Most marketing starts out as an experiment," she said. "Start small, and then if it works, you can scale up, or you can pivot and try something new."

How small businesses are using marketing techniques to demonstrate their values through social causes

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Debbie Wosskow OBE and Anna Jones founded <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword>'s <keyword id="6378559" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="membership">membership</keyword> club AllBright in 2017.</li><li>It aims to help women develop their careers and provide <keyword id="6375238" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="networking">networking</keyword> and upskilling opportunities.</li><li>It now has an audience of around 400,000, and has raised $42 million in funding to date.</li></ul>At the start of the pandemic, women's careers and networking <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/london-private-members-clubs-ranked-by-price-2019-3">club</a> AllBright around 40,000 people in its community, which it defines as paying members, app users, newsletter subscribers, and social media followers. Members predominately connected with the company through its three club buildings - two in London and one in West Hollywood.A year on, its buildings have been closed for the best part of 12 months. But the business now has an audience of 400,000 thanks to a rapid pivot online - and it's expanding into new markets, too.Since its launch in 2017, it's raised $42 million in funding to date in three investment rounds led by private investment firm Cain International. It's launching operations in India, and already has a presence in the UK, US, and Australia. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trinny-woodall-london-dtc-beauty-cosmetics-brand-skincare-2021-3">The CEO of Trinny London explains how she grew her DTC beauty brand to $58 million in annual revenues within 4 years</a>AllBright was cofounded in 2017 by Debbie Wosskow OBE and Anna Jones after a mutual friend introduced them at a party. Wosskow is a multi-exit entrepreneur in digital who founded <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/home-swap-and-live-in-a-castle-manor-house-church-2020-10">Love Home Swap</a>, which she <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/lovehomeswap-acquired-by-wyndham-for-40-million-2017-8">sold to Wyndham Destination Networks for £40 million ($53 million) in 2017</a>, while Jones was formerly the CEO of <keyword id="151464" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Hearst">Hearst</keyword> UK.The pair found they had similar experiences of being women in business.Only 2% of capital goes to support a female founder, and this dropped to 1% during 2020, Wosskow said. Only 7% of investors are female, she added.And when Jones led Hearst, she was the only female CEO of a large media business in the UK, Wosskow added.<div type="image" title="AllBright" height="419" width="559" msid="82128381" hostid="261"></div>"Both of us were so used to being the only women at the boardroom table that we'd stop noticing," Wosskow told Insider.So they decided to launch AllBright, the UK's first women-only membership club, aimed at creating what Wosskow dubbed a "monster global sisterhood."AllBright opened its three buildings, which Wosskow describes as "flagships." These provide women with "a hub away from home," she said. At the sites, women can work, network, and attend a range of events organized by AllBright, including upskilling sessions.The boutique-style clubs all have a restaurant, lounge, and bookable meeting rooms, alongside event space.AllBright opened its first club in Bloomsbury, London on International Women's Day in 2018. It expanded its presence in the city by opening a second club in the city's exclusive Mayfair area the next year, in a five-storey townhouse with a rooftop garden and two restaurants.<div type="image" title="AllBright" height="2880" width="5760" msid="82128384" hostid="261"></div>Shortly after, it launched in the US with a club in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, which offers rooftop dining, a hair and nail salon, and aromatherapy and massage services.Despite the popularity of its physical clubs, AllBright had always planned to launch digital operations - but the pandemic accelerated this, moving its launch from an eight-month delivery time to just eight weeks. Alongside its club membership, which costs £1,300 ($1,800) a year, the company has launched a digital-only membership for £15 (around $20) a month. This includes access to articles, courses ran in partnership with education platform Future Learn, and both live and on-demand events, as well as networking opportunities.<div type="image" title="AllBright" height="2880" width="5760" msid="82128386" hostid="261"></div>And AllBright realized that, once it had the tech already in place, it was much easier to launch operations in new markets.It first bought Australian female lifestyle platform The Grace Tales, founded by Georgie Abay, the former deputy editor of Australian Vogue. The site is aimed at working mothers, and as well as articles about parenting and interviews with celebrities including Miranda Kerr, The Grace Tales holds in-person events.Months later, AllBright acquired Chicago-based digital hub EvolveHer, which held events focused on careers, money, and networking. Jones said the acquisition helped AllBright expand its presence in the US outside of Los Angeles.<div type="image" title="AllBright" height="2868" width="4015" msid="82128388" hostid="261"></div>AllBright is also targeting other English-speaking areas, and is soon launching operations in India, Jones said.<h2>The pandemic highlighted the importance of AllBright's mission</h2>Women have been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/gender-pay-gap-extra-36-years-close-covid-pandemic-wef-2021-3">disproportionately hit by redundancies and furlough during the pandemic</a>. Jones said this had caused a surge in the number of women wanting to retrain: AllBright surveyed 2,500 women and found that 57% were thinking about pivoting their careers post-pandemic."I think that there's a general concern that we need to all ensure that [the pandemic] doesn't set the agenda of women and work back," Wosskow said.Employers are increasingly recognizing this too, she said. During the pandemic, there has been a big uptake in the number of companies choosing to provide their staff with corporate membership to AllBright so they can develop their careers.<div type="image" title="AllBright" height="1707" width="2560" msid="82128389" hostid="261"></div>Despite the huge surge in interest in its digital operations, with enrollment in its online courses up around 200% since the first lockdown in March 2020, Jones thinks AllBright's real estate offering will remain important to many of its members."I think that there's always going to be a desire and a need for women and people in to be able to connect in real life," Jones said.

AllBright's CEOs explain how they grew the community of its women-only club tenfold during the pandemic

<ul><li>Women are the bedrock of society and with this International Women’s Day, brands have left no stone unturned to celebrate their dreams, ambitions, struggles and wins.</li><li>It gives us an opportunity to celebrate the social, economic, political, and cultural achievements of women and continue the push towards equality. </li><li>We cherry-picked a few campaigns that stood out this year. </li></ul>While every day should be celebrated as women’s day, 8th March brings an opportunity for us to stop, reflect on how far we have come and think about some of the many areas where advertising, marketing and the media industry needs to improve. It gives us a much-needed chance to pass on the mic, share our problems, look for solutions and celebrate women who have triumphed over patriarchy. Women's Day, however, has become a full-blown trend, packaged and brought to the audience for a labelled price. It is about gaining eye-balls, reminding women they exist by superficially caring about them, for a few days before and after March 8. Albeit, there were a few campaigns that did stand out this year and reminded us that we are slowly taking small steps towards inclusivity every year. So we thought of collating a list of advertisements that have set a benchmark for other brands to follow (in no particular order) and have tried to talk about issues that have gone unnoticed over the years: Prega News <div type="Youtube" id="X4mWIU-zcvQ" title="#SheIsCompleteInHerself - A Women’s Day Initiative by Prega News | Mona Singh (Hindi)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/X4mWIU-zcvQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Swiggy <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Levi’s <div type="Youtube" id="zg9IIbwsreM" title="Levi's® We All Move" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/zg9IIbwsreM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Zivame <div type="Youtube" id="ZEFXor8RV2Y" title="Mallika Dua Talks About Problems in Shopping Plus-Sized Lingerie" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ZEFXor8RV2Y/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Shaadi.com <div type="Youtube" id="uxdFnhALP3Q" title="This Women's Day, Pledge to #TakeThePressureOff with Shaadi.com" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/uxdFnhALP3Q/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Dove <div type="Youtube" id="E3kWzRB6Yy8" title="Dove | #StopTheBeautyTest (Hindi)" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/E3kWzRB6Yy8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> WeWork <div type="Youtube" id="9RMIdAEYLnE" title="WeWork India | International Women's Day 2021" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9RMIdAEYLnE/mqdefault.jpg"></div> OkCupid <div type="Youtube" id="PW9xQ0jcVtc" title="Ijazat Hai Feat. Mukti Mohan &amp; Keshav Sadhna | OkCupid India" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/PW9xQ0jcVtc/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Dunzo <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Bumble <div type="Youtube" id="_f8KPREKEgQ" title="All Our Moves" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/_f8KPREKEgQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Paytm <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Goibibo: <div type="Youtube" id="2qys7wyp4ks" title="A Women’s Day Message from Goibibo feat. Vidya Balan!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/2qys7wyp4ks/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

International Women's Day: campaigns that stood out

New Delhi, Mar 11 () From establishing special 'mohalla' clinics and dedicated support centres for women to strengthening their role in the economy, women empowerment is a key focus area of Delhi's 2021-22 budget, the AAP government said on Thursday. "The role of women is key to the progress of Delhi and hence, providing accessible healthcare, education and social provisions is a priority," the Delhi government said in a statement. Presenting the budget on Tuesday, Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, set aside Rs 4,750 crore for the Department of Social Welfare, Women and Child Development and the welfare of SC/ST/OBC. He also announced that the Delhi government will launch a new scheme to empower women and give them a larger role in the economy through the establishment of 500 anganwadi hubs in various parts of the city. The statement said major measures proposed by the government this year include establishing 100 'Mahila Mohalla Clinics', allowing every woman in the city access to "special services of gynaecologists and related diagnostic tests". "Considering women are not able to talk freely about their health issues and healthcare is not easily accessible for those belonging to middle-class and low-income families, the Delhi government plans to undertake the responsibility of having a 'Mahila Mohalla Clinic' around every woman in Delhi," it said. To begin with, 100 such clinics will be opened across the city and the number will be increased to ensure that there is "at least one clinic in each ward". Sisodia, while presenting the budget, had termed the 'Mahila Mohalla Clinic' initiative a "revolutionary step". The government has allocated Rs 9,934 crore to the healthcare sector this year.To strengthen the role of women in the economy, the government, under its "Saheli Samanvay Kendra", will set up 500 anganwadi hubs in different parts of Delhi. "These hubs can be used for incubating individual start-ups and to promote self-help groups. "Special arrangements will be made for women in these hubs and the required training will be imparted to open micro-economic units and for holding meetings of self-help groups," the statement said. Other measures for women empowerment include the continuation of free travel in DTC and cluster buses, and equipping them with CCTV cameras and marshals. Installation of CCTV cameras and street lights at tourist spots and areas that are not well lit is also on the government's to-do list, according to the statement. To ensure that women in Delhi are aware of schemes like the Delhi Pension Scheme for women in distress, maternity schemes, and the 'Ladli Yojana' for school-going girls, the government is planning to establish 33 'mahila' support centres, the statement said. "A counsellor will be present in these support centres to help and counsel women regarding issues concerning government initiatives," it said. PT TRS DIV DIV

Women empowerment key focus area of 2012-22 budget: Delhi govt

Around two lakh students from the Scheduled Caste category dropped out of college due to non-payment of dues under a scholarship scheme worth around Rs 2,000 crore by the <keyword id="6354953" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="punjab" source="Orion">Punjab</keyword> government, the <keyword id="516560" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="national-commission-for-scheduled-caste" source="Orion">National Commission for Scheduled Caste</keyword> said on Wednesday. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant <keyword id="19116" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="mann" source="Orion">Mann</keyword> last week ordered a comprehensive probe into alleged irregularities in the post-matric scholarship scheme that had surfaced during the previous <keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> regime in the state. NCSC chairperson Vijay <keyword id="6391235" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="sampla" source="Orion">Sampla</keyword> told reporters that the Commission has sought an explanation from the state government on why the money has not been paid to colleges despite the payment of dues by the Centre. "We have taken suo motu cognisance in the matter. There have been many complaints from <keyword id="104433" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SC-students" source="Orion">SC students</keyword> that they are not being allowed in colleges as the government has not paid their fees. "There were around three lakh SC students who benefited from the scheme in 2017 and the number dropped to 1-1.25 lakh in 2020. When we asked the state government, they said these children dropped out," he said. Sampla said that a meeting was held on Monday between <keyword id="112438" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="social-justice" source="Orion">Social Justice</keyword> and Empowerment ministry and Punjab government to discuss the matter. "In the meeting, it came to light that no dues from the Centre are there while the state government has to pay dues worth Rs 2000 crore to pay to these colleges. Where has the money gone that is due," he said. Sampla said that the Punjab government has been asked to give an explanation by next Wednesday. Mann had taken to Twitter to announce the decision for a probe into the matter. I have received files pertaining to the release of scholarship amount during the previous government. Irregularities have been found in releasing funds to private institutions orders have been issued for a probe, the chief minister tweeted while promising to act against those who put the future of Scheduled Caste students at stake. Account of every single penny will be taken, said Mann. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/how-to-transfer-money-from-paytm-wallet-to-a-bank-account-for-free/articleshow/93001217.cms">Looking to transfer money from Paytm wallet to a bank account? Here’s how to do it in five easy steps</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/i-t-officials-raid-40-locations-linked-to-madhusudan-ghee-in-mumbai/articleshow/93002254.cms">I-T officials raid 40 locations linked to Madhusudan Ghee in Mumbai</a>

2 lakh college students in Punjab drop out due to non-payment of scholarships, says constitutional body

Taking a look at this video series <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qpna1hAndA&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">'The Good Crusaders' by Chivas in association with ET Now</a> will make you feel how little we have achieved in life while chasing our materialistic desires and ambitions. Due to our hectic lives and the overall sense of gloom in the world, we more than often fail to recognise the good we have in and amongst us. 
 
There exists a generous amount of individuals who are striving hard to make a difference in the lives of others and going the extra mile to empower them. Whether it's <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7PSuGUAya4&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_&amp;index=12">this man who took out 500 people with him in his 'Jagriti Yatra'</a> to build India, or this woman spearheading a movement against noise pollution, each and every person in the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_"> 100 Pipers' video series </a>has touched lives and depicted why we need to socially engage in today's fast paced life. 
 
So, pause for a moment from the madness you are living and tune in to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaFdIoFs_IM&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_&amp;index=3">100 Pipers' awe-inspiring stories </a>of some of the most stunning individuals. Take a look at their stories: 
 
1. Indrani Malkani 
 
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5qpna1hAndA&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_&amp;index=1">This video by Chivas in association with ET Now</a> tells us the story of Indrani Malkani that wil leave you inspired for a llifetime. Born in Calcutta, Malkani worked in Delhi for a brief while before making Mumbai her home and becoming the ‘school bus lady.’ Living right next to a school, she was irritated by the incessant honking of cars before and after school hours. Additionally, she also believed she had a solution to ease traffic and chaos around schools and was the brain behind the school bus policy, nine years before the state formalized it. It is because of her that now school buses have become one of the most safest ways of travel, have first aid boxes and fire-extinguishers. 
 
2. Avijit Dutt 
 
A filmmaker and an actor, Avijit Dutt was asked to make a film on child abuse 20 years ago by UNICEF and NHRC. The film titled ‘Akkar Bakkar,’ which was also shown in the Parliament to hasten the Child Bill, gave birth to the activist in him and he launched Childline. Since then, he has been providing healthcare facilities at the grassroots level. Listen to him in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9lwjhRUe0U&amp;index=14&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">this video by Chivas in association with ET Now</a>. 
 
3. Shashank Mani 
 
Shashank Mani believes that enterprise is the tool that can achieve the mission of development in rural India. He launched ‘Jagriti Yatra,’ which takes 500 yatris through a 15-day long train journey across the length and breadth of the country to understand and build the India of smaller towns and villages through enterprise. Listen to him in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d7PSuGUAya4&amp;index=12&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">video by Chivas in association with ET Now</a>. 
 
4. Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy 
 
A developmental peadritician by porfession, Dr Vibha Krishnamurthy launched ‘Umeed,’ a one-of-akind center to create an integrated family-centred support system for children with developmental disabilties in India. The aim of her organisation is to change the way families and communities understand and care for children with such disabilities. Listen to her in<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6ppJs50Gn0&amp;index=9&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_"> this video by Chivas in association with ET Now.</a> 
 
5. Sumaira Abdulali 
 
Sumaira Abdulalai is an environmentalist and the founder of the NGO, Awaaz Foundation. It is through her organisation that she has proven that noise pollution need not be the side effect of urbanisation and economic progress. By facilitating a transparent citizen-led movement to link urban development and noise regulation, she has taken a different approach to spearhead a movement against the pervasive environmental hazard of noise pollution. Listen to her in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2smh4gTj9gw&amp;index=13&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">video by Chivas in association with ET Now</a>. 
 
6. Jahan Peston Jamas 
 
Jahan Peston Jamas, the man behind ‘The Hemp Revolution in India.’ On a trip that took Jamas and his friends to rural Maharashtra,Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, they were surprised to notice the abundance of the hemp plant and their daily uses. They thus started the Bombay Hemp Company and created a new industry around hemp, beginning with the basic needs of food, clothing and shelter. Listen to him in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH3poHYIQ28&amp;index=11&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">video by Chivas in association with ET No</a>w. 
 
7. Rashmi Tiwari 
 
Rashmi Tiwari has been instrumental in curbing trafficking against women and children through her organisation, Ahaan Tribal Development Foundation. Through her centres, Tiwari educates and empowers tribal girls residing in impoverished parts of the country to beat the very poverty that makes them weak and powerless. Listen to her in t<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rURyTkkZut8&amp;index=7&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">his video by Chivas in association with ETNow.</a> 
 
8. Pranik Naik 
 
Disrupting status quo in education, Pranik Naik founded an organisation called ‘LeapForWord’ that provides English-language training to facilitate job placements for the youth. Naik is thus on a mission to make rural India English literate. Listen to Pranik in this<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChHNo0f2F9c&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_&amp;index=5"> video by Chivas in association with ETNow</a>. 
 
9. Dr Ramakant Panda 
 
Growing up in a small village, Dr Ramakant Panda always believed in giving hope when there is none. It thus seemed apt that years later when he became a successsful cardiac surgeon, he would give back. Panda set up the Asian Heart Institute to raise the bar for medical standards in India for heart care. Listen to Ramakant in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezCsQBgXjrk&amp;index=6&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_">video by Chivas in association with ETNow</a>. 
 
10. Shaheen Mistri 
 
A social acitivist and educator by heart, Shaheen Mistri founded the Akanksha Foundation in 1991 with a simple idea- to educate the thousands of children residing in slums. Today, the Foundation teaches 3,500 children in 58 centres and six schools. Listen to her in this <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD_24WhvJ74&amp;list=PL52yHaqM139xA1ZzhMc1d18Mc-FcPo5W_&amp;index=4">video by Chivas in association with ETNow</a>. 
 
You can know more about these revolutionary crusaders in this video series by 100 Pipers:

The Good Crusaders: 10 Indians leading by example

<ul><li>India celebrates the 187th birth anniversary of educationist <keyword id="1011723" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Savitribai-Phule">Savitribai Phule</keyword> — the country’s first female teacher who also contributed to setting up of over 17 schools in the country. </li><li>In times when only higher castes were permitted to attend schools, she started the school for untouchables — and the first girls school in the country. </li><li>She had set up ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha’ that supported rape victims, pregant women and crack down on female infanticide. </li><li>She passed away on March 10, 1897 after contracting plague.</li></ul>Today, India celebrates the 187th birth anniversary of educationist Savitribai Phule — India’s first female teacher who helped set-up over 17 schools in the country. In 1848, Savitribai along with her husband Jyotirao Phule, founded the first girls' school in Maharashtra — which was unheard of in those times. Three years later, she founded three schools that taught over 150 girls — higher than the number of boys in government schools. In times when only higher castes were permitted into schools, the duo started a school for untouchables as well. She also introduced the concept of regular meetings with parents to push girls for education. In the 1850s, the couple founded two educational trusts — the Native Female School, Pune and the Society for Promoting the Education of Mahars, Mangs — which were later run by Fatima Begum. Begum was Savitribai Phule’s friend and partner in social empowerment — who became the country’s first muslim female teacher, following Phule’s steps. However, these reforms did not go down well with the society and was often abused by conservatives. That turned her into a crusader for social justice as well. The mother of Indian feminism She took many steps forward to aid women, that were much ahead of her time. Her ‘Balhatya Pratibandhak Griha’ supported rape victims and pregnant women in addition to fighting the common practice of female infanticide. Phule is now referred to as ‘the mother of Indian feminism.’ She promoted widow remarriage and tried to abolish child marriage. Phule herself was a victim of child marriage, as she was married at the age of nine. In 1897, she opened a clinic for the victims of pandemic of bubonic plague, along with her son. While helping a young boy suffering from the disease, she was infected. She passed away on March 10, 1897 but not before leaving us with a better India - long before it was independent. 
	<div type="twitter" handle="BiIndia" handlename="Business Insider India🇮🇳" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/897791968561856513/lSAPr7ui_normal.jpg" favoritecount="4" retweetcount="0" status="#WATCH | India celebrates the 187th birth anniversary of educationist #SavitribaiPhule — the country’s first female… https://t.co/jvNXi7h0du" createdat="1578037973000" id="1213005296538275840"></div>



 See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/on-national-education-day-heres-a-look-at-the-recent-reforms-in-india/articleshow/72001598.cms">On National Education Day, here’s a look at the recent reforms in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/lata-mangeshkar-turns-90-and-heres-taking-a-look-at-her-career-of-77-years/articleshow/71339538.cms">‘Daughter of the nation’ Lata Mangeshkar turns 90 and here’s taking a look at her career of 77 years</a>

This 19th century Indian feminist didn't just educate women— she helped rape victims and pregnant women

<keyword id="735954" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="disability-certificates">Disability certificates</keyword> issued by state authorities may soon be valid across the country, according to the draft of Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which has been sent to the Prime Minister's Office for consultation. 
 
"We have made a new provision in the draft Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014 as per which the Disability certificate once issued will be valid all across the country or in any central government office." 
 "In the present act, we do not have a provision like this. So what happens is that if a disability certificate is issued by Uttar Pradesh government, the certificate is not valid in Delhi, or any other state. So if a <keyword id="53486" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Disabled">disabled</keyword> person changes place or gets married and shifts to a different state, he faces difficulty," Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot said today. 
 
He was speaking after inaugurating the 14th national meeting of the meeting of the State Commissioners for Persons with Disabilities . 
 
Gehlot said in the draft bill, the categories of disabilities for which benefits of government schemes are given has been raised from 7 to 19. 
 
The Right of Persons with Disabilities Bill, 2014, which makes accessibility a mandatory requirement under the law, is going to replace the Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. 
 
Gehlot said the government will roll out a web-based unique disability identification ( UDID ) card in the next two months as a pilot project at Ratlam District in Madhya Pradesh. 
 
The initiative will help in a big way in ensuring the authenticity of disability certificates and eliminate the hassle of having to carry certificates for different purposes, as various details, including the type of disability, would be made available online. 
 
The UDID cards will include identity details such as name, address, birth date, parents' or guardian names, mobile number, income status, type of disability, bank details, BPL details, and voter ID details etc in English and a local language. 
 
During the meeting, status of implementation of various provisions of the existing act with focus on education, employment or self-employment, accessible environment, social security etc for persons with disabilities in the states/UTs were reviewed and strategy for more effective implementation of the act was formulated. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

You Searched For "social empowerment" and got 13 results

Budget 2024: Can Lakhpati Didi Yojana’s reality inspire better focus on women?

Ashmita Gupta

Budget: Rs 13,539 cr allocated to social justice department, 37% higher than last year

PTI

A UPenn student started a YouTube channel. In weeks, her face was stolen on China's social media.

Matthew Loh

Union Budget 2022-23: Social Justice and Empowerment Ministry allocated Rs 13,134 cr

PTI

WNBA stars posed for Sports Illustrated's iconic Swimsuit Issue as the brand champions pay equity efforts

Meredith Cash

How small businesses are using marketing techniques to demonstrate their values through social causes

Erica Sweeney

AllBright's CEOs explain how they grew the community of its women-only club tenfold during the pandemic

Grace Dean

International Women's Day: campaigns that stood out

BI India Partner

Women empowerment key focus area of 2012-22 budget: Delhi govt

PTI

2 lakh college students in Punjab drop out due to non-payment of scholarships, says constitutional body

PTI

The Good Crusaders: 10 Indians leading by example

Sponsored BI

This 19th century Indian feminist didn't just educate women— she helped rape victims and pregnant women

Prerna Sindwani

Disability certificates issued by state authorities to be valid across the country soon

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides