Advocacy for Female Entrepreneurship in India
One of the proud women of the Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) in Howrah, West Bengal. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
This blog is the third in a series of articles describing my experience in Bihar and West Bengal in March 2025, documenting the work of the Center for Catalyzing Change (C3 India) to support women’s development and empowerment. In this article, I focus on their entrepreneurship training program and initiatives to support female entrepreneurship in India.
Several years ago, C3 India conducted a needs assessment to define the level of women’s empowerment in West Bengal, India. This survey confirmed stark gender disparities and rampant incidence of child marriage and domestic abuse.
Seeking to make a significant impact to eradicate these issues, C3 India partnered with Amazon to support women’s economic empowerment through entrepreneur training in Howrah, West Bengal. These skills are allowing female entrepreneurs of India to have the confidence and capacity to achieve financial independence, greater agency, and to stand up to cases of abuse.
Empowering Women Through Entrepreneurship in West Bengal
A member of the Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) watches over the boutique that sells the crafts and garments they have manufactured. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
One of the first things that C3 India pursued in this program was skill development. These initiatives were designed to equip women with the necessary tools and knowledge to excel in select industries.
In addition to supporting the development of specific entrepreneurial skills, these workshops for female entrepreneurs cover topics such as financial literacy, marketing strategies, and business management. By enhancing their skill sets, women in India become inspired, more competitive and more likely to develop into capable entrepreneurs.
Understanding that networking is another critical factor to sucess, providing a framework for this networking is a key pillar of C3 India's strategy. By creating a supportive community comprised of self-help groups (SHG) and larger Village Level Organizations (VLO), C3 India not only fosters collaboration but also builds confidence among women, enabling them to share experiences, challenges, and solutions that illustrates that they are not alone in their entrepreneurial journey.
Even though the partnership with Amazon has ended, the VLO and self-help groups have not only survived but remain vibrant.
In addition to the initial work to inspire and support female entrepreneurs to make clothing and costume jewelry and the manufacture of sanitary pads, they have since expanded to mushroom cultivation, expanded boutique outlets, and food catering services. This has helped these women further diversify and enhance their ability for self-sufficiency.
Helping Women in Business Thrive
One of the most fun experiences I had in West Bengal was my visit to the Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) sponsored by C3 India. This spirited group of almost a dozen women were excited to share their stories of work and independence.
We did our best to communicate through our interpreter, and they implored me to learn Bengali before my next visit so we could talk in greater depth. After some time chatting and observing their activities, they were delighted to be photographed at work in their center. That was followed by almosy 2 more hours of making selfies, singing and then some shopping.
I hope that these female entrepreneurs will benefit from the work being done to highlight the great things they are doing for themselves, their families and their communities at large.
Without a doubt, empowering women entrepreneurs and supporting female entrepreneurship in India fuels growth in the communities and inspires future generations of girls and women to innovate and lead.
Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) in Howrah, West Bengal engages in a range of entrepenural activitiies including handicrafts, garment production, mushroom cultivation and food catering. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
Inspiring the Next Generation of Indian Female Entrepreneurs
Young women participate in an Entrepeneur Awareness program at the newly established Shakti Slaah Kendra (Feminine Power Advice Center) in Muzaffarpur. Bihar. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, Bihar, India 2025
As part of a comprehensive efforts to inspire future generation of female entrepreneurs, C3 is also working with the local governments in Bihar to train staff to deliver training to your girls and women on the skills needed to engage in entrepreneurship. While I was in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, I witnessed the ribbon cutting for the Shakti Slaah Kendra, which translates to Power Advice Center. In Hindi mythology, Shakti is power, and it is described as feminine, so the name of the Center makes sense. The purpose of the program is to provide a resource for girls and women to access government resources and programs to encourage and assist them in their pursuit of education and careers. One component of the program are traning programs for girls and young women to learn the skills needed to be sucessful entrepreneurs.
Madhumita Kanji: A Profile of Leadership
Madhumita Kanji is a 43-year-old resident of Kulgachia village in Howrah, West Bengal where she lives happily with her husband and two children.
I was told that ever since she was very young, Madhumita has always been outspoken and intolerant of injustice. As she was growing up, unfortunately, she witnessed firsthand the mistreatment of female relatives at the hands of abusive husbands. Through this experience, she dedicated herself to being of service to women enduring such hardships.
Madhumita Kanji is the leader of the Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) in Howrah, West Bengal where she works tirelessly to advance the development of women’s skills to enable agency and self-reliance. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
This exposure also fueled her dream to stand on her own feet and work for the empowerment of herself and other women. Madhumita wants to ensure that every woman can make her own choices and be recognized for her abilities. She has long held the belief that women should have their own identity and should not have to depend on others for dignity or financial stability.
During one of the early C3 India awareness campaigns that began during the COVID pandemic, Madhumita connected with the C3 India team and was eager to join the entrepreneurial skill training programs and join the new Village Level Organization (VLO). It wasn’t long before Madhumita was recognized for her exceptional leadership skills and was selected as the leader of the VLO, which she remains today.
She continues to work tirelessly to ensure that all women have opportunities to learn skills to become self-reliant. As a result of the efforts of Madhumita and other women like her, the program to advance women’s empowerment in West Bengal continues to grow and make increasing levels of impact across her community.
Expanding Economic Opportunity for Women in West Bengal
The Village Level Organization led by Madhumita has successfully developed a range of handcrafted products that they sell not only in their boutique but wholesale to other shops as well. A good number of these goods are manufactured entirely from upcycled materials, representing yet another benefit of their work. This initiative not only showcases the artisans' skills but also provides a sustainable income source.
In addition to clothing and craft production, the VLO has expanded its entrepreneurial efforts by introducing mushroom cultivation, which diversifies local agriculture and enhances food security. Recently, they have added food catering services to their endeavors.
Having had the opportunity to eat their food for our lunch, I can personally attest to the deliciousness of their authentic local cuisine. All together, these inclusive and innovative initiatives not only foster significant economic development but also serve to empower local individuals and strengthen community bonds in deeply meaningful and impactful ways.
The Chandipur Alor Disha VLO produces clothing and various crafts for sale in their own boutiques and to other shops. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
Indian Women Challenging Taboos around Menstruation
The Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) in Howrah manufactures and distributes sanitary pads. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
In India, menstruation has long been surrounded by taboos and myths rooted in religious and cultural beliefs. These stigmatized norms not only lead to shame and secrecy but can also result in tangible health risks as a result of poor menstrual hygiene practices, as well as delayed diagnosis of female reproductive health diseases.
Menstruating women are frequently deemed to be impure, restricting their participation in rituals and social interactions. Myths suggest negative consequences for women engaging in activities such as cooking or touching others, which all contribute to a culture of silence, which can directly affect a woman’s self-esteem. Many women isolate, resulting in further psychological and emotional distress.
As a further example of how female entrepreneurship in India is being encouraged, ready access to sanitary pads is contributing to the breaking down of menstruation taboos and empowering women. This promotes hygiene and encourages open discussions on female health, allowing women to engage confidently in daily life.
As part of the program supported by the partnership between C3 India and Amazon, the VLO began to manufacture and sell sanitary pads, which provide the societal value of breaking taboos but also represent an additional source of revenue for the VLO.
Ajanta Boyal, Uma Adhikary, Tutu Rani Hazra, Tutun Adhikary, Sokhi Pramanick, Madhunita Kanji, Shrabanti Pramanick, Doli Mondal, Sharmistra Bar, Shampa Bar, Riya Guchaitt (not in order) are proud members of the Chandipur Alor Disha Village Level Organization (VLO) in Howrah, West Bengal. Photograph: ©Steven Wade Adams, West Bengal, India 2025
If you enjoyed this, you may also like my earlier article in this series dedicated to feminism in India.
Subscribe to my newsletter and be among the first to next upcoming article in this powerful 4-part series exploring feminism and female empowerment in India. My first articles explored some of the barriers to female empowerment in India as well as the role of education in advancing the agency and empowerment of girls.
In my next article, I will explore the critical role of women’s empowerment in the delivery of health care and document my visit to health care facilities in rural Bihar.