Ambuja Cement Foundation (ACF) was invited by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) to showcase its work on Women Empowerment at the G20 Ministerial Conference on Women Empowerment, held in Gandhinagar, Gujarat from 2-4^th August 2023.

ACF showcased its Women Empowerment Model, highlighting the work done by the Sorath Women’s Federation in Kodinar, Gujarat which was facilitated by ACF and also displaying various items made by women-led enterprises from our other key states.

The event was graced by Shri Bhupenderbhai Patel, Chief Minister of Gujarat and Smt. Smriti Irani, Union Cabinet Minister of Women and Child Development, who interacted with the ladies of the Sorath Women Federation and were highly impressed by the work they have done in Kodinar.

ACF has been instrumental in introducing several initiatives that have helped empower women across the State of Gujarat. The Foundation established the Women’s Federation, to protect the interests of rural women. The Women’s Federation, which is now called Sorath Mahila Vikas Samiti, was registered under the Gujarat State Act for Registration of Cooperative Societies of 1962 and received overwhelming participation from SHG’s across the state. Promoting access to water, developing a cadre of women to promote health & education, and providing relevant skill training as an opportunity for women to enhance their leadership skills are some of their interventions. Access to finance and knowledge of running small businesses has also boosted the confidence of many women through the federation.

Until November 2015, the Federation had 344 SHGs, comprising of 4128 members. The Women’s Federation has achieved several milestones in helping members to obtain medical assistance at hospitals, food supply through ration shops, enabling application for identification documents such as AADHAR cards and Atal Pension Yojna (APY) benefits. Till date the federation has also helped in opening 3,000 APY accounts for its members

Women’s Empowerment has been deeply embedded in ACF’s DNA and is interwoven into all its key social development programmes. To date, the Foundation has been instrumental in formating over 400+ Women Self Help Group’s in Gujarat, comprising of 5,000+ active members, spread across 70 villages. Through extensive income generation activities, the foundation has enabled these groups to collectively generate approximately Rs. 176 lakhs. Ambuja Cement Foundation plans to further expand this program by establishing more than 1000 Women Self-help Groups, covering 15000 women across Gujarat.