AP emerging as a Model State for Inclusive Development and Women Empowerment

Andhra Pradesh emerging as a Model State for Inclusive Development and Women Empowerment” - Ms Gummidi Sandhya Rani, Hon’ble Minister of Women and Child Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh
 
Ms Gummidi Sandhya Rani, Hon’ble Minister of Women and Child Welfare, Government of Andhra Pradesh, speaking at the session “Gender-Responsive Innovation: Building Inclusive Futures” held on Day 2 of CII Partnership Summit, highlighted the inclusive growth and progress of Andhra Pradesh. She said that the State is advancing at a remarkable pace under the visionary leadership of Chief Minister Hon’ble Chandrababu Naidu. His dynamic vision, she said, breaks the barriers and creates opportunities to empower girls, women, and transgender communities through impactful initiatives such as the Shri Sakthi scheme, among others.
She highlighted that, as India is striving to become a global hub of opportunities, Andhra Pradesh is rising with a transformative momentum, emerging as a model State for development, innovation, social empowerment, and inclusivity, while not only transforming its economy but also earning nationwide admiration. She added that initiatives like DWCRA have empowered over one lakh women to become successful entrepreneurs.
 
Dr Rayapati Sailaja, Chairperson, Andhra Pradesh State Women’s Commission, said that while the women’s commission is a statutory body, it canalso act as policy advisors to be integrated for equal access to AI, robotics, and digital advancements. Gender perspectives need to be integrated into the policies that the Government is bringing up, as the Ministers actively talk about their vision of a pro-women approach, where they look forward to increasing the labor force participation from 45% to almost 80% and to have more women entrepreneurs. .
She highlighted that the women’s commission can be a bridge between the Government and the women workforce, targeting work-from-home opportunities, subsidies, and skill development initiatives to make women a major part of the state’s workforce. .
“Industry-led education, skill development, vocational training, training in the green jobs for Industry 5.0, support to women entrepreneurship, incubators, and business development support for women-led start-ups are required for women in the way-forward”, she added.
 
Ms Sharon Buteau, Executive Director, LEAD at Krea University, noted the importance of innovation in women entrepreneurship based on university studies and evaluations. She tapped into the deep-rooted barriers, such as lesser availability of technologies for women, a foundational gap for participation in e-commerce, no visibility due to a lack of technological learning, and others. She said that AI and digital would be one of the biggest enablers for opportunities and inclusivity for women. More than 70% of women-owned enterprises operate without formal bookkeeping or digital transaction records, so the coming technologies can help alleviate credit risk. . Cross-learning from the women in leadership and support from the Industry, at each step of the journey, can play a major transformative role here.
Ms Mihaela Gjorcheva, Founder and CEO, Kinoverzum, North Macedonia, highlighted the importance of education for inclusion and equality. She said education provides the skills required to move forward. Women shall learn the skills and have the education where they can develop digital skills, management, and other fields of work. Education plays a very big role, and we need to focus on having women in leadership roles who can inspire more participation.
Mr Murali Krishna Gannamani, Chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh and Founder & CEO, Fluentgrid Ltd, moderated the session.