Launch of project PROGRESS: Promoting Resilience Of Gender through Rural Entrepreneurship across Bamboo Value Chain in Chamarajanagar district, Karnataka

Chamarajnagar, 16 June 2022- Industree Foundation (Industree) in partnership with BNP Paribas has launched the ‘PROGRESS’ (Promoting Resilience Of Gender through Rural Entrepreneurship) project. The project aims to impact 400 beneficiaries and indirectly impact around 3200 people in Martalli and Rampura in Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka in the Bamboo Value Chain. The initiative also supports realising a milestone by creating green & sustainable livelihoods for rural women in Karnataka and providing inclusion opportunities for socially and economically marginalized women/youth amongst rural tribal communities.

Industree that has been working relentlessly to increase economic opportunities for women through the sustainable use of natural resources in the Bamboo value chain in Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka. There are several areas of alignment between what this project seeks to achieve and BNP Paribas’ own principles revolving around sustainability. BNP Paribas’ CSR mission targets two key areas that Industree actively works in. The first is towards promoting social & professional inclusiveness; financial literacy and skilling programs for women. The second target area is working towards the climate change challenge and associated environmental issues.

Aymar de Liedekerke Beaufort, Head of Territory & Head of Corporate and Institutional Banking (CIB), BNP Paribas India highlighted “Our CSR policy is rooted in 4 pillars that covers economic growth priorities, inclusion of vulnerable population and preserving resources. We are partnering with NGOs like Industree to promote sustainable social and economic development in the communities we operate.”

Manisha Khosla Sinha, Head of CSR, Brand & Communications, BNP Paribas India said “It is important to create an enabling eco-system for marginalised women to build sustainable livelihoods. NGOs like Industree provide holistic support to such women by transferring greater ownership, which not only benefits the women individually but their families and communities collectively.

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Akila Lean, Director, Partnerships and Communications, Industree Foundation said “’Industree Foundation’s partnership with BNP Paribas is a key to creating livelihood opportunities that are green and sustainable, impacting 400 women producers directly in the Bamboo value chain in Martalli and Rampura. The initiative will help bring about remarkable impacts for our women producers by supporting their product-making skill sets and develop themselves as micro-entrepreneurs.”

The project PROGRESS is set to empower women both economically and socially through the establishment of producer-owned companies and generate gainful employment especially with women producers and upskill them to create bamboo products. It is also poised to create a positive impact in creating sustainable livelihoods in the creative manufacturing sector and ensure that women have access to regular incomes, decent and equitable working conditions, and the ability to cope with life crises.

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