Apollo Tyres and Institut Francais (IFI) Felicitate Women Achievers to Mark Women’s Day

Leading tire manufacturer, Apollo Tyres collaborated with Institut Francais (IFI) to felicitated eight women from across India who were lauded as Change Agents in order to mark Women’s Day 2020. These eight women made significant positive impact in their entire community. In addition to working hard to earn their livelihood and on their own empowerment and livelihood generation, they joined hands with similar women from their own or nearby villages, and generated income opportunities for themselves and other women by forming self-help groups.

The two organizations joined hands to felicitate these women achievers in a specially organized programme held at the Insitut Francais in New Delhi. The event was attended by eminent dignitaries like Dr Bertrand De Hartingh, Counsellor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs & Country Director, Institut Francais, Prakashi Tomar alias ‘Shooter Dadi’ and Aditi Chauhan, Member of Indian National Football Team. This event lauded the acts of courage and determination by ordinary women who happened to play an extraordinary role in their communities, challenged stereotypes, fought biases and broadened perceptions.
Apollo Tyres’ Livelihood and Income Generation Initiative, ‘NAVYA’.

Programme Navya, under Apollo Tyres Foundation, was conceptualized with the goal of generating livelihood and improving the well-being of underprivileged women by providing them with opportunities at their doorstep. In alignment with its name, the program serves as a flight of independence for its participants by taking women towards self-realization, and helping them to embark on new beginnings. This program is being implemented in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu, and aims to improve the socio-economic status of 1 million underprivileged women by 2030.

Apollo Tyres supports the participation of rural women by providing them livelihood opportunities and promoting awareness among women about their gender rights and other social issues that affect their lives, including better rural livelihood and improved social status. Women are provided with training for income generation through farming and non-farming activities. Such activities include training related to vocational skills like tailoring, apiculture, khakhra making, sanitary napkin making, rubber sheet making, mushroom cultivation, pineapple processing, etc. Farm-based trainings include livestock care and management and scientific agriculture practices.

The Change Agents who were felicitated at the program were:
1. Sathy Ranjan, Kerala
2. Lakshmi, Tamil Nadu
3. Geeta R Parmar, Gujarat
4. Meena Dasgude, Maharashtra
5. Sheeja Salam, Kerala
6. Parubai Walke, Maharashtra
7. Geetaben Parmar, Gujarat
8. Kiran Gadhave, Maharashtra