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Training of Trainers Workshop for Young Women Entrepreneurs: Focusing on Knowledge Based and Creative Industries

10 December 2007

This was the first ever initiative of the CYP Asia Centre involving young women from the Commonwealth Asian countries

The twenty first century has seen many shifts in the world order and in power equations especially in regard to the gender issue. Women have started assuming greater responsibilities in contributing to their respective countries’ economic growth.

The Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) Asia Centre in partnership with the Consortium of Women Entrepreneurs of India (CWEI) organised a ten-day long training of trainers’ workshop for young women entrepreneurs, focusing on knowledge based and creative industries from 17 - 27 of November 2007, in recognition of the growing stature of women entrepreneurs.

The workshop was inaugurated by Mr. Rajiva Srivastava, former Secretary in the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. In his speech, Mr. Srivastava emphasised on the need for women to become economically independent and self-reliant for their own growth and that of the society in general.

Mr. Raj K Mishra, Regional Director, CYP Asia Centre and Ms. Shashi Singh, Chairperson CWEI welcomed the participants and hoped that the training programme would equip them with the necessary skills and aptitude in becoming able trainers and in running successful business enterprises.

The workshop’s main objectives were to impart greater knowledge and skills to budding young women entrepreneurs from Commonwealth Asian countries and to establish mutually beneficial partnerships and networks among the participants wherein they could share knowledge and experiences as well as voice their concerns.

The training programme also facilitated learning and motivation among the seventeen trainees through their interaction with successful and established women entrepreneurs, leading to the development of a cadre of trained women entrepreneurs in each of the seven Asian Commonwealth participating countries.

The training programme was designed to give the participants practical, hands on experience along with theoretical knowledge. The programme was organised to coincide with the India International Trade Fair (IITF), one of the biggest fairs of its kind in the world in order to expose the participants to emerging new areas of manufacturing and service industries. Some of the other activities included hands-on training at the National Small Council of Industries, Saltee Fashion Designing Enterprise, National Institute for Entrepreneurship and Business Development, Khadi & Village Industries Corporation, JD’s Institute of Jewellery Designing, National Institute of Fashion Technology, Shehnaz’s Herbal Factory and Dilli Haat. The participants interacted with the faculty members and established entrepreneurs of the above mentioned enterprises.

Some of the technical sessions that were conducted on various subjects included leadership skills, capacity building on micro enterprises, innovative technologies and new project ideas, competitive market strategy, travel and tourism etc.

The workshop successfully addressed the issues of youth unemployment, particularly among women, their social and economic empowerment, through self employment, training young women in entrepreneurship to be self reliant and autonomous and in creating better awareness among women with respect to self-employment as a career option.

The end-result of the programme was the formulation of an Action Plan which was put forward by the participants based on their experiences in the workshop and their knowledge with respect to their country situation.

This was the first ever initiative of the CYP Asia Centre involving young women from the Commonwealth Asian countries and, judging by the response of the participants, was a great success.