Mumbai: In an effort to bridge the gender digital divide in India, Reliance Foundation has pledged up to $10 million to the Women in Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a collaborative initiative involving the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF).

WiDEF, launched by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2023, aims to empower women by improving their livelihoods, enhancing economic security, and strengthening resilience through technological inclusion. The fund will focus on identifying and advancing solutions that promote women's economic empowerment. In India, WiDEF is jointly managed by USAID, BMGF, and Reliance Foundation, with the GSMA Foundation overseeing the programme. The initiative is aligned with the 2023 G20 commitment to halve the gender digital gap by 2030.

Reliance Foundation’s contribution will significantly boost WiDEF’s impact in India, doubling the fund’s available resources and expanding efforts to close the digital divide. The foundation will also contribute to knowledge-sharing efforts by creating and distributing learning tools and best practices, as well as supporting measurement and evaluation of grantees across India.

Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Foundation, emphasized the significance of this initiative in promoting global digital equality. She stated that the partnership is part of the foundation’s commitment to digital inclusion, which aims to improve the economic security and resilience of women. By leveraging technology, Reliance Foundation aims to foster innovative solutions that will not only empower women in India but also contribute to global efforts toward a more equitable future.

USAID’s Acting Mission Director in India, Alexandria Huerta, underscored the importance of closing the gender digital divide for achieving broader development goals. USAID’s partnership with Reliance Foundation through WiDEF is expected to advance women’s economic empowerment across India. Building on previous collaborations such as the WomenConnect Challenge India, the two organisations are working towards creating inclusive technological solutions that enable women to fully participate in the digital economy.

The partnership also builds upon Reliance Foundation and USAID’s earlier collaboration through the WomenConnect Challenge India, which was launched in 2020 to address the digital gender divide for over 600,000 women. This initiative has already selected 17 awardees, focused on dismantling barriers and providing equitable digital access to women, particularly in marginalised communities.

Beyond WiDEF, Reliance Foundation is also collaborating with BMGF to support one million women entrepreneurs across India. The foundation, along with Reliance Jio and GSMA, is spearheading the national rollout of the Digital Skills Program, which provides rural women and marginalised individuals with essential digital skills training.

Globally, USAID is committed to advancing women’s digital inclusion, having applied lessons from India to other South Asian countries. The South Asia Regional Digital Initiative has empowered over 16,000 women entrepreneurs with digital skills, helping them grow and sustain their businesses.

Since its launch, WiDEF has gained strong backing from various partners, including governments, private sector entities, and civil society organisations. Collectively, the initiative has secured over $1.01 billion in commitments aimed at accelerating gender digital equality across the globe. /BI