It’s deplorable that the discrimination against women in the labour force is still very much prevalent. In certain industries such as logistics and transportation, the difference in gender representation is so huge that it surpasses any statistic that could indicate a trend of improvement.
Logistics and transportation industry has traditionally been associated with masculinity and physical strength and is very much a male-dominated sector. However, with the recent influx of technologies like automation and robotics within the sector, is reducing the entry barriers for women seeking to set foot in this industry.
Recently, Safeducate, India’s largest training, skilling and consulting firm that specializes in the domains of Supply Chain Management & Logistics, has announced the launch of “Safepreneurs”, an initiative to promote women entrepreneurs.
The company has identified five women drivers in the Logistics & Supply Chain sector, with entrepreneurial aspirations, and aims to facilitate their entrepreneurial journey by providing requisite training over a course of time and offering them ownership of vehicle post completion of the training stage.
Fulfilling Entrepreneurial Goals
Under this programme, each selected woman driver will be given an opportunity to fulfil their entrepreneurial goals. The minimum eligibility criteria for this programme was that the participant should be well-trained in driving, possess a valid license and should know the local language of the area they are going to be driving in.
Under the Safepreneur initiative, these five women will be provided with a truck or carry a vehicle against a minimal security deposit. The company will be responsible for training them in driving skills and with latest applications; providing business support, and giving those commissions on achieving certain targets.
After a period of five years, the truck will be transferred in each of these women’s names, who can then opt to continue the business on their own terms. Safeducate will also provide a new truck to the women after completion of five years of association with the company.
Skilling the women
Safeducate is focused on the upskilling and reskilling of people in India to help them gain professional expertise in the Supply Chain Management and Logistics sector. The company is working towards bridging the employability gap and helping talent maximise their skills.
Speaking on this powerful initiative for women, Divya Jain, Founder and CEO, Safeducate said, “It is our constant endeavour to help the Indian workforce up skill to its full potential. With Safepreneurs, we are proud to push forward the ‘Girl Power’ narrative and give these women entrepreneurs a great platform to start off with.
We will support them throughout the programme with whatever they need to take their business forward and help them gain the skills they need for the industry. Having the vehicle to themselves at the end of the program, too, will help these women entrepreneurs sustain their businesses in the long run and lead their lives independently.”