Rebeca Grynspan Visits SWAAYAM: A Breakthrough Women’s Empowerment Initiative of UNDP & IKEA Foundation

13 October 2012

image Photo: UNDP India

During her visit to India, UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator Rebeca Grynspan visited Uttar Pradesh to witness the work of Swaayam, a UNDP-IKEA Foundation partnership, being implemented since 2009. She also observed interactions between the woman village chief, village council, government officials and women citizens at a special village council meeting on 14 October 2012 in Pasiyahi Khurd village in Jaunpur district. At close of the meeting, Ms Grynspan addressed the gathering and highlighted that equal participation of both women and men in decision making and leadership was critical for sustained development.

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On 13 October 2012, Ms Grynspan inaugurated the Swaayam marketplace (Buyer-Seller marketplace) ‘Building market bridges for women producers’ in Varanasi. Several women, who received training as part of the UNDP-IKEA Foundation partnership Swaayam, displayed their hand-made products such as pappadums, incense sticks, fabrics, carpets, etc at the marketplace.

UNDP-IKEA Foundation partnership Swayaam is helping 50,000 women across eastern Uttar Pradesh enhance incomes and effectively participate in and contribute to decision-making in domestic and public spheres. The partnership is now being scaled up to reach out to 2.2 million women and their families, taking this integrated women’s empowerment model to four more states.

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Our Leadership
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About Rebeca Grynspan

Rebeca Grynspan was appointed by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the position of UN Under-Secretary-General and UNDP Associate Administrator effective 1 February, 2010. Before joining the United Nations, Ms. Grynspan was elected Vice-President of Costa Rica from 1994 to 1998.

UNDP IN INDIA: SENIOR MANAGEMENT
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Rebeca Grynspan Visits to SWAAYAM: A Breakthrough Women’s Empowerment Initiative of UNDP & IKEA Foundation

Projects and Initiatives
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Strengthening Women's Social, Economic and Political Empowerment in Jaunpur, Mirzapur and Sant Ravidas Nagar of Uttar Pradesh - Swaayam

In partnership with the IKEA Foundation, the project aims to empower women through an integrated approach that enhances the incomes of women and helps them contribute effectively to decision making in the domestic and public spheres by 2013.

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