While we celebrate India’s rapid socio-economic growth, it is pertinent that stories of millions of women are given their due credit for the country’s overall upliftment. Women across India are rewriting their destinies through determination, skill building and financial agency. Anusaya, from the Katkari Tribal Community in Maharashtra, is one such woman. Her story mirrors the untold journeys of many women who have achieved financial independence through digital training and financial literacy.
One of the biggest challenges for women, especially dependent women, is that they are left helpless in varied circumstances. If they are unable to contribute to the household income, they do not have sufficient agency to take financial decisions or plan for the future. Also, if an untoward incident happens, where they are required to earn: they are left helpless due to a lack of skills, and experience. However, there are unlimited possibilities for these women through targeted interventions. Anusaya’s story is one such story filled with hope for the future.
Anusaya grew up in a marginalized migrant community, where girls rarely go to school. Migrant life means constant movement and no access to education, especially in rural and peri-urban areas. As a consequence, women face exploitation, early marriages and limited access to opportunities.
Anusaya was no exception. Forced to drop out of school early, she was married young and settled in Sutarwadi, Pune, with her husband and two sons. When her husband, her family’s sole breadwinner, died in a workplace accident, she was left shattered and financially stranded. With no support and two young boys to raise, Anusaya took a job as a peon in a local Balewadi school. It wasn’t enough, but it was all she had.
When she came across the HCCB Career Development Centre run by NIIT Foundation in Pirangut, she saw it as a means to secure stable employment. The Centre Manager, recognized her determination and willingness and sponsored the cost of the course.
Despite the weight of work and household responsibilities, Anusaya committed herself to the digital literacy program. She learned how to operate a computer, use audiovisual tools, work with software, and gain basic digital and financial knowledge.
On completing the course, Anusaya landed a government job as a Data Entry Operator at the Gram Panchayat. This position gave her independence, respect, and the ability to secure a better future for her children.
Anusaya’s journey is not an isolated case. There is a larger movement of women across India who are achieving their dreams through education, skills and independence.
