Empowering Rural Women in India: How Coats Cares Skill Development Initiative Has Transformed Lives.
At Coats, we understand the importance of actively engaging with the communities in which we operate. We have a longstanding tradition of making a positive impact on communities, and we continue to uphold this commitment to this day. Coats Cares embodies our relentless commitment to giving back and making a lasting difference. Coats launched the ‘Coats Cares’ programme in late 2022 to deliver responsible business growth by creating long-lasting and impactful value for society. We leverage our global scale, reach, and knowledge to maximise the programme's local impact.
An initiative called Skill Development Centres for Rural Women has recently launched in India. This initiative has had a positive impact on the lives and livelihoods of several rural women by empowering them with skills that can help them earn a living and improve their overall well-being. Skills development is especially crucial for rural women who face several obstacles and challenges in accessing primary education, equal employment opportunities, and entrepreneurship. The unavailability of skill development opportunities further exacerbates their already disadvantaged societal position, significantly limiting their chances to become financially independent and self-reliant. Amid an ever-increasing cost of living and the economic disparity that rural women face, they cannot progress further in society. Being held back because of the lack of skill development opportunities discourages women’s economic initiatives, who are otherwise full of potential and ambition.
Being in the textile Industry and witnessing the industry closely for over 260 years, we observed that even though the textile and apparel industry is huge in India, only some sections of the society have the opportunity to participate and contribute as a workforce in this thriving industry. Notably, rural women's participation was marginal due to the lack of opportunities, partly due to the lack of required skills & competence in rural women from small local communities.
Our skill development programme provided rural women in India with equal opportunities to be financially independent and grow in society, bridging the societal gap. As a part of this initiative, we established two skill development centres, one in Ambasamudram and one in Madurai in Tamil Nadu, India. Our goal is to improve the employability and self-sufficiency of rural women from economically disadvantaged local communities.
Until now, we have successfully trained 622 women from both these skill development centres in Ambasamudram and Madurai and are training an additional 60. We have provided a comprehensive 60-day certificate training programme for Industrial Sewing Machine Operators, which teaches sewing, fabric design and stitching. This aids the rural women participating in the programme to acquire knowledge and abilities that enable them to engage in income-generating activities.
We are extremely proud of our initiative that aims to empower rural women to create small businesses. The hands-on training on industrial sewing machines will not only enable women to become economically independent but will also help them contribute to the economic development of the region. This program plays a crucial role in creating a more inclusive and equitable society where women can access employment opportunities, participate in the workforce, and contribute to the economic growth of their families and communities. The success stories of the women trained under the Coats Care skill development programme make us even more proud. A few of them have also initiated their own small business.
The encouraging results and our desire to continuously do more for society have shaped our vision for 2024 to increase the number of women we support to one thousand by 2024.
Our ‘Coats Cares’ programme is based on the three core pillars: Environment, Education and Well-being. At Coats, we embrace our tradition of caring for the communities in which we work, and this continues today with countless examples of making a positive difference.
Coats Cares, is our way of giving back to society and creating a meaningful impact. Through initiatives like this, we can turn the possibility of women's empowerment into reality, which Coats truly believes in. Coats Cares is the embodiment of giving back to society and creating a positive difference.