Reliance Foundation has announced a commitment of up to $10 million towards the Women in Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), an initiative jointly led by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The WiDEF, which was introduced by US Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2023, seeks to enhance women’s livelihoods, improve economic security, and strengthen resilience by funding and advancing solutions that drive women’s economic empowerment.
The fund’s India operations, supported by Reliance Foundation, USAID, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, are managed by the GSMA Foundation. This contribution from Reliance Foundation will double the available WiDEF funding in India and aligns with the G20 Leaders’ 2023 commitment under India’s presidency to reduce the digital gender gap by 2030.
The fund aims to identify and support effective strategies to close the digital gender divide in India, while also developing knowledge products, disseminating promising practices, and enhancing learning and measurement for grantees across the country.
Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Foundation, emphasized the organization’s commitment to advancing digital inclusion for women:
“We are committed to increasing our efforts to advance digital inclusion to improve women’s livelihoods, economic security and resilience. Through WiDEF, Reliance Foundation will work together to accelerate innovative solutions to empower women through technology in India and also share best practices with other countries to help drive global progress towards this shared vision for a more equitable future.”
In collaboration with USAID, Reliance Foundation has also played a significant role in the WomenConnect Challenge India, a program launched in 2020 to address the gender digital divide for 6 lakh women across the subcontinent. The initiative has selected 17 awardees over two rounds, focusing on solutions that empower women from marginalized communities through digital inclusion and equitable access. These awardees were chosen based on their ability to dismantle barriers and digitally empower women in culturally relevant ways.
USAID/India Acting Mission Director, Dr. Alexandria Huerta, also expressed optimism for the future impact of the partnership:
“Building on our longstanding partnership and impactful results, USAID and Reliance Foundation aim to empower millions of women across India, ensuring that the benefits of the digital economy are accessible to all and fostering a more equitable future.”
This collaboration extends beyond WiDEF, as Reliance Foundation also works with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to support one million women entrepreneurs across India. Additionally, Reliance Foundation, in partnership with Reliance Jio and the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSMA), is rolling out the Digital Skills Program on a national scale. This initiative, under GSMA’s Connected Women Commitment, aims to equip rural women and marginalized communities with digital skills, allowing them to fully leverage digital access.
Through these collective efforts, the partnership is set to not only bridge the gender digital divide but also foster a more inclusive digital economy in India, driving global progress toward digital equity for all.