Womaniya Initiative: Empowering Over 2 Lakh Women-Led MSEs in Public Procurement

Key facts

• The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) celebrated seven years of its Womaniya initiative, a program aimed at bolstering the participation of women-led Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in public procurement.
• According to the Ministry of Commerce & Industry (MoCI), over two lakh women-led MSEs are registered on the GeM portal.
• Since its launch on January 14, 2019, these enterprises have secured public procurement orders over Rs 80,000 crore, accounting for 4.7% of the total order value on GeM.
• The initiative provides a transparent, digital interface, reducing entry hurdles and eliminating intermediaries to foster gender-inclusive economic growth.
• A new partnership with the Women's Collective Forum aims to enhance support for women entrepreneurs and improve market access.