USAID and Mastercard partnership fosters digital empowerment of women
Project Kirana is a business development and digital financial literacy program for women entrepreneurs that focus on increasing revenue streams, expanding financial inclusion, and enabling the adoption of digital payments and other digital tools by women-owned-and-operated Kirana shops.
On a joint visit to Lucknow, officials from U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Mastercard, visited Kirana shops, a small convenience store operated by women entrepreneurs to learn how USAID and Mastercard’s support through Project Kirana has empowered women to grow their businesses and enhance livelihoods.
USAID’s Mission Director to India and Minister Counselor for International Development, Veena Reddy, and Executive Vice President, Sustainability and Founder and President, Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, Shamina Singh, visited the Kirana shops.
Only 9% of India’s 16 mil. retail stores are owned by women. Women businesses also lack access to digital & financial tools & services to grow. @USAID partners with @Mastercard to address this inequity, benefiting 2,000+ women since Nov. 2020. Learn more: https://t.co/qqBxwMegeL
— USAID India (@usaid_india) March 17, 2022