Unleash the full potential of all women in rural India
Since 2007, Women on Wings has been a catalyst for change, co-creating 395,831 jobs for women in rural India. Our mission aligns with Sustainable Development Goals 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and 10 (Reduced Inequalities). For us, decent work and economic empowerment is a means to reach gender equality. And it is necessary.
The urgency of our work is clear: ‘The world is not on track to achieve gender equality by 2030. At the current rate, it will take 300 years to end child marriage, 286 years to close gaps in legal protection and remove discriminatory laws and 140 years to achieve equal representation in leadership in the workplace.’ (source: United Nations – The Sustainable Development Goals Report 2022)
Our impact: transforming lives in rural India
1,368,000
Children to (a better) school
456,072
Jobs for women co-created
2,280,000
Improved livelihoods
Figures per March 31, 2025
Providing an income for women in rural India creates a ripple effect, improving their immediate well-being through better access to healthcare, nutrition and education. Empowering a woman economically transforms her family’s life, and extends to her entire community. This makes economic sense and is a proven path to breaking the cycle of poverty. (FAO), (UN Women)
Understanding a job and its impact
At Women on Wings, a ‘job’ signifies a predictable relationship with an
enterprise that leads to access to economic improvement, irrespective of the amount.
Job types:
- Salaried jobs: jobholders are often on a company’s payroll and may have benefits
- Part-time jobs: variable pay based on work done, includes seasonal engagement.
- Micro-entrepreneurship: livelihoods that are self managed by a jobholder in terms of hours, production. The company establishes a consistent and economic relationship with the jobholder or micro-entrepreneur directly in exchange for a product/service.
- Affiliate jobs: those who contribute to the activities of an enterprise, but are paid through an intermediary or separate entity that controls the amount and frequency of pay or are paid directly by the consumer or institutions.
The daily or annual income of women in rural India varies across regions, type of work, seasonality in rural businesses and hours of the work of the women. We observe a trend where partners are shifting focus from merely increasing the number of women engaged to consolidating existing participation. The priority is more often on enhancing these women’s income.
Measuring our success: a data-driven approach
Our robust impact measurement model, developed in collaboration with EY and Erasmus University Rotterdam, rigorously evaluates the impact of our consultancy with Indian social enterprises and government institutions.
Beyond quantifiable job growth, we observe intangible yet profound results. Indian social entrepreneurs become more pragmatic, confident, energetic, and satisfied through their interaction with Women on Wings experts. This work also enriches and provides deeper purpose to our Indian and Dutch experts who consult pro bono. Download our detailed mutual impact assessment report here.
Suraj Kuma
IAS officer, former CEO
at JSLPS
