CII signs MoU with S-ILF and commits industry action to support persons affected by leprosy
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) signs an MoU with Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation(S-ILF) to drive industry action to end leprosy in India and fight the stigma attached to it. The partnership was formalised on Anti Leprosy Day in the presence of Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare and Dr Rajiv Kumar, Vice Chairman, NITI Aayog.
Signing the MoU in its milestone 125th year, CII commits to drive proactive initiatives towards Awareness, Advocacy, and Economic integration of the leprosy affected community, bringing in the strength of the Indian industry to create positive change in the community. CII will also engage and advocate for industry action towards the upliftment of the leprosy affected community through sensitization, skilling and livelihood programs, and collaborative projects through CSR.
Dr Harsh Vardhan, Hon’ble Minister of Health & Family Welfare said, “CII has been working relentlessly in various verticals addressing social development challenges and today they officially join the movement to uplift the leprosy affected community.”
Chandrajit Banerjee, Director General, CII, said “CII is committed to leverage its touchpoints in the industry fraternity and work towards sensitizing and educating shop level workforce on the issue. CII will also work towards integrating the youth impacted and affected by leprosy into CII skilling programs to make them employable and financially independent.”
“Discrimination against people affected by leprosy has no place in the society. We look forward to the Indian industry’s support in our endeavour to mainstream the leprosy affected community.” said Yohei Sasakawa, Patron, S-ILF & Chairman of The Nippon Foundation.
“It is imperative that we work towards social and economic empowerment of persons affected by leprosy in order to improve their prospects for a better life”, said Tarun Das, Chairman, S-ILF
About Confederation of India Industry (CII)
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) works to create and sustain an environment conducive to the development of India, partnering industry, Government, and civil society, through advisory and consultative processes.
CII is a non-government, not-for-profit, industry-led and industry-managed organization, playing a proactive role in India’s development process. Founded in 1895 and celebrating 125 years in 2020, India’s premier business association has more than 9100 members, from the private as well as public sectors, including SMEs and MNCs, and an indirect membership of over 300,000 enterprises from 291 national and regional sectoral industry bodies.
CII charts change by working closely with Government on policy issues, interfacing with thought leaders, and enhancing efficiency, competitiveness and business opportunities for industry through a range of specialized services and strategic global linkages. It also provides a platform for consensus-building and networking on key issues.
Extending its agenda beyond business, CII assists industry to identify and execute corporate citizenship programmes. Partnerships with civil society organizations carry forward corporate initiatives for integrated and inclusive development across diverse domains including affirmative action, healthcare, education, livelihood, diversity management, skill development, empowerment of women, and water, to name a few.
India is now set to become a US$ 5 trillion economy in the next five years and Indian industry will remain the principal growth engine for achieving this target. With the theme for 2019-20 as ‘Competitiveness of India Inc – India@75: Forging Ahead’, CII will focus on five priority areas which would enable the country to stay on a solid growth track. These are – employment generation, rural-urban connect, energy security, environmental sustainability and governance.
With 68 offices, including 9 Centres of Excellence, in India, and 11 overseas offices in Australia, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Indonesia, Singapore, South Africa, UAE, UK, and USA, as well as institutional partnerships with 394 counterpart organizations in 133 countries, CII serves as a reference point for Indian industry and the international business community.
About Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF)
Instituted in November 2006, Sasakawa-India Leprosy Foundation (S-ILF) works towards mainstreaming persons affected by leprosy and their families through socio-economic empowerment, thereby fighting stigma and restoring dignity. Its areas of focus are:
Providing technical support and micro grants for setting up micro enterprises for self-employment.
Providing access to vocational training and higher education.
Building capacity and training in livelihood activities for self and wage employment.
Empowering persons affected by leprosy to access Government welfare schemes so that they can move out of demeaning dependence on alms and donations.
Raising awareness about leprosy among all sections of society to fight the stigma.
Engaging with opinion and policy makers for the rights and inclusion of persons affected by leprosy.