Greenly unveils unique women empowerment initiative in India

Hyderabad: With the larger goal of ensuring inclusion of women workforce in carpentry trade, Greenply has identified a team of first women carpenters in India. In the endeavour to encourage carpentry work among women in a domain which is dominated by male artisans, Greenply has partnered with Archana Women’s Centre, an NGO based in Kerala that emancipates women from the clutches of societal servitude and empowers them to strike at the roots of poverty and its consequent ills.

In this initiative to encourage more women to break the shackles of – what women can and what women cannot, Mr. Rajesh Mittal, Managing Director – Greenply Industries Limited (GIL) said, “Our partnership with Archana Women’s Centre is to provide expertise in various training programs such as mechanical skill, knowledge about newer techniques and critical thinking skills, which will develop the women workforce to meet all challenges of carpentry. At every phase, we attempt to find ways to empower and include women workforce in our ecosystem, where they can lead the plywood industry forward”.

Women play a pivotal role in Greenply’s business enterprises. The Greenply factory in Tizit employs more than 130 women resources, which is nearly half the workforce. It also works with a network of over 550 female architects across the country.

Talking about partnership, Miss Thresiamma Mathew, Director of Archana Women’s Centre, commented, “Our goal is to dismantle the barriers of gender discrimination prevailing in the technical employment sector, by means of training, empowerment and continued motivational and employment support to women. We train under privileged women in the society and arm them with the weapon of self-reliance and dignity to combat livelihood challenges.”

Archana Women’s Centre has been founded by Miss Thresiamma Mathew and under her leadership 750 women carpenters has been trained and employed. These women carpenters are from the poorest of villages, with basic, or no education and have been trained in carpentry work to enable them to enjoy an inclusive and abundant life.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sanidhya Mittal, Executive Director of Greenply Industries Limited, further added that, “There is a huge opportunity for carpenters of every skill level in India for various woodworking and carpentry services. Through our association we will nurture them and provide vocational training to make them skilled professionals.”