124 Rural Women Entrepreneurs Created Across Pune and Raigad under YWFP
Hiware (Pune), 23rd July 2025: The Young Women Fellowship Programme (YWFP) by Magic Bus India Foundation has emerged as a powerful model for rural women-led development. Implemented across Pune and Raigad districts since November 2023, the programme has enabled 124 young women to become first-generation entrepreneurs, with Hiware village near Saswad Taluka in Pune showcasing the most inspiring transformation.
Focused on building critical life skills, leadership, and entrepreneurial skills, the programme has not only enhanced financial independence among women but also sparked social and community impact at the grassroots level.
Hiware Village: A Beacon of Community-Driven Women’s Empowerment
In the second year of the programme, 17 young women entrepreneurs from Hiware village launched successful enterprises, including tailoring units, dairy collectives, vegetable stalls, beauty parlours, grocery stores, and hardware shops. These women, many of whom are 12th pass or graduates, are role models in their communities.
Key Highlights from YWFP in Hiware:
- Women are now contributing consistently to household income
- Organizing and participating in Panchayat-driven skill training programmes (aari work, jewellery making, digital literacy)
- Addressing local issues like water scarcity, garbage disposal, street lighting, and school renovations.
- Community engagement saw a 45% increase, and women demonstrated decision-making abilities on issues ranging from family nutrition to asset management and voting to children’s education.
YWFP’s Statewide Impact – Building Women Entrepreneurs and Leaders
Across Pune and Raigad districts of Maharashtra, the programme has made a measurable difference that include:
- 124 women entrepreneurs created over 2 years
- 94% of first cohort are now financially independent (82% run businesses; 12% are employed)
- Average monthly income of Rs. 9,500 with over half earning more than Rs. 4,000 in profits
- Rs. 6 lakhs raised via Self Help Groups (SHGs) and families for business capital
- Leadership milestones like a fellow becoming Deputy Sarpanch in Khopoli
- Community development activities include five health camps, civic improvements (roads, streetlights, CCTV), and self-run training centres.
Beyond Income: Agency, Identity, and Leadership
YWFP has fostered agency building, with young women confidently making decisions regarding personal assets, nutrition, voting, and even marriage decisions for their children. Their confidence is matched by impact, with women influencing Gram Panchayat decisions and leading collective actions to solve village issues.
Identity creation is another key outcome. Young women are emerging as local champions, launching unique businesses like jaggery cookies and moringa powder, and showcasing their ventures at business exhibitions.
Their sense of social responsibility is evident through actions such as collectively renovating nursery schools using stipend money, establishing resource centres in villages like Apti and Pargaon, and organizing skill courses for other women in their communities.
Young women under YWFP are reshaping their roles within homes, communities, and local governance structures, breaking gender stereotypes and earning recognition from male Panchayat members for their leadership and problem-solving abilities. The programme is a testament of bridging the FLFPR gap as stated Magic Bus and Bain & Company report released last year, by empowering more young women to enter the workforce.
