How Dr. Kalpana Sankar's work influenced Women's Empowerment in India

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Dr Kalpana Sankar is a remarkable nuclear physicist turned social entrepreneur who co-founded Hand in Hand India, an international NGO focused on empowering marginalised women, fighting child labour, promoting education, healthcare, climate action, and job creation. With a PhD in nuclear physics and advanced business education, she transitioned from a privileged government job to grassroots social development in Tamil Nadu starting in 2004. Despite initial resistance from local communities,

She successfully tackled child labour in silk-weaving looms by addressing poverty through financial independence for women. She pioneered the formation of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) that provided women in rural India with small loans, literacy programs, and entrepreneurial training. These initiatives created 1.5 million jobs and helped millions of women become self-reliant, significantly reducing child labour and improving education access. Her work earned her prestigious honours such as the Nari Shakti Puraskar, the Bal Kalyan Puraskar, and a Global Award for Women Empowerment from the UN and Bahrain.

Dr Sankar also leads Belstar Microfinance Ltd., further driving rural financial inclusion and sustainable livelihoods. Her inspiring autobiography, "The Scientist Entrepreneur: Empowering Millions of Women," details her journey from science to social impact, highlighting the challenges and successes she encountered as a woman leader transforming rural lives

Key milestones in Dr Kalpana Sankar's career and impact include: Earning a PhD in nuclear physics and initially working in scientific research before shifting focus to social service, motivated by exposure to poverty and suffering during her roles at the Indian Red Cross and Women’s Voluntary Service. Joining the Tamil Nadu Women’s Development Corporation and contributing to the Tamil Nadu Poverty Reduction Project, she gained crucial policy and rural development experience.

Co-founding Hand in Hand India in 2004, with an ambitious goal to create 1.3 million jobs for women living below the poverty line, a milestone achieved by 2010 and expanded to nearly 10 million jobs since then, transforming rural communities through Self-Help Groups, microenterprises, and child labour elimination programs and acquiring Belstar Microfinance in 2008 to ensure sustainable financial inclusion for economically weaker women in India, growing it into a major NBFC-MFI supporting entrepreneurship in 8 Indian states.

She has received prestigious awards such as the Nari Shakti Puraskar (2016), Bal Kalyan Puraskar, Lifetime Achievement Award in Financial Inclusion (2023), and the Global Award for Women Empowerment (2019) for her groundbreaking work in women's empowerment and rural socio-economic development .P ublishing impactful works and an upcoming memoir ("The Scientist Entrepreneur") that documents her journey from science to social entrepreneurship and the challenges she overcame leading a large-scale impact movement. Throughout her career, Dr Sankar has combined scientific rigour with grassroots organising, pioneering innovative models for job creation, financial inclusion, and community empowerment, leaving an indelible mark on rural India and inspiring global social change efforts

Dr Kalpana Sankar's work has profoundly influenced women's empowerment in India by creating economic independence and social change among marginalised rural women. She pioneered the model of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) through Hand in Hand India, which enabled women to access microcredit, literacy programs, and skills training.

This model helped millions escape poverty and child labour by generating sustainable livelihoods. Her work empowered women to become entrepreneurs, leaders within their communities, and decision-makers in household and social spheres. She addressed systemic barriers by linking financial inclusion with education, healthcare, and local leadership, fostering holistic empowerment. By transforming traditional gender roles and elevating women's status, her initiatives set a replicable example of grassroots empowerment impacting millions. The success of her model demonstrated how empowering women economically catalyses social progress and gender equality in India

Dr Kalpana Sankar’s major contributions to social entrepreneurship revolve around pioneering innovative, scalable models of poverty alleviation and women’s empowerment through integrated community development. She co-founded Hand in Hand India in 2004, focusing on a five-pillar approach combining child labour elimination, self-help groups (SHGs), microfinance, skill development, healthcare, and environmental sustainability.

Her vision made women financially independent by forming thousands of SHGs that provided microloans, entrepreneurial training, and literacy programs, enabling millions to start microenterprises like tailoring, bakery, and mobile repair shops. This approach not only lifted women out of poverty but also eradicated child labour by breaking the poverty cycle.

Dr Sankar also founded Belstar Microfinance Ltd to ensure financial inclusion for marginalised women, providing sustainable access to credit and insurance, and mitigating debt risks. Under her leadership, Hand in Hand India created over 1.5 million jobs and transformed entire rural communities, impacting millions across India and internationally.

Her effective multi-stakeholder collaboration, community trust-building, and emphasis on economic independence and education are hallmarks of her social entrepreneurship legacy. She has also influenced international development through consulting roles and advocating for integrated social impact models. Her work earned prestigious awards like the Nari Shakti Puraskar and the Global Award for Women’s Empowerment, underscoring her transformative impact in social entrepreneurship