Thank you for joining! Got anything else that concerns you? You can ask questions to Davos participants via #sharedfutures on Twitter, or by submitting a video here: https://t.co/O96j5SnRxP”
How do the rural women successfully manage running their business as well as managing their kids and home? Seems to be a troublesome issue for urban educated women as well.
I guess time-management could be the answer, coupled with some help from either a full-time maid or a child care center which is becoming very common these days.
Hello ImpatientOptimist47, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
My question to you is that what made you incline towards making the issue of other women your life cause, especially when even otherwise you could have led a decent life in any city.
Also, hardly anyone in today's youth seem to have that calling of working towards others' cause, what would be your message to inspire us.
Many amongst us believe that we first ought to do well for ourselves before we do anyone's good, and that well doesn't arrive at all, since our wants in life keep on ascending.
I have been involved in Gandhian, feminist and farmer's movements since my youth. I remember being in Bodhgaya during the JP movement where we were supporting land rights for landless labourers and I had very powerful experiences there where I saw how removed development was from the grassroots - one woman chose a piece of land just because she could see electricity from it..she didn't even aspire to have the electricity, just seeing it made her happy. It really challenged all my notions of development and the grassroots. I eventually met and married my husband who lives in Mhaswad, rural Maharashtra, and so I moved there. And started doing similar work in that area- related to women and sanitation initially. Eventually it grew much larger when I realised women had no safe space to save. And we set up a bank.
My message for the youth of India - do what you really enjoy doing and feel passionate about. Whatever it is. Always persist. Like I never ever imagined I would set up a Bank or represent so many thousands of women. But by listening and being inspired by women at the grassroots, and the incredible support I received from the women and the world at large, helped me along the way. So follow your dreams and don't give up easily.
Thank you so much for your message and more importantly for your extraordinary work, on behalf of our nation. I wish you luck and I'm truly inspired by you, ma'am.
Hello nexusofthoughts, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
hardly anyone in today's youth seem to have that calling of working towards others' cause, what would be your message to inspire us.
No that's confirmation bias. You judge that based on the behavior of your own small circle and the social media like reddit and twitter. About 90% of social media regulars are highly introvert and have the kind of attitude that you describe. But most of the selfless young people are found in the offline world, they don't usually brag their achievements in social media. Not implying that everyone in the offline world are saints though, that'll be another confirmation bias.
You are indeed an inspiration. Many congratulations on your work and for your own personal achievement of co-chairing at the WEF.
I was wondering if you could give me some advice at a very basic level. I've always wanted to do something to contribute to social causes, but I lack in inter-personal skills and lack having the experience of navigating inter-personal dynamics that drive social interactions. I give money and donate material when I can, but it is not fulfilling enough since I want to do some direct action, however lack the skills or confidence. I could probably learn so much more from the women you work with, from their strength and resilience, rather than me giving them something to help with social causes. Could you suggest some ways an introvert with not much confidence to help out with an org such as Mann Deshi or other such orgs?
Hello powdermasala, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
One thing I can say about wherever am based - people in rural India do not trust the government health systems. They spend most of their money on health through private clinics. This is an absolutely critical issue but not one which I know very much about.
Great question! Lots of people have opened accounts - which demonstrates how important and necessary banking services are the poor. Now the next challenge is increasing transactions - and for that much more effort is required. Like Mann Deshi Bank does, we suggest other banks invest in doorstep banking - go to your customer, figure out her needs and what's most convenient for her. Jan DHan also has a overdraft facility - which is not used at all - but is very useful for micro entrepreneurs so this must be promoted widely since it will be enormously beneficial and build customer loyalty and transactions.
Having been a part of the Farmers movement in the late 80s and early 90s I have travelled in Vidarbha area and compared to western Maharashtra, there is very little opportunities for allied agricultural activities (e.g. dairy) so it's particularly challenging for farmers in terms of earning an income. So this really needs to be addressed.
Would you mind sharing your views on Bharatiya Mahila Banks and its merger with SBI? Is the wider network doing good for rural women in general or has it reduced the primary objectives. Thank you.
Great question! Unfortunately the passion that such a bank required in terms of management couldn't be sustained...I do feel it reduces its objective...
Is it realistic to envision an India in which the women of this country are on an equal socio-economic standing with men? If so, how far into the future do you think this is a plausible scenario, and what according to you are the greatest impediments to its realisation?
Yes of course I think it will be a reality, though it will take time. Can't say how long, but that depends on so many factors - political will, cultural constraints, more women entering the work force, more women role models, men changing. It's very complicated and a whole host of things.
Yes it definitely affected liquidity for women. We work with rural women entrepreneurs and they needed very small amounts of cash to run their businesses so it was really difficult for them to stand in line and give up a day's income, it was difficult to fill in forms, and also a 2000 note would not help them. So actually Mann Deshi Bank ended up taking all the small change from our local SBI branch, making packets of Rs. 500 in coins and small notes, and then converting our Mobile Business School into a Mobile Bank which went to weekly markets, helped women (and men) fill in all the paperwork and then distributed these. It was really helpful - and we did several 1000. Related to respite - we have found that women - especially the entrepreneurs - have become more interested in exploring and learning about Digital and cashless transactions. So we are now running a digital literacy bus to support them
Great work Chetna , since I am from a village too and have seen how hard working women folk there are and the raw deal which they generally get ,your work is in a much needed area , more power to you
how difficult is to start a women bank now , procedurally ?
How do you ensure there is no corruption and best accounting ,ethical standards are followed . Given what recently happened in Bihar cooperative bank where govt. money was funnelled out (srijan scandal)
Could you give us some details like ( your loan book , profits , no. Of customers -employees ) which would help us gauge the scale of your operations
Where do you see your bank 5 years from now ( do you want to grow or want to do different things on womens issue withing same region )
It's very challenging and the regulator is very tough so we are constantly on our toes. In terms of corruption and best accounting - we give women real time transaction details which develops their trust in us and our accountability to them. Secondly, we have a very strong due diligence process as far as lending is concerned. Thirdly, we have doorstep repayment which makes it easier to repay. We use a lot of technology and monitor in great detail to keep corruption negligent. And plus the RBI inspects us regularly. We have 90,000 account holders, 150 crores in business, asset book is 75 crores, profit is about 1 crore, and we have 130-140 employees. In the next 5 years, we want to go for a multi state cooperative banking licence so we can operate nationally.
How do social entrepreneurs network among themselves, learning from each other, sharing experiences? Is it through a particular web platform, through seminars, through contacts?
There are many different organisations to support - Ashoka, Dasra, UnLtd, Skoll, Schwab, Deshpande, Yunus Social Business - these are better known. But there are many other organisations also coming into this area - including CII and so many small funds for start-ups. There are many innovation hubs now across the country - SP Jain for example.
Good to know. Another FUQ.
Do you find age has to do with that? I find that younger IAS officers are more inclined towards helping the genuine NGOs while the older status quoist heads think of you people as a disruptive bunch.
Yes of course. She is part of our sports programme - called the Mann Deshi Champions Programme. We supported her and now she's the captain of the Indian Hockey Team under 17. We are very proud of her!!
I came to know about you and your work through your KBC appearance this last season. I want to thank you for this great work and for inspiring many people especially women of this country to come forward and do good work.
I wish you very best for the future and keep inspiring the world.
I dont have a question for you but just want to say, "तुम्ही फार गोड आहात."
Since 20+ years rural women in Gujarat started making papad than kakhra and now many other snacks. This snacks are now exported around the world. Can other states adopt the same.
Hello Chetna, as a former banker who's now into public service, I find your work quite interesting - especially the Mann Deshi Sahakari Bank. Great work and thank you for undertaking such initiatives!
Having said that, I am interested in a possibly technical question. Operating a bank means undertaking a lot of credit risk and while i agree that the Mann Deshi Bank is a social venture, there needs to be some vetting when it comes to providing loans to keep the bank operational for the longer term. I wonder how do you assess credit risk to your bank?
This is a great question and I too am interested in this. Also I am interested in knowing where the deposits of the people are invested in to guarantee a good return.
Thanks! In the past, some of the banking initiatives such as microfinance have been fronts for enhancing the access of capital markets as opposed to alleviating poverty. Which is why, I seek greater understanding on a bank can be sustainable without some form of vetting.
Thank you for joining! Got anything else that concerns you? You can ask questions to Davos participants via #sharedfutures on Twitter, or by submitting a video here: https://t.co/O96j5SnRxP”
Share the link
How do the rural women successfully manage running their business as well as managing their kids and home? Seems to be a troublesome issue for urban educated women as well.
They don't have a choice!
You ma'am. Come over here as we need you to solve this really hard problem. It seems you are capable of this.
Because women are god of multitasking!
I guess time-management could be the answer, coupled with some help from either a full-time maid or a child care center which is becoming very common these days.
Hello ImpatientOptimist47, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
Thanks, Beatrice Di Caro
Heartiest congratulations for the splendid work.
My question to you is that what made you incline towards making the issue of other women your life cause, especially when even otherwise you could have led a decent life in any city.
Also, hardly anyone in today's youth seem to have that calling of working towards others' cause, what would be your message to inspire us.
Many amongst us believe that we first ought to do well for ourselves before we do anyone's good, and that well doesn't arrive at all, since our wants in life keep on ascending.
I have been involved in Gandhian, feminist and farmer's movements since my youth. I remember being in Bodhgaya during the JP movement where we were supporting land rights for landless labourers and I had very powerful experiences there where I saw how removed development was from the grassroots - one woman chose a piece of land just because she could see electricity from it..she didn't even aspire to have the electricity, just seeing it made her happy. It really challenged all my notions of development and the grassroots. I eventually met and married my husband who lives in Mhaswad, rural Maharashtra, and so I moved there. And started doing similar work in that area- related to women and sanitation initially. Eventually it grew much larger when I realised women had no safe space to save. And we set up a bank. My message for the youth of India - do what you really enjoy doing and feel passionate about. Whatever it is. Always persist. Like I never ever imagined I would set up a Bank or represent so many thousands of women. But by listening and being inspired by women at the grassroots, and the incredible support I received from the women and the world at large, helped me along the way. So follow your dreams and don't give up easily.
Thank you so much for your message and more importantly for your extraordinary work, on behalf of our nation. I wish you luck and I'm truly inspired by you, ma'am.
excellent questions, thanks!
Hello nexusofthoughts, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
Thanks, Beatrice Di Caro
I'm sorry I wouldn't be do so. Regards & thank you. :)
I think you're wrong. Every generation has its fair share of alturists.
No that's confirmation bias. You judge that based on the behavior of your own small circle and the social media like reddit and twitter. About 90% of social media regulars are highly introvert and have the kind of attitude that you describe. But most of the selfless young people are found in the offline world, they don't usually brag their achievements in social media. Not implying that everyone in the offline world are saints though, that'll be another confirmation bias.
You are indeed an inspiration. Many congratulations on your work and for your own personal achievement of co-chairing at the WEF.
I was wondering if you could give me some advice at a very basic level. I've always wanted to do something to contribute to social causes, but I lack in inter-personal skills and lack having the experience of navigating inter-personal dynamics that drive social interactions. I give money and donate material when I can, but it is not fulfilling enough since I want to do some direct action, however lack the skills or confidence. I could probably learn so much more from the women you work with, from their strength and resilience, rather than me giving them something to help with social causes. Could you suggest some ways an introvert with not much confidence to help out with an org such as Mann Deshi or other such orgs?
Just start! Figure out the cause you are most passionate about and just go and volunteer. Persist!
Hello powdermasala, thanks for your comment! We are looking for video comments that we will put to some of the top participants at this year's Davos meeting, and I'm wondering if you'd be willing to submit one?
If so then you can use your phone to film your name, nationality and question, for no longer than 20 seconds. Upload here: wef.ch/sharedfutures
Thanks, Beatrice Di Caro
[deleted]
One thing I can say about wherever am based - people in rural India do not trust the government health systems. They spend most of their money on health through private clinics. This is an absolutely critical issue but not one which I know very much about.
What has been the impact of PM Jan Dhan Yojana on the ground? How could it further improve?
Great question! Lots of people have opened accounts - which demonstrates how important and necessary banking services are the poor. Now the next challenge is increasing transactions - and for that much more effort is required. Like Mann Deshi Bank does, we suggest other banks invest in doorstep banking - go to your customer, figure out her needs and what's most convenient for her. Jan DHan also has a overdraft facility - which is not used at all - but is very useful for micro entrepreneurs so this must be promoted widely since it will be enormously beneficial and build customer loyalty and transactions.
What are your views about farmers in vidarbha region as there are more numbers of suicides than Marathwada.
Having been a part of the Farmers movement in the late 80s and early 90s I have travelled in Vidarbha area and compared to western Maharashtra, there is very little opportunities for allied agricultural activities (e.g. dairy) so it's particularly challenging for farmers in terms of earning an income. So this really needs to be addressed.
I also think there need to more formal financial channels so that there is not so much dependence on friends and moneylenders.
Hello Chetna,
Would you mind sharing your views on Bharatiya Mahila Banks and its merger with SBI? Is the wider network doing good for rural women in general or has it reduced the primary objectives. Thank you.
Great question! Unfortunately the passion that such a bank required in terms of management couldn't be sustained...I do feel it reduces its objective...
Is it realistic to envision an India in which the women of this country are on an equal socio-economic standing with men? If so, how far into the future do you think this is a plausible scenario, and what according to you are the greatest impediments to its realisation?
Yes of course I think it will be a reality, though it will take time. Can't say how long, but that depends on so many factors - political will, cultural constraints, more women entering the work force, more women role models, men changing. It's very complicated and a whole host of things.
According to you, how badly did demonetization affect rural women's economic condition last year? Has there been any respite after re-monetization?
Yes it definitely affected liquidity for women. We work with rural women entrepreneurs and they needed very small amounts of cash to run their businesses so it was really difficult for them to stand in line and give up a day's income, it was difficult to fill in forms, and also a 2000 note would not help them. So actually Mann Deshi Bank ended up taking all the small change from our local SBI branch, making packets of Rs. 500 in coins and small notes, and then converting our Mobile Business School into a Mobile Bank which went to weekly markets, helped women (and men) fill in all the paperwork and then distributed these. It was really helpful - and we did several 1000. Related to respite - we have found that women - especially the entrepreneurs - have become more interested in exploring and learning about Digital and cashless transactions. So we are now running a digital literacy bus to support them
Great work Chetna , since I am from a village too and have seen how hard working women folk there are and the raw deal which they generally get ,your work is in a much needed area , more power to you
how difficult is to start a women bank now , procedurally ?
How do you ensure there is no corruption and best accounting ,ethical standards are followed . Given what recently happened in Bihar cooperative bank where govt. money was funnelled out (srijan scandal)
Could you give us some details like ( your loan book , profits , no. Of customers -employees ) which would help us gauge the scale of your operations
Where do you see your bank 5 years from now ( do you want to grow or want to do different things on womens issue withing same region )
Thanks
It's very challenging and the regulator is very tough so we are constantly on our toes. In terms of corruption and best accounting - we give women real time transaction details which develops their trust in us and our accountability to them. Secondly, we have a very strong due diligence process as far as lending is concerned. Thirdly, we have doorstep repayment which makes it easier to repay. We use a lot of technology and monitor in great detail to keep corruption negligent. And plus the RBI inspects us regularly. We have 90,000 account holders, 150 crores in business, asset book is 75 crores, profit is about 1 crore, and we have 130-140 employees. In the next 5 years, we want to go for a multi state cooperative banking licence so we can operate nationally.
How do social entrepreneurs network among themselves, learning from each other, sharing experiences? Is it through a particular web platform, through seminars, through contacts?
There are many different organisations to support - Ashoka, Dasra, UnLtd, Skoll, Schwab, Deshpande, Yunus Social Business - these are better known. But there are many other organisations also coming into this area - including CII and so many small funds for start-ups. There are many innovation hubs now across the country - SP Jain for example.
Are the government officers (IAS or otherwise) within your circle cooperative and empathetic or they are disruptive?
Both - and you never know who will be supportive/disruptive! But the ones who are supportive, we never let go!
Good to know. Another FUQ. Do you find age has to do with that? I find that younger IAS officers are more inclined towards helping the genuine NGOs while the older status quoist heads think of you people as a disruptive bunch.
No..not found age a factor.
Do you have some more people like Sarita Bhise under your program?
Yes of course. She is part of our sports programme - called the Mann Deshi Champions Programme. We supported her and now she's the captain of the Indian Hockey Team under 17. We are very proud of her!!
Are there some people in pipeline?
Yes we actually have 150 sports people that we support at the state and national level and 2 at the international level.
hello mam!
I came to know about you and your work through your KBC appearance this last season. I want to thank you for this great work and for inspiring many people especially women of this country to come forward and do good work.
I wish you very best for the future and keep inspiring the world.
I dont have a question for you but just want to say, "तुम्ही फार गोड आहात."
Thanks for your kind words!
What are the major problems which Indian rural women face even today?
Why it is so hard to solve the Hunger Problem in rural India?
How prepared are young, rural women in India to address their sexual and reproductive health needs?
In response to rural women - I think the major problem is lack of income earning opportunities.
Since 20+ years rural women in Gujarat started making papad than kakhra and now many other snacks. This snacks are now exported around the world. Can other states adopt the same.
Hello Chetna, as a former banker who's now into public service, I find your work quite interesting - especially the Mann Deshi Sahakari Bank. Great work and thank you for undertaking such initiatives!
Having said that, I am interested in a possibly technical question. Operating a bank means undertaking a lot of credit risk and while i agree that the Mann Deshi Bank is a social venture, there needs to be some vetting when it comes to providing loans to keep the bank operational for the longer term. I wonder how do you assess credit risk to your bank?
This is a great question and I too am interested in this. Also I am interested in knowing where the deposits of the people are invested in to guarantee a good return.
Thanks! In the past, some of the banking initiatives such as microfinance have been fronts for enhancing the access of capital markets as opposed to alleviating poverty. Which is why, I seek greater understanding on a bank can be sustainable without some form of vetting.
Just checked your website.
Awesome! Keep up the good work!
What does your typical day look like?
Favorite movie?
I'm on the cricket team but enjoy football more. What do I do. How do I prioritize. Help
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