### Reliance Foundation and U.S. Mission to India Collaborate to Boost Women’s Participation in Digital Economy

*Mumbai,  Reliance Foundation has committed USD $10 million to the Women in the Digital Economy Fund (WiDEF), a collaborative initiative led by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). This partnership aims to significantly reduce the gender digital divide in India and accelerate progress towards economic empowerment for women.

WiDEF was announced by U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris in March 2023 and focuses on improving women’s livelihoods, enhancing their economic security, and fostering resilience by advancing effective solutions for women’s digital empowerment. Reliance Foundation’s contribution will double the available WiDEF funding for India, supporting the G20 Leaders’ commitment to halving the digital gender gap by 2030.

Isha Ambani, Director of Reliance Foundation, stated, “We are committed to increasing our efforts to advance digital inclusion to improve women’s livelihoods, economic security, and resilience. Through WiDEF, Reliance Foundation will collaborate to empower women through technology and share best practices with other countries to drive global progress towards an equitable future.”

**Supporting Women’s Empowerment Through Technology**

The collaboration between Reliance Foundation and USAID is a continuation of their joint efforts, including the WomenConnect Challenge India, launched in 2020 to address the digital gender divide. This initiative has empowered 600,000 women across the subcontinent, selecting awardees that have pioneered solutions to dismantle barriers to digital access for women from marginalized communities.

In addition, Reliance Foundation is working with BMGF to empower one million women entrepreneurs in India and is supporting the national rollout of the Digital Skills Program in partnership with Reliance Jio and GSMA, targeting rural and marginalized communities.

USAID/India Acting Mission Director, Dr. Alexandria Huerta, emphasized, “Closing the gender digital divide is essential to progress in India and around the world. USAID is proud to partner with Reliance Foundation through WiDEF to accelerate women’s economic empowerment and ensure that the benefits of the digital economy are accessible to all.”

WiDEF, since its launch, has garnered over $1.01 billion in pledges from global partners, including governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations, all working towards gender digital equality. 

**About Reliance Foundation**

As the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries, Reliance Foundation, led by Founder and Chairperson Smt. Nita M. Ambani, is dedicated to addressing India’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. The foundation focuses on rural transformation, education, health, sports for development, disaster management, and women empowerment.