Class of 2015

Even Cargo

Name of the Social Entrepreneur

Mr Yogesh Kumar Rao

Area of Operation

Delhi

About the Venture

On a macro-level, the problem that we aim to solve is four-fold. First, India’s female labour force participation rate is steadily dropping despite increasing educational attainment for young women across the country. Secondly, an examination of job roles across the country shows that there is a nonsensical gender divide across many fields for no reason aside from the fact that men have historically worked in those specific roles. Third, women comprise the majority of the informal economy. In the informal economy, workers are left vulnerable to exploitation, unfair wages, and little social protection. EvenCargo provides a reliable platform for formal employment for women who are prime candidates to join the informal economy. Lastly, public spaces are unsafe for women across multiple ecosystems across the country with the lack of access to safe public spaces being a barrier for young women to access the opportunities that may better their lives. The problem of a rapidly decreasing female labour force participation rate is critical and hits hard at India’s economic growth and our international edge as an emerging global leader. On average, across the world women workers generate 37% of their country’s GDP while in India women workers generate only 17% of our GDP. Further, India’s GDP could increase 54% by adding more women workers to our formal work force. These statistics point to the larger fact that India has a lot to gain if we can increase our female labour force participation rate. On a micro- level, it has been proven multiple times that when a woman earns and finances are in her control, she has greater say in household matters and the money is better spent for the family. However, until we create more accessible employment opportunities for women, we will not be able to understand the potential macro-level impact across multiple sectors including health and education.