WEDO : Women Entrepreneurs with Disabilities
WEDO: Transforming lives of Women with Disabilities
Gender and Disability
Why focus on women with disabilities?
Women with disabilities face triple discrimination: for their gender, their disability, and often their socio-economic background. This intersectional exclusion pushes them further into poverty, invisibility, and dependence, leaving them far behind in every human development indicator.
- 1 in 5 women globally lives with a disability (UN Women, 2022)
- In India, only 45% of women with disabilities are literate, compared to 62% of men with disabilities and 65% of non-disabled women (Census 2011)
- Just 23% of women with disabilities are employed, compared to 47% of men with disabilities (UNDP, 2024)
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Despite these alarming figures, women with disabilities remain invisible in mainstream gender programs, employment initiatives, and policy frameworks, pushing them further into isolation. There is little to no dedicated work being done to bridge this gap, particularly in the space of livelihoods and entrepreneurship.
At Youth4Jobs, the Women Entrepreneurship with Disabilities (WEDO) initiative is dedicated to breaking these barriers by creating economic pathways, leadership opportunities, and financial independence for women with disabilities.
Our Pioneering program : WEDO- Empowering Women with Disabilities From Margins to Mainstream
Building blocks of our work: Our belief that Women with disabilities can be valuable contributors to society.
 During the COVID-19 pandemic, our call centre was jammed with women requesting for livelihood linked trainings. We listened to them and gave them flexible training schedules, such as afternoon sessions, to balance work with household and family responsibilities. Many of these women, including widows and those with limited education, have now transitioned into jobs or launched their own businesses, supported by the training and financial backing we provide. They eat better, resulting in better health and send their children to private schools.
Impact
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Invested savings in siblings’ education.
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Saved for assets like gold or land
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Involved in financial and family decisions.
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Earns most in family, seen as asset not liability
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Reports less sexual harassment due to financial independence.
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Mentors women facing similar challenges.
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Seen as role models by their families
A study by McKinsey highlighted the following impact
Our Current Approach based on Field Learnings
1. Training for Enterprises & Jobs: We equip women with 21st century skills needed to either start their own businesses or secure employment in the organized sector.. At the grassroot, we adopt a community-driven approach for local jobs/enterprise
2. Advocacy for Change: We work tirelessly to change the narrative around women with disabilities, ensuring they are included in mainstream society and the workforce.
3. Partnerships for Collaboration: We believe in the power of collaboration. Our work is built on partnerships, local, state and national, working together to drive change and create an inclusive society for all.
WEDO is a Global network
WEDO was launched at the 2024 ZERO Conference at the UN Headquarters in Vienna, to bring attention to the stories and successes of women with disabilities around the world.
WEDO PANELS
Through our panels and roundtable discussions, we are working to create a world where women with disabilities are recognized as capable leaders and contributors, not just in their own communities, but globally.
Museum of Art & Photography, Bengaluru: Panelists included Rajika Seth from IDR, Sanjana Govindan, Goldman Sachs; women with disabilities entrepreneurs Aarti Laxman, Liz Albuquerque, and Mrunmayi Abrol from Amazon
Zero Project India Conference in Delhi, featured gender experts like Uzoamaka Asiegbu from Geneva, Kanta Singh , UN Women, Anubha Singhal, a woman entrepreneur with a disability Aakanksha Gulati from ACT Grants and Shriya Sethi from McKinsey.
Zero Conference in Vienna in 2025– a global panel with experts from Iraq, Morocco, Mexico, and Guinea, including Karwan Moamin, Jihad Ibnouelghazi, Ana Yolanda, Mariamma Barry and Anushka Thachil, Youth4Jobs.
From Invisible to Visible - WEDO Booklets
Through our WEDO Booklets- ‘From Invisible to Visible’, we showcase real stories of women who have turned their lives around by starting businesses, pursuing careers, and breaking barriers. These stories help change the narrative, shifting the perception from “women with disabilities cannot” to “women with disabilities can.”
This first edition includes stories from across India, featuring diverse businesses and the women behind
them.
The South Asia edition takes our message even further, expanding our reach to include women from countries across the region.
A Collaborative Effort
Our Partners Include
Amazon Saheli (inviting women entrepreneurs with disabilities to join)
Read the Press Release Here : Economic times; Amazon; Business Standard
Corporate and NGO partners (mentorship, volunteering, funding support)
Real life stories of change​
Our pioneering, community-driven work at the grassroots has resulted in our work becoming demand-driven. The Karnataka government invited us to implement a large-scale project in partnership with the KSRLM to work with a neglected group, women with disabilities.
To learn more about the project or explore collaboration opportunities, contact us at: 📩 wedo@youth4jobs.org
