Dr. Nandini Azad, President of the Working Women’s Forum – Indian Cooperative Network for Women (WWF-ICNW), opened the historic side event of the 63rd session of the U.N. Commission for Social Development (UNCSocD63) in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. She welcomed global participants, emphasizing the significance of this momentous occasion.
The event, hosted by WWF-ICNW, gathered an impressive array of speakers, including representatives from Latin American governments, the Caribbean Common Market, the World Farmers Organization, European cooperative unions, and bilateral agencies. Attended by participants from Africa, Asia, North America, and Europe, it also connected with 300 grassroots women workers from various Indian states.
Dr. Azad expressed gratitude to the U.N. for recognizing WWF-ICNW’s achievements, highlighting the organization’s global influence and leadership over the past 44 years. She emphasized its role in ensuring that women from informal sectors in BRICS and G20 countries have a voice on international platforms.
Dr. Azad acknowledged the solidarity of Brazil’s Minister for Agrarian Development, H.E. Gustavo Westmann, in supporting global women cooperatives. The event featured three sections, both live and virtual.
First, Dr. Azad presented a report on WWF-ICNW’s latest initiatives. Milagro Matus from CARICOM praised WWF-ICNW as a transformative force, elevating women from struggle to success through mentorship and capacity-building programs. She reaffirmed CARICOM’s commitment to gender-equal policies that empower women entrepreneurs.
Viviana Bezerra De Mesquita, Undersecretary for Rural Women at Brazil’s Ministry of Agrarian Development, conveyed greetings from President Lula and Minister Paulo Teixeira. She emphasized the crucial role of women in Brazil’s family farming sector, which constitutes 45% of the workforce.
Highlighting progressive initiatives like PRONAF and the Food Acquisition Program, which mandates 50% of food purchases from women, she stressed Brazil’s commitment to gender-inclusive policies and economic freedom for rural women.
Andreas Kappes, Secretary General of the IRU, commended Dr. Azad’s leadership in empowering women through cooperatives. He emphasized that women’s leadership in cooperatives is essential for global economic transformation.
The IRU supports training, mentorship, and capacity-building programs, fostering a global network where women entrepreneurs can thrive. With the International Year of Cooperatives 2025 approaching, he called for strengthening women’s roles in the cooperative movement. Dr. Azad, the first woman elected to the IRU in a century and re-elected, was celebrated for her contributions.
Arnold Puech d’Alissac, President of the World Farmers Organization, highlighted how cooperatives fuel community resilience and food security. He stressed that agricultural cooperatives empower rural women by providing access to resources, markets, and financial stability. As the world gears up for the International Year of Cooperatives, he called for reinforcing these networks to ensure women’s leadership in rural economies.
Key discussions at the event focused on capacity building, gender inequality in agriculture, global cooperative networks, policy advocacy, and climate change’s impact on gender dynamics.
The second section of the event was the prestigious Founders Day Awards, named after Padma Shri Jaya Arunachalam, recognizing excellence among women entrepreneurs in cooperatives. Six micro-entrepreneurs from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh were honoured for their resilience and success. These women transformed small loans into thriving businesses, moving from the informal to pre-formal sectors, creating employment, and securing education for their children.
Shanthakumari Sekar from Chennai built a successful provision store after overcoming financial struggles. Sasikala Krishnamoorthy turned a small WWF-ICNW loan into a booming sweet-making business and became a community leader against domestic violence. Deicy Rani expanded her tailoring shop while supporting her children’s education.
Malathi Kannan, through cattle rearing, funded her son’s journey to becoming an eye doctor in the U.S. Nafees Zahra revived her family’s pottery business, ensuring financial stability. Barisetti Savithri, abandoned by her husband, built a tailoring business that enabled her sons to secure stable jobs.
This side event at UNCSocD63 reinforced WWF-ICNW’s role as a global leader in economic empowerment. With over 600,000 women members, it showcased the potential of cooperatives in fostering sustainable development.
Dr. Azad called upon cooperative leaders and global stakeholders, including the G20 and BRICS, to integrate financial inclusion with gender equality. The achievements of these women micro-entrepreneurs highlighted how cooperative networks drive economic growth, resilience, and sustainable progress.
