Bridging Healthcare And Economic Gaps: USAID Launches Women’s Health And Livelihood Alliance

New Delhi, March 21, 2024: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and Samhita’s Collective Good Foundation have partnered to launch the Women’s Health and Livelihood Alliance (WOHLA), a multi-stakeholder initiative designed to empower women in underserved communities across India by addressing the intersecting aspects of their health and economic wellbeing.

USAID Assistant Administrator for Global Health, Dr Atul Gawande, said, "When women are given the opportunity to thrive, the entire community thrives too. Women’s economic security and rights is the critical foundation for communities, peace, and resilient economies. The Women’s Health and Livelihood Alliance in India provides career development and job opportunities for women, and expands access to sexual and reproductive health care—services that promote gender equity and economic security for women."

WOHLA aims to empower women by increasing their access to sexual and reproductive health information, services, and products. Additionally, it seeks to enhance their financial and digital literacy, thereby fostering livelihood opportunities and promoting workforce participation.

Dr Amit Bhanot, India Country Director and Chief of Party, USAID’s Frontier Health Market (FHM) Engage programme, said, “WOHLA is designed to mobilize private sector resources, foster partnerships, and implement targeted interventions to cultivate an ecosystem that prioritizes the symbiotic relationship between women’s reproductive health and professional advancement. The benefits are far-reaching and may even eliminate genderbased violence.”

Priya Naik, Founder and CEO at Samhita Social Ventures Pvt Ltd, said, “Deeply committed to advancing the well-being of women and girls through multiple WOHLA interventions, we aim to increase access to reproductive healthcare information, products and services and unlock access to livelihood interventions for empowering young women.”

Sandeep Varma, Chief Executive Officer, The Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprise, Ministry of Medium and Small Enterprises, said, “We are committed to scaling micro and small enterprises led by women in the healthcare sector, facilitating seamless access to finance. Our goal is to empower these enterprises to turn aspirations into tangible achievements, thereby catalyzing economic growth. Through our collaborative efforts, we aim to ensure essential credit accessibility for India’s medium and small enterprises.”

Tuan Pham, Head of Social Impact at LinkedIn in Asia Pacific, said, “LinkedIn is proud to join forces with WOHLA in our shared mission to uplift and empower women in India. Through this initiative, we are dedicated to leveraging our platform’s capabilities to foster positive change in women’s economic opportunities and success. Together, we are not just advocating for progress – we are actively working to create a future where every woman has the resources and support needed to thrive.”

Ashwini Saxena, CEO, JSW Foundation, said, “WOHLA India syncs with JSW’s goal to catalyze entrepreneurial journeys of two million rural women in India, giving them enhanced agency and incomes.”

USAID is the US government’s premier international development agency and a catalytic actor driving development results. USAID works to help lift lives, build communities, and advance democracy. In India, USAID is collaborating with the country’s growing human and financial resources through partnerships that catalyse innovation and entrepreneurship to solve critical local and global development challenges.

USAID’s FHM Engage works to improve the market environment for greater private sector participation in the delivery of health products and services and to improve equal access to and uptake of high-quality consumer driven health products, services, and information.  

In 2023, USAID’s FHM Engage partnered with Samhita-CGF to create WOHLA in India. WOHLA is designed to serve as a health marketplace catalyst and to mobilize resources for improved access to women’s healthcare services and products (including family planning), livelihood opportunities, and economic empowerment for young girls and women.