Currently, women are highly underrepresented in the manufacturing sector, constituting only 3-12 percent of the manufacturing and technical workforce. Continental Automotive India is all set to bust the myth and break stereotypes surrounding the capabilities and role of women in the manufacturing industry with its Women for Manufacturing Program. Under this CSR initiative, the organization has touched the lives of close to 1,000 women, and placed about 200 women already in different manufacturing companies in Gurgaon and Bangalore, and it further aims at increasing the number of beneficiaries significantly.
In this exclusive interview with TheCSRUniverse, Deepa Sashidharan, Head of Corporate Communications and CSR, Continental Automotive India, shares her organization’s gender inclusive goals, along with a myriad of other CSR interventions under it CSR wing, Conscience. She also discusses the challenges and solutions to the issues of women empowerment, and the relevance of nature conservancy, wherein the company strives at 100 percent carbon neutrality by 2050.
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Q: What are the key focus areas of your CSR projects? Could you please elaborate on the objectives and goals of Continental India's CSR wing -Conscience?
A: Continental India is deeply committed to giving back to society, with a focus on long-term, sustainable impact. Continental India’s CSR wing – Conscience was set up in 2020, which was also one of the bleakest times in recent history. We identified key focus areas in line with our global sustainability charter, and focus on civic development, women empowerment, education, and environment. To give an example, a signature program of Continental is Women for Manufacturing, an initiative to train, empower and support women to take up a career in manufacturing, a largely male domain. The program currently runs in Bangalore, Chennai, Gurgaon, and Pune.
Conscience also responds to crises, for instance, during the COVID pandemic, we had several interventions across the country.
Involving our employees in social responsibility programs is also important for Conscience, hence we also have programs linked to volunteering time grants, thus serving as an additional motivation for our people to volunteer their time for the community.
Q: Briefly share the interventions that the company has undertaken under the above themes.
A: Last year, we undertook initiatives to empower women, through the Women for Manufacturing initiative, which addresses three target groups – high school girls, ITI students, and unemployed women from underprivileged sections of society. Through this initiative, Continental is inspiring, educating, and employing women from challenging socio-economic backgrounds to help them secure jobs on the shop floor across manufacturing plants.
We recently completed a large-scale sustainable water conservation project at Anekal near Bangalore. The project includes the creation of a mini reservoir, four check dams, and 500 water absorption trenches that will eventually quantify into the conservation of 28,000,000 liters of water a year.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Continental India rolled out various programs to address the crisis. We donated RT– PCR machines for COVID testing to Gurugram DC, PPE kits to Community Health Centers, and schools in and around our various manufacturing plants. Continental also undertook the renovation of Community Health Centers (CHCs) during this period, including the donation of equipment, and recently inaugurated an upgraded center in Mewat. We donated ration kits to migrant labor and front-line workers amid the lockdown period in Bangalore, Delhi, and Mumbai in 2020 and 2021. During the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, when oxygen was the most precious commodity, Continental set up two Oxygen generation plants at Victoria Hospital, Bangalore, and the Shaheed Hasan Khan Mewat (SHKM) Government Medical College, Mewat.
Q: What has been the geographical reach of these interventions and the outcome (data/number of beneficiaries)? Do you intend to extend them into other parts of the country? What is your goal in that respect?
A: Our CSR programs have metrics and this measurement not just helps us track projects with clear KPIs and tangible results, but allows us in decision-making about impactful programs, how to enhance efficiency, where employees prefer to engage, etc. Projects are also measured against timelines.
Our Integrated Watershed Program in Anekal, Bangalore, which was completed in record 10 months, will save 28,000,000 liters of water annually benefiting scores of families, that predominantly rely on farming as a source of livelihood, in the eight surrounding villages.
Our Women for Manufacturing initiative currently runs in Bangalore, Chennai, Pune and Gurgaon where the manufacturing industry has a strong presence. We have touched close to 1000 females in different age groups; placed about 200 women already in different manufacturing companies in Gurgaon and Bangalore. With the commencement of our subsequent batches for the certification program, we hope to significantly increase the number of beneficiaries.
Similarly, the 150000 tree planting initiative was spread across locations where we have a presence - Bangalore, Gurgaon, Pune, Kolkata, and Modipuram.
Q: Do you think Nature Conservation should be an integral part of CSR goals?
A: Continental is convinced that sustainable and responsible business increases our ability to innovate. Corporates have the responsibility to contribute toward social and environmental development in the society they operate in. Continental, for example, strives for 100% carbon neutrality along our entire value chain (products, operations, supply), and we aim to achieve this by 2050. India has taken steps towards sustainability initiatives, but we still have a long way to go.
Q: Where is Gender Equality and Inclusivity in the scheme of CSR for women empowerment? How is Continental India implementing and including the above two to ensure the same?
A: It is necessary to build programs to enable women and offer them opportunities that provide them with the tools needed to be independent and empowered. To give one example from Continental India, through our Women for manufacturing program, we would like to address the under-representation of women in the manufacturing industry. The initiative is designed to empower women from all walks of life. The program includes formal training and awareness programs at high school levels, ITIs on manufacturing as a career option, and the third component of this initiative focuses on certification and employability, right up to placement support. The program focuses on women from under-privileged backgrounds. This rigorous program cycle identifies the most deserving candidates, trains them, and secures employment on the shop floor across manufacturing plants in the Bangalore and Gurgaon regions.
Q: How do you think social sector stakeholders and implementation agencies can further expedite Government initiatives that focus on women?
A: The main aim of CSR initiatives is to consider the interests of society while making decisions. It involves taking responsibility for the impact of our activities on customers, suppliers, employees, shareholders, communities, and the environment. Social stakeholders and implementation agencies are vital in implementing initiatives solely focused on women. To further expedite the initiatives, the organization should be involved in the process till the very end and ensure that the policies and initiatives are properly implemented, and the results are measurable.
Q: What challenges do you face when it comes to ground realities, especially in reaching out to the actual target group - women? And how do you suggest that social sector players can change that for the better?
A: During the first year of the Women for Manufacturing program, we did see that there are preconceived notions about the manufacturing industry as being unsuitable for women. During the certification program, we also faced situations of student drop-outs due to marriage, situations where candidates who secured employment had to leave the job because of marriage, or resistance from family. Learning from this, we added counseling and guidance of candidates and their families as part of the module. The Women for Manufacturing training centers welcomes families of our candidates for visits. We organize networking sessions for these students with Continental women employees, both white collar and blue collar, to clarify queries. We organize plant visits for them to experience first-hand a standard work environment.
Change does not happen overnight. We need to continue awareness programs and guidance to individuals, families and sometimes even society at large. Social sector players need to address these persistently and with patience.
Q: Due to the traditional and patriarchal setup, women are considered the primary caretakers of their families (especially at the rural level). How can corporations turn this around as an opportunity to help women become financially independent and stable so that they can genuinely fend for their children?
A: Women have been underrepresented in the Manufacturing Industry. According to surveys, only 3 - 12 percent of manufacturing and technical workers in India are women. It is a stereotype built up over generations and we have attempted to bust this myth through our Women for Manufacturing program.
The initiative helps create awareness to inspire the younger generation of girls to consider the manufacturing industry as a career option. The second component of the program aims to train women from ITI institutions in the manufacturing industry and help find them internships. The third component of the program focuses on educating and employing those who lack the support to pursue technical courses. The program targets women from underprivileged backgrounds. We use a stringent process to identify the most deserving candidates, train them, and eventually secure jobs on the shop floor across manufacturing plants.
Q: Do you think it's become important for corporations to have a female representative in their CSR committees? What difference has that made to the overall goal of women empowerment in CSR?
A: The decision-making process improves with greater diversity. As an equal opportunities employer, Continental has ensured inclusivity of gender in all roles across the board, and CSR committee is no exception. Women Empowerment is one of the thematic areas of Continental India’s CSR charter, and we are fully committed to this.
