Executive Summary : | The project aims to assess women's empowerment in agriculture and allied sectors in Western U.P., design an entrepreneurship model for volatile oils, aroma ingredients, fabric dyeing, and printing using natural extracts, and impart capacity building programs for product development. The Women Technology Park WTP aims to bridge the gender gap in agriculture, promoting economic growth and empowering rural women. The Women Technology Park (WTP) project aims to enhance knowledge and skills of women and dropout girls in the Meerut and Muzaffurnagar districts by utilizing waste materials. The project will involve household surveys, assessment of women's empowerment in agriculture, mobilization of women into self-help groups, and the development of social enterprises. Fresh plant material will be collected and used for volatile oil extraction, with residues being converted into value-added products like herbal incense cones and agarbatti. A training program will be conducted for rural women to develop their skills in isolation of volatile oil, dyeing, printing, and value-added products. The project also aims to develop linkages with the market for the business purpose of trained rural women. |