Saraswathi Malluvalasa conferred with Woman Exemplar Award

In a remarkable celebration of grassroots leadership, Saraswathi Malluvalasa from Vizianagaram has been honoured with the CII Foundation Woman Exemplar Award in the Micro Enterprise Category at the CII Annual Business Summit-2024 held in New Delhi on Friday. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the award. Each recipient was bestowed with a trophy, a certificate, and a cash prize of Rs 3 lakh.
Saraswathi’s journey is a testament to resilience and innovation. Confronting personal experiences of domestic violence and gender discrimination, she recognised the critical links between food insecurity, economic dependence, and violence against women. In response, she founded the Millet Sisters, a pioneering network of small-scale women farmers aimed at securing food security and enhancing livelihoods. Her initiative has significantly boosted the income of over 20,000 women, embodying the ‘five E’s’ of women’s empowerment: Education, Equality, Employment, Economic Development, and Empowerment.
The CII Foundation’s Woman Exemplar Programme is dedicated to identifying, recognising, and empowering grassroots women leaders to foster women-led development. The programme not only provides a national platform to highlight their work but also enhances their capabilities through training and mentoring. By promoting these women on various platforms, the programme amplifies their social impact.
With this prestigious recognition, Saraswathi Malluvalasa joins an illustrious network of over 120 Woman Exemplars. These women are driving profound social change at the grassroots level, positively impacting the lives of three million people annually. The award underscores the critical role of women leaders in transforming communities and highlights the ongoing efforts needed to support and amplify their work across the nation.