Consul General, Minister visit USAID sites in Madurai


US Consul General Chennai Judith Ravin and Tamilnadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Rajan with women micro-entrepreneurs supported by USAID.

Chennai: US Consul General Chennai Judith Ravin and Tamilnadu Finance Minister PTR Palanivel Rajan visited Madurai Tuesday to interact with women micro-entrepreneurs supported by the US Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Producer-Owned Women Enterprises (POWER) project, which creates employment opportunities and empowers women from marginalised communities.

Speaking at the site, Ravin said, ‘It is wonderful to visit and meet with local women today and hear how this project is transforming their lives. This is a great example of the strong commitment that the US government has made to advance women’s economic empowerment in India and I hope to see many more women-owned and operated businesses in Tamilnadu and throughout India.’

Initiated in September 2019, the project empowers women from rural communities to become micro-entrepreneurs by helping them shift work closer to their homes and offering them a steady source of income, said a release.