Womens Day Awards

Announced by the Working Women’s Forum (India) – Indian Cooperative Network for Women celebrated the Padma Shree Jaya Arunachalam – Annual Excellence awards to Poor Women Entrepreneurs in South India

Held on March 8th, 2025, (Women’s Day)
at 3:30 p.m. to 5.00 p.m.

At the WWF-ICNW H.Q., Mylapore

In memory of Padma Shri Dr. H.S. Jaya Arunachalam, an International social worker and Founder of the Working Women’s Forum – Indian Cooperative Network for Women (WWF-ICNW).
Five awards were given from three states of South India constituted to honour very poor women that availed WWF-ICNW’s

organization/cooperative services with commitment. Women members who for 37 years, availed Rs.200 – Rs.50,000 loans, were able to, through the various holistic services, aspire, educate girls as doctors or children as engineers. Most of them are moving their children slowly into the formal sector. Also, they have moved to employing other women. In the last four years – 29 such awardees were honored from South India, who employed 3 to 4 staff each. Creating wealth and growth from the grassroots by poor women and girls. Never even defaulted! Even during Covid.”

The Working Women’s Forum – Indian Cooperative Network for Women work in Tamilnadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana with over 2,50,000 poor women entrepreneur members in 267 trades; (H.Q., in Chennai Tamil Nadu) has constituted these awards for its founder.

The Working Women’s Forum – Indian Cooperative Network for Women, which operates in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana, with over 2,50,000 poor women entrepreneur members in 267 trades, had instituted these awards in honour of its founder.
This year 5 other Jaya Arunachalam awardees were awarded for 2024-2025. These are:

1. Ms.ShanthakumariSekar, Provision Store – Water Can, South Chennai, (T.N.) – ShanthakumariSekar, 44, from South Madras, broke free from financial struggles after her husband could not support her. With WWF-ICNW loans, she built a thriving saree petticoat and water cans business. Now earns Rs. 1,000 daily. She credited WWF and Dr.Nandini for transforming her life and securing her daughter’s future.
2. Ms.SasikalaKrishnamoorthy, Sweet Making Business, Central Chennai, (T.N.) – From financial struggles to sweet success, Sasikala turned a Rs. 7,000 WWF-ICNW loan into a thriving business. She became financially independent, employing her husband and others; she’s not just a successful entrepreneur but also a fearless advocate against domestic violence and dowry, inspiring women in her community.
3. Ms.DeicyRani, Tailoring Shop, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu (T.N.)-Facing the struggles of her husband’s irregular income, Deicy Rani found strength and support through WWF-ICNW. With guidance and training, she grew her small tailoring business into a thriving venture, balancing family and work while educating her children and building a secure future. Her journey reflects the power of resilience and the life-changing impact of a strong support system (she could not be present).
4. Ms.MalathiKannan, Rearing Cows and Goats, Adiramapattinam, (T.N.) – From rearing goats and cows in her village to supporting her son’s journey to the U.S.A to becoming an eye doctor in America, MalathiKanan’s story was one of unwavering dedication. Through WWF-ICNW’s support, she balanced family life and farm work, building a secure home and a brighter future. Her journey reflected a woman love and determination to rise above challenges for her children.
5. Ms.Nafees Zahra Mohamadiliys, Pottery maker, Chennapattinam, Karnataka – Nafees Zahra turned her family’s modest pottery and doll-making business into a thriving source of income, ensuring her children’s education and a stable home. With WWF-ICNW’s support, she and her husband overcame financial struggles, growing their business and transforming their lives. Today, Nafees Zahra stands proud, grateful for the journey that turned challenges into lasting success.
   In their short heartfelt acceptance speeches, recorded virally the five awardees will briefly conveyed their gratitude for the unwavering support they received from WWF-ICNW. Each of them spoke of how the continuous training and timely loans not only transformed their businesses but also reshaped their lives. Thanking their cooperatives, the dedicated staff, and most importantly, President, whose leadership lit the path to their success. From provision store owners and sweet makers to tailoring shop entrepreneurs, dairy vendors, pottery makers, and those rearing cows and goats, these resilient women have defied the odds. Through perseverance and the strength of the cooperative network, they transitioned from informal to pre-formal sectors, creating employment opportunities within their communities. Their children now pursue education with bright futures ahead, while they stand as pillars of empowerment, actively involved in WWF/ICNW women-based initiatives.
   Program:
   Mrs.Parvathy, Treasurer, Working Women’s Forum (India). Welcomed Dr. Nandini Azad, all leaders/members, staff and all to this Women’s Day celebration.
   Today, at the award ceremony in the name of the late founder Dr. Jaya Arunachalam, they selected 9 members last year and gave them awards. We gave this award to our members who have been paying their loans regularly for the past 25 to 30 years. This year, 5 members have come to receive this award as short notice.
   In 1978, they established this Working Women’s Association to visit the poor women who had borrowed money from the “eetikaran and thandal vaddi/interest at the grassroots level. We listened to their grievances, and helped them. When they took a loan from the Bank of India to them, they had problems with nationalization. When they went the next year, they did not like the fact that they looked un clean as slank of fish, looking at these working women there with disdain and isolated/neglected alone them. What was the condition of women living in poverty 45 years ago? Those women came to our leader Amma and said, “Please arrange a bank for us women alongwith us. We will not go to that bank again” so they started the Women’s Cooperative in 1980. At that time, they thought they needed a training to use it.
   Dr. Nandini Azad sat on the floor in fields near the sea and drew pictures with them and gave them vital awareness. Women’s awareness is about coming out of the superstition that women had no rights, so the pictorial will cleared in their minds. We taught members about the health problems that women who work hand in the family have to bear, whether it is men or women. Today, our leader Dr. Nandini Azad attended the G20 conference in Brazil, where many countries participated, and it was an honor for us to have our leader with us to highlight the problems of sustainable womens leadership. It was a pleasure to be elected as our leader for the second time, in the International Raiffeisen Union she is the first woman to be elected in 100 years.
   Dr.Nandini Azad, President WWF-ICNW spoke on the theme of the event.
   In the UN year of Cooperatives the historic saga of the Working Women’s Forum, India (WWF) and Indian Cooperative Network for Women’s (ICNW) rise to global leadership was highlighted. Women in the Informal sector with multiple disabilities, low growth/investment, social/class oppression, access to productive inputs have been transformed. Atomized women workers mobilized into a mass national/international platform, trained as co-operators, trade unionists. Beneficiary owned, driving social/economic change based “counter culture”, shaping destinies by “a holistic gender and equity model”.

Demonstrating grassroots women’s, leadership in alternative financial inclusion, independent entrepreneurship, accessible credit, social protection and decent employment. Reaching global leadership, high tables of policy is indeed a historic moment in the evolution of the cooperatives worldwide and defining moment.