WeAct promotes women's entrepreneurship and has taken significant strides by organising various exhibitions to support and empower women in business. Our exhibitions provide a dynamic platform for rural women entrepreneurs to showcase their products and services, gain visibility, and attract potential customers. By organising various corporate and local exhibitions such as Season of Impact, Vocal for Local and Unnati, WeAct provides a space where women-led businesses can demonstrate their innovations and solutions; WeAct helps bridge the gap between women entrepreneurs and their target markets. Participation in WeAct exhibitions provides them visibility and contributes to the growth and success of their enterprises.
Networking opportunities at WeAct exhibitions are invaluable for women entrepreneurs looking to expand their professional connections and access new markets. WeAct exhibitions bring together a diverse group of participants, including industry experts and fellow entrepreneurs. The exhibitions allow women to interact with fellow women entrepreneurs and share their experience, exchange ideas, and forge meaningful partnerships. The collaborative environment of WeAct exhibitions encourages mentorship and support, enabling women to learn from each other's successes and challenges, thereby strengthening their entrepreneurial endeavours.
Furthermore, various WeAct exhibitions provide women entrepreneurs with market insights and feedback as they directly attend customers. They gather the valuable suggestions on their products and implement them gradually. This real-time feedback mechanism is instrumental in refining their business strategies.
Additionally, exposure to the latest industry trends and innovations at these exhibitions keeps women entrepreneurs informed and inspired. This combination of increased visibility, networking opportunities, and market insights ultimately empowers women entrepreneurs to generate more income, drive business growth, and contribute to overall economic development. Please read on to learn more about our various exhibitions.
Season of Impact, organised by Accenture India, is a corporate exhibition specifically designed to enhance social awareness and encourage social responsibility among its employees. This annual event provides a unique platform for WeAct women to participate in various Accenture exhibitions across the country.
Each year, WeAct women showcase and sell a diverse range of products at the Season of Impact exhibitions, including food and agricultural products, handloom and handicraft items, and household supplies. This offers them a valuable opportunity to market their goods, empowering them by providing a source of income and exposure to a broader audience.
The interaction between Accenture employees and WeAct members is a key highlight of these exhibitions. Employees get the chance to engage directly with the women from rural areas, learning about their personal and entrepreneurial journeys. These interactions help employees understand the significant progress these women have made, often overcoming substantial challenges.
Accenture leverages these exhibitions to instil a sense of social responsibility in its workforce. By facilitating such meaningful connections and showcasing the impact of their support, Accenture aims to foster a culture of giving back to society and contributing to the upliftment of underprivileged communities.
Vocal for Local, as the name suggests, is an initiative aimed at promoting local artisans and their products across India. Launched by WeAct in 2023, this exhibition series has quickly become a platform for showcasing the talents and products of rural women entrepreneurs. Each year, WeAct organises approximately 30 Vocal for Local exhibitions, providing these women with opportunities to present their products to a wider audience.
The primary objective of the Vocal for Local initiative is to create accessible exhibition opportunities for rural women entrepreneurs. Recognising the constraints posed by traditional gender roles, which often limit travel to distant cities or states, WeAct designed these exhibitions to be conveniently located near the participants' homes. This allows the women to balance their entrepreneurial pursuits with their household responsibilities effectively.
Since its inception, the impact of Vocal for Local has been significant. So far, 150 enterprises have participated in these exhibitions, witnessing notable growth in their income and business prospects. By enabling these women to stay close to their families while pursuing economic independence, Vocal for Local exemplifies WeAct's commitment to empowering rural women and supporting local economies.
Unnati Exhibitions are part of Accenture's Unnati Mentorship Programme, where the highly qualified team at Accenture guides selected WeAct members to expand their businesses through digital mediums and provide business insights to help scale and diversify. Each year, the Accenture team selects new members for the Unnati Mentorship Programme and arranges exhibitions for these members in their corporate offices. Women from the southern region typically participate in the Unnati Exhibition, as it is primarily held in southern states where Accenture's corporate offices are located.
The Unnati Exhibition also serves as an opportunity to showcase products from rural India to Accenture's offshore clients, who come from countries like the US and Canada. Accenture India purchases hamper kits for their clients, which are made from products created by WeAct members. All these products are eco-friendly and include items such as banana fibre boxes, handmade stoles, mundwad shawls, handmade pens and pencils, and plantable calendars. Accenture clients have appreciated the WeAct hamper kits and have expressed interest in additional products.
Conclusion
WeAct's exhibitions, such as Season of Impact, Vocal for Local, and Unnati Exhibitions, play an essential role in prompting WeAct women's enterprises. It provides them with a dynamic platform to showcase their products, network with industry experts, and receive real market feedback. Our women members get exposure to the new markets, mentorship opportunities, and direct engagement with the customers, which help women improve their products and deliver better outcomes each time.