Solutions and services
Business with CARE, together with Unilever, conducted a risk analysis to identify risks experienced by agents in the field. Based on findings we developed a women’s safety framework and an entrepreneurship skills training solution for Unilever’s Shakti agents conducting sales through door-to-door or micro-retail outlets. The curriculum covered leadership, financial education, business and sales skills and women’s rights and safety.
A guidance note was developed to support local markets to understand local contexts and social norms impacting the safety of female agents, and provided practical tools to effectively engage and deliver training. Together we are working to adapt and scale up this model in multiple markets.
Results
- A proven and adaptable skills curriculum for last-mile agents that can be rolled out in multiple Unilever markets.
- By directly addressing gender-based violence and the safety of women in the value chain, Unilever has the opportunity to increase sales, de-risk existing investment in their agent network, reduce drop-out rates, improve the sustainability of their agent model, and economically empower female MSMEs.
- More than 70% of women trainees had never learned about issues of violence, legal rights, and reporting before the CARE/Unilever training.
