DIMAPUR, APRIL 10 (MExN): Vechulou Kanuo, the Executive Director of the Chakhesang Women Welfare Society (CWWS) has been awarded the CII (Confederation of Indian Industry) Woman Exemplar Award 2018 by the Vice President of the India, M Venkaiah Naidu.
The award ceremony, held on April 8, felicitated grass-root women leaders in the fields of health, education and micro Enterprise. Receiving the award in the Micro-enterprise segment, Vechulou is the first from Nagaland and the North East to receive such an honour. The award is aimed to encourage women who have broken barriers to achieve personal and professional success.
Vechulou took over as the Secretary of CWWS in 2000, when it was a bankrupt organisation and led it to become a vibrant social organisation that has transformed the lives of innumerable rural women and communities in the Phek District. The award recognises her unique contribution as a woman to alleviate the lives of women particularly in all sections of society, empowering them economically and socially. The CWWS, it may be noted, is an NGO under the Chakhesang Baptist Church Council (CBCC).
For nearly two decades, Vechulou’s work has ushered in modern agriculture and animal husbandry to 10,586 women, farmers and youth, seeding thousands of small entrepreneurs in the deep rural interiors of Nagaland.
The award is part of the CII Foundation Woman Exemplar Program (WEP) which focuses on promoting women’s empowerment at the community level by discovering and recognizing those who chose to look beyond their limitations and contributed significantly to positively impact the community. Since its inception in 2005, 41 women have been recognized and supported. The platform aims at celebrating the Women Exemplar Collective with industry leaders, and to spur dynamic learning and exchange among the Women change makers.
Selected by a panel from the industry and social sector, the awardees were shortlisted from over 225 nominations received from NGOs across the country. The award, now in its 14th year, was supported by JK Tyres (in Health category) and JCB India (in Micro-Enterprise category).
