Equal opportunity in skilling still distant for women: Supriya Sahu

Supriya Sahu highlights the ongoing gender disparities in skill training opportunities for women at FICCI FLO's ceremony.

“When we speak of skill training programmes for women, they are often restricted to sewing or pickle-making, while men are trained in areas such as driving and other technical skills,” said Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests, at the FICCI FLO “Change of Guard” ceremony on Wednesday.

“Society still does not offer women equal opportunity to explore what they are capable of doing,” Ms. Sahu added, noting that women within FLO could reshape the skill training programmes by supporting women from underprivileged communities to pursue training of their choice, whether in textiles or driving.

“When women come together with purpose, we do not change just our own journeys but help shape the future,” said medical professional and education counsellor Amulya Rao, who takes on the role of Chairperson for 2026–2027 of the Chennai Chapter. In the presence of Ms. Sahu, Niyati A. Mehta, the Chairperson of FICCI FLO Chennai for 2025–2026, formally handed over leadership and spoke about the impact created by FLO during her tenure.

Ms. Sahu also spoke about women in Ramanathapuram who are traditional seaweed harvesters. “These are the stories which are not celebrated or heard very often. But these women are very inspiring and resilient,” she added. She also spoke about the importance of sustainability and taking care of the environment.