Hoshiarpur:- In a significant step towards women’s empowerment and economic self-reliance, the District Red Cross Society, under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner-cum-President of the District Red Cross Society Ashika Jain, has launched **‘Project Pehchaan’**. The initiative aims to equip girls and women with the resources needed to become financially independent.
The project has been launched with the special support of **Usha Sangwan**, daughter of Dr. Lakshman Das Mittal, founder of the Sonalika Group. Sangwan is also known as the first woman Managing Director in the history of the **Life Insurance Corporation of India (LIC)**.
Usha Sangwan is among India’s leading business personalities and has been featured in **Forbes Asia’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women**. She has also played a prominent role in women empowerment programmes under **NITI Aayog**. Inspired by her vision and guidance, *Project Pehchaan* seeks to make women economically and socially stronger by promoting self-employment.
District Red Cross Society Secretary Mangesh Sood said that the primary objective of the project is to encourage a start-up culture among women and girls. Under the initiative, five talented and deserving students of the Red Cross Vocational Learning Centre—**Manisha, Harpreet Kaur, Monica, Amrit and Kajal**—have been provided with motorised embroidery machines, interlocking machines, steam presses and electric irons to help them start self-employment ventures from their homes.
He said these machines would enable the beneficiaries to earn a sustainable livelihood while becoming financially independent.
Vice Chairman of the Red Cross Hospital Welfare Section Rajiv Bajaj and other members of the Red Cross team were also present on the occasion.
Joint Secretary Aditya Rana informed that, apart from *Project Pehchaan*, the District Red Cross Society, in collaboration with the Sonalika Group, has also launched another important initiative named **‘Sui Dhaga’**.
Under this project, modern interlocking, elastic stitching, button-attaching and buttonhole machines have been installed at the Red Cross campus. These facilities will be available to skilled and deserving women trained in fashion designing, enabling them to undertake professional work and enhance their income.
He added that the joint initiative of the Red Cross Society and the Sonalika Group would play a vital role in making women economically stronger, self-reliant and motivated towards entrepreneurship, while serving as a milestone in the district’s efforts towards women’s empowerment.