The Government e-Marketplace (GeM) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on November 20, 2025 at the GeM office in Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi. The MoU seeks to enhance the empowerment and integration of women entrepreneurs from the informal sector into India's public procurement ecosystem. It focuses on promoting gender-responsive procurement by encouraging increased sourcing from women-led businesses, thereby expanding market access for women entrepreneurs under GeM's Womaniya initiative. The agreement was signed by Smt. Kanta Singh, Country Representative of UN Women India, and Shri Ajit B. Chavan, Additional CEO of GeM, with CEO of GeM Shri Mihir Kumar presiding over the ceremony. Under the collaboration, UN Women will design training materials, recommend global best practices, share success stories, and assist in developing validation criteria for women-led businesses. UN Women will also promote the Womaniya Vocal For Local Outlet Store, support onboarding of UN programme participants, encourage MSME Udyam Registration, and mobilise women trainers. GeM will conduct training programmes, sensitise government buyers, organise onboarding workshops, develop vernacular training materials, and align women entrepreneurs with government laboratories and R&D institutes. GeM has created generic product categories covering handicrafts, handloom items, jute and coir goods, bamboo products, organic foods, spices, accessories, home decor, and office furnishings to support seamless onboarding for women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups. The partnership contributes to Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality and the Empowerment of All Women and Girls. Representatives from trade associations including Laghu Udyog Bharti, PHDCCI, and SEWA Bharat attended the signing, along with Smt. Radhika Kaul Batra from the United Nations Resident Coordinator's Office, India.
GeM and UN Women Sign MoU to Strengthen Women Entrepreneurs' Participation in Public Procurement
GeM and UN Women signed an MoU on November 20, 2025 in New Delhi to promote gender-responsive public procurement and expand market access for women entrepreneurs under the Womaniya initiative, aligned with SDG 5.
Key facts
- MoU signed on 20 November 2025 between GeM and UN Women at Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi
- Signed by Smt. Kanta Singh (UN Women India) and Shri Ajit B. Chavan (Additional CEO, GeM); CEO Shri Mihir Kumar presided
- Focus on promoting gender-responsive procurement and expanding market access under GeM's Womaniya initiative
- UN Women to design training materials, promote Womaniya Vocal For Local Outlet Store, encourage MSME Udyam Registration
- GeM has generic product categories for handicrafts, handloom, jute, coir, bamboo, organic foods, spices, home decor
- Partnership aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5 — Gender Equality and Empowerment of Women and Girls
Mains angle
Q: Examine the GeM-UN Women MoU as an instrument for gender-responsive public procurement aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5.
Answer (50 words):
Signed on November 20, 2025 at GeM's New Delhi office by Kanta Singh and Ajit Chavan, with CEO Mihir Kumar presiding, the MoU advances the Womaniya initiative. UN Women provides training materials and validation criteria; GeM sensitises buyers and runs onboarding workshops. It operationalises SDG 5 through public procurement.
Static prep for this topic
Read the permanent syllabus behind this story.
6-axis classification
Appears in these topics
Practice MCQ from this story
SolveTap an option below. Correct or incorrect feedback appears instantly.
Consider the following statements about the MoU signed between GeM and UN Women on 20 November 2025: 1. The MoU was signed at the UN Women headquarters in Geneva. 2. It focuses on promoting gender-responsive procurement under GeM's Womaniya initiative. 3. The partnership is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 5 on Gender Equality. 4. GeM is a public procurement portal under the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Which of the statements given above are correct?
The MoU was signed at the GeM office in Jeevan Bharti Building, New Delhi (not Geneva). It focuses on gender-responsive procurement under the Womaniya initiative and is aligned with SDG 5. GeM operates under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, not the Ministry of Labour and Employment. Hence only statements 2 and 3 are correct.
Source: PIB
Frequently asked questions
What is the Womaniya initiative of GeM?
Womaniya is GeM's flagship initiative launched to support women entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups by providing a dedicated marketplace for women-led businesses to supply products directly to government buyers across Central and State Ministries, Departments, PSUs, and autonomous bodies.
What is the role of GeM in public procurement?
GeM is the national public procurement portal for Central and State Government Ministries, Departments, PSUs, and autonomous bodies. It promotes transparent, efficient, and inclusive procurement, enabling direct supply of goods and services from MSMEs, women entrepreneurs, and SHGs.
What is Sustainable Development Goal 5?
Sustainable Development Goal 5, adopted by the United Nations in 2015, calls for achieving gender equality and empowering all women and girls. It covers eliminating discrimination, violence, and harmful practices, and ensuring women's full participation in leadership and economic life.
What product categories does GeM offer for women entrepreneurs?
GeM has created generic product categories covering handicrafts, handloom items, jute and coir goods, bamboo products, organic foods, spices, accessories, home decor, and office furnishings to enable seamless onboarding of women entrepreneurs and SHGs.
Was this useful?
Share corrections or missing exam angles with the editorial team.
Send feedback