Making women learn driving is one of the ways to empower the economically underprivileged among them, said FICCI Ladies Organisation chairperson Uma Maheswari.

She said this at the announcement of the FLO skill development programme Swayam to be held on July 21 at Suguna Kalyana Mandapam.

Apart from Swayam, other initiatives of FICCI FLO Coimbatore Chapter such as Entrepreneurship Development Programme (EDP), FLO Bazaar, Sakthi – child abuse awareness program and Sadhana awards were also discussed.

About the health campaign Swarnalakshmi Narayanaswamy, an FLO member said, “When we conduct health camps in rural areas, most women do not take part. And what is most unfortunate is even today women are not daring enough. They have many other priorities like looking after their spouse and children.”

The EDP aims at training women to establish their own business. FLO has signed an MoU with PSG CAS and the first batch will be trained is from August 1 to September 15. The applicants have to be science graduates.

Uma said FLO was willing to conduct girl child abuse awareness programmes in schools. The 25-year-old FLO Coimbatore Chapter is functioning at three levels – grass roots, middle and corporate. As part of their corporate level programme, FLO will be organising a meet on GST too.