SAP Labs India and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) India on Thursday said they have collaborated with the Karnataka government to facilitate increased access to career guidance, employment and entrepreneurship opportunities as well as promote digital skills to empower women and youth. One of the major objectives of the initiative, Code Unnati, is to impart digital literacy to women and youth from rural Karnataka, according to a statement.

Code Unnati engages with academia, government institutions at the state and district level, incubation centres, civil societies, and other bodies to create a sustainable impact.

The initiative aims to reach over 20,000 youth and 5,000 women in Bangalore Rural, Raichur and Dakshin Kannada districts over the next three years.

“The pandemic has heightened many existing inequalities. Empowering women and youth to access sustainable livelihood opportunities is critical to ensuring an inclusive and sustainable recovery.

“With the Karnataka government and SAP, we intend to leverage our collective strengths to expand opportunities for young people and women and to help make communities more resilient,” UNDP India Deputy Resident Representative Nadia Rasheed said.