Women are already the world's most dynamic and fastest-growing economic force. Many of them serve as key retailers for our products, demonstrating a strong correlation between women's empowerment, GDP growth, and business success. To support this, we envisioned a program called Saksham.

Saksham is designed to build the capacity of women retailers and women-owned small restaurant owners in financial literacy, hospitality, sanitation management, and the use of digital wallets. Saksham aims to train 5,000 women by 2026. Born in 2022 from the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship post-COVID-19, Saksham was formerly known as the STAR (Shopkeeper Training and Resources) program.

Over six years, the STAR program trained 5,800 women in retail, equipping them with the skills, techniques, and tools needed to thrive in Nepal's dynamic retail environment. This initiative was part of Coca-Cola’s global "5by20" campaign, which began in 2010 and aimed to empower 5 million female entrepreneurs across its value chain by 2020.