How Herbalife Is Empowering Women, Driving Change, Breaking Stereotypes

Empowerment of women can’t be confined to the boardrooms. It is non-negotiable across every level of the social pyramid. Aligning with this, wellness company Herbalife has taken up the initiative to distribute E-autos to women to support their financial independence.

In 2024, it partnered with NGO Shishu Mandir to distribute electric auto rickshaws to women in Bengaluru. Calling it “Eco-Wheels Women’s Initiative”, the company sponsored a total of 115 e-autos to empower women and LGBTQ+ individuals. The aim was to boost economic opportunities, skills development, and leadership roles. It also helped 50 female drivers to obtain their licenses and supported schoolchildren with essential items to alleviate financial strains.

In a statement released earlier this year, Herbalife stated that as of now, the initiative has helped these women to increase their monthly income from Rs. 10,000 to Rs. 30,000. It further stated that the move “positively impacted over 750 individuals and the wider community through a zero-emission mobility model.”

True empowerment is rarely about charity. It is about creating opportunities that allow individuals to shape their own futures. While education and employment remain critical, the first step is accessibility, which is often a constraint for many.

Access to opportunities, access to safe mobility and access to assets that can generate income are the basics of empowerment. Without these, empowerment risks remaining an aspiration rather than a reality. That’s the gap that Herbalife tried to bridge with this move.

The Power Of Owning The Wheel

For thousands of women across India, the inability to travel safely, affordably, or on their own terms limits access to jobs, education and entrepreneurial opportunities.

Owing to factors like these, female labour force participation remains a key development challenge for India. Amid such a scenario, these initiatives demonstrate how access to assets can become a pathway to economic empowerment. By placing women behind the wheel, Herbalife is not just supporting livelihoods; it is helping drive social change, one journey at a time.

The official statement back then described this initiative as the “beacon of hope for marginalised women and transgender individuals.” According to Shishu Mandir, this partnership with Herbalife aims to drive social impact and community empowerment.

Bengaluru To Mysuru: Breaking Stereotypes

Good work gets recognised with time. Herbalife’s initiative is no exception. After Bengaluru, women of Mysuru will also be driving through the streets, breaking stereotypes.

Earlier this year, Herbalife announced the second instalment of this initiative, under the name “Her Route, Our Future”. The wellness company distributed 75+ electric autos driven by women in Mysuru. The communique stated that it is a part of the year-long Green Mysuru, Clean Mysuru campaign initiated by the Mysuru City Corporation (MCC) and local communities. It aims at promoting green mobility and economic independence.

On this, Seema Latkar, I.P.S., Commissioner, Mysuru City Police, said, “The Eco-Wheels Women’s Initiative is a commendable step toward enabling women to take charge of their futures while contributing to greener, cleaner urban mobility. Mysuru Police extends its full support to such initiatives that champion equality, inclusion, and social progress.”

Initiatives like these don’t just put women in the driving seat of a vehicle but also that of a family. Apart from a woman’s financial independence, sometimes, it is also about having a decision-making position in the family. In addition to securing her own future, these moves also depict how she can support her child's education and contribute to household expenses.

But it is not just about the empowerment of these women. It is also about breaking stereotypes on a larger scale. Public transport and commercial driving have traditionally been male-dominated spaces. Every woman driving an e-auto becomes a visible reminder that economic opportunities should not be defined by gender.

Driving ahead…

Empowerment of women is often measured through policies, programmes and participation rates. Yet its most meaningful impact is visible in everyday moments. A woman paying her own bills, supporting her family, funding her child's education or making decisions without financial dependence on others are what these policies aim at.

That is why the significance of Herbalife's initiative extends beyond the number of e-autos distributed. Each vehicle represents a pathway to self-reliance. As the programme expands from Bengaluru to Mysuru, its real success will not be counted in kilometres travelled, but in the lives transformed along the way.

Sometimes, social change does not begin with a grand intervention. Sometimes, it begins with handing someone the keys and the opportunity to chart their own route forward.