New Delhi, Jun 15 (IANS): Professional network LinkedIn on Wednesday announced partnership with UN Women to advance women's economic empowerment in Asia Pacific, beginning with India.

LinkedIn will invest Rs 3.88 crore in a three-year regional partnership with the UN entity dedicated to gender equality, it said in a statement.

The LINK Women Project will begin with a 15-month pilot in Maharashtra -- in Mumbai, Greater Mumbai and Pune -- to cultivate the digital, soft and employability skills of 2,000 women and present them with a range of career-building opportunities through job fairs, mentoring sessions and peer-to-peer networks.

Women who have completed their higher education can participate in the project slated to take place between July 2022 - October 2023.

The women will be digitally upskilled enabling them greater access to jobs and equipping them to fully participate in the formal economy.

"We are delighted to partner with UN Women to jointly work towards improving female representation and professional diversity across the region's workforce by investing in the upskilling and economic empowerment of women. By bringing women closer to the right skills and resources, we aspire to create a more equitable and all-inclusive talent landscape," said Ashutosh Gupta, India Country Manager, LinkedIn, in the statement.

A disproportionate number of women lack basic access to the Internet, particularly in Asia-Pacific region where 54.6 per cent of men have access to the internet, compared to 41.3 per cent of women. This represents a 32 per cent gender gap.

With this partnership, LinkedIn and UN Women will work together to close this gap, aiming to help the region and world achieve improved gender parity in the workforce.

"Access to quality education is critical to decent employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and girls. The aim of the LINK Women project, in partnership with LinkedIn, is to create a cadre of women who will acquire new digital and employability skills, leading to better jobs," said Susan Ferguson, Country Representative, UN Women India.

After the 15-month pilot, UN Women and LinkedIn will incorporate lessons learned and evaluative feedback to improve the programmes where necessary and then scale it up to other Asia-Pacific countries.