Women's Empowerment and Gender Equality

Gender disparity manifests itself in various forms, the most obvious being the trend of continuously declining female ratio in the population in the last few decades. Social stereotyping and violence at the domestic and societal levels are some of the other manifestations. Discrimination against girl children, adolescent girls and women persists in parts of the country. The underlying causes of gender inequality are related to social and economic structure, which is based on informal and formal norms, and practices.

Consequently, the access of women particularly those belonging to weaker sections including Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes/ Other backward Classes and minorities, majority of whom are in the rural areas and in the informal, unorganized sector – to education, health and productive resources, among others, is inadequate. Therefore, they remain largely marginalized, poor and socially excluded.

Holistic Child development India has made it mandatory to all its partner organizations to sensitize the target communities within the Projects in bringing the needed change so as to facilitate Gender equality and ensure empowerment to the women in programme. The Goals and Objectives articulated in its mission are
 (i) Creating an environment through positive economic and social policies for full development of women to enable them to realize their full potential
(ii) Exercise human rights and fundamental freedom by women on equal basis with men in all spheres – political, economic, social, cultural and civil
(iii) Equal access to participation and decision making of women in social, political and economic life of the nation
(iv) Equal access to women to health care, quality education at all levels, career and vocational guidance, employment, equal remuneration, occupational health and safety, social security etc.
(v) Create awareness aimed at elimination of all forms of discrimination against women
(vi) Changing societal attitudes and community practices by active participation and involvement of both men and women.
(vii) Elimination of discrimination and all forms of violence against women and the girl child, and
 (viii) Mainstreaming a gender perspective in the development process.
 
HCDI and its partners working over 21 Child Focused Community Development Projects have been successful in organizing the women of the rural and tribal areas through Self Help groups. As on date the projects covered 298 villages and formed 808no’s of SHG’s with 11179 women as its members, generating wealth of Rs6,658,156 through savings alone. Not only that, women were able to network with Banks and received funds to the tune of Rs 9,219,008/-. Economic independence of the women led to confidence and freedom of expression. Village women are able to participate in decision making particularly in educating the girl children and in deciding the marriage age of the girl apart from other aspects

HCDI led the approach of political empowerment by making it compulsory to include women in Gram Vikas samithis {Village development committees of villages } thereby providing a platform for the women to actively voice their opinion in village development issues which in turn paved way for effective functioning of Gram sabhas.