A Girl Child and Women Empowerment Initiative
There are
several clear indicators of the fact that Indian women continue to be
discriminated against – the sex ratio is skewed against them; maternal
mortality is the second highest in the world; more than 40% of women are
illiterate; and crimes against women are in all respects rising.
It is a paradox of modern India, that while women wield power and
hold positions at the topmost levels, large sections of the women are
still among the most underprivileged. Some of the areas that remain a
main concern in case of underprivileged women are – health, sanitation,
education, employment and social status. Health and education of women
and girls are two main issues that loom large and continue to plague
their development. While poverty, early marriage, malnutrition, lack of
hygienic menstrual practices and lack of healthcare during pregnancy are
some of major health related issues; records state that the average
Indian female has only 1.2 years of schooling; and more than 50 percent
of girls drop out of school by the time they are in middle school.
In the given scenario, the only way to bring about sustainable
development in the poor condition of underprivileged women and girls in
the country is to empower them – with education and good health. And a
simultaneous approach is the need of the hour.
It is an initiative of SBECT Foundation that has been working,
with a bifocal approach, for the sustainable development of
underprivileged women and girls. Initiated in the year 2005, the
programme was by and large conceptualized in accordance with the goals
and objectives enshrined in the National policy for the empowerment of
Women, and was overall mandated to create processes and environment for
women and adolescent girls at the grassroots to realise their optimum
potential in all facets of societal living and situations. The programme
is specifically aimed at realization of both individual and collective
self-esteem and inner strength for marginalised and socially excluded
women and adolescent girls through innovative community practices.
The programme identifies adolescent girls and women from the
community and developing them into Change Agents, who in turn actively
contribute to the community mobilization process. Select Change Agents
are then developed into Master Trainers who can advocate and sensitize
women and girls regularly. Swabhiman works towards its objective of all
round development of women and girls, through the following
interventions:-
- Educational Support
- Providing Reproductive Health and Child Health Services
- Male Involvement & Attitudinal and Behavioural Changes
- Imparting Life Skill Education
- Networking and Convergence Support
- Sensitization of privileged Women and Youth
Health and hygiene of women and adolescent girls
Women in India have always faced the discrimination in many
spheres of their lives, health being one of the prominent one. SBECT
Foundation in support with Proctor & Gamble has initiated a
programme that aims at ensuring improved health seeking behavior for
women with a focus on reproductive health and menstrual hygiene through
training and other information, education and communication (IEC) tools.
At present the programme is implemented in 4 districts of Rajasthan.
The programme is being implemented in collaboration with the National
Rural Health Mission (NRHM)
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