~WOMEN SELF HELP GROUPS~

Background:

Self Help Groups have become a stable mechanism towards social, political, economic, educational empowerment of women. The project is successfully organized in 60 villages with 140 SHG groups with 3000 members. Groups have developed capacity on confidence among members, saving, financial management, dialogue with financial institutions, linkages with government and banks.  Awareness creation on entrepreneurships, health, traditional nutrition, mother and child care, right of women and girls, and sensitized issues on social evils e.g. child marriage, early union, early pregnancy, dowry, witch-hunting, superstitions, alcoholism etc.  300 women have received financial supports from bank, government schemes 50 lakhs for economic development and employment creation.

Objectives:

1. All round training of women to manage SHG group members, group finance, natural resources, village social organization, capacity to bargain with political leaders and government officials.
2. To increase income level of all members through entrepreneurship activities, community resources and increase access of women to personal and collective resources.
3. To improve social and economic status of women in the family and society.
4. Participation of women in programme of Gram Sabha and Panchayat Raj Institution , benefiting from all government programmes schemes.
5. SHG become change agents for social transformation and demolishing all social evil e.g. violence against women and girls, early marriage, dowry, early pregnancy, witch-hunting, superstitions etc.

Activities:

1. Organize and conduct effective trainings
2. Regular meeting, discussion and interactions
3. Income enhancement of women.
4. Linkages with government schemes
5. Formation of federation and women forums on issues.

Achievements:

1. One women SHG federation has been formed with 700 members
2. 140 Women SHG with 3000 members are actively participating in development programmes
3. Groups have been linked with banks
4. Yearly work plan has been prepared for each SHG

~FUNDRAISING~

Summary:

300 women BPL will be linked with bank through SHG from 20 villages. They will be given trainings on vegetable organic farming, goatry, poultry, piggery, organic manure, tailoring, embroidery, kid garment, beauty palour, bakery, snack shops etc. to increase their self confidence level, livelihood growth and empowerment.

 Challenge:

Rural women of Simdega district are uneducated, socially and economically weak and 90% are school dropouts from the schools. They depend completely on their husband or on their father for their needs. Poor women and girls forced to trafficked or migrate to places like sex trades, construction  and domestic workers, daily wage earners, bonded labours, contract workers  etc.

 Solution;  Self Help Groups will be helpful to increase confidence, unity, social awareness, and understanding and leadership qualities among women. Skill development, economic growth, improvement in living standard and guaranteed livelihood will help to eliminate poverty. Children will receive better education. Trafficking, early marriage, early pregnancy, dowry death, witch-hunting, and superstitions will end in the society.

Long Term Impact:

1. Women are awakened to remove social evils e.g. Gender violence against women and girls and promote the culture of equality and justice in the society.
2. 300 women are brought above poverty line and eliminate hunger from the family.
3. Through SHG rural women get better quality of life and living standard.
4. Women obtained social and economic empowerment with the support of SHGs.
5. Women and children have access to health and education services available
6. Migration and trafficking is stopped. Locally job generated for people.