Womens Empowerment Program

Women's Empowerment New Delhi

Women in the slums of Delhi often face many adversaties in their lifetime. At our program in Delhi, Sonu, our principal teacher, counsels women in the community on the various issues that they might be facing. Whether it’s an uneducated woman who has become widowed with 2 small children, unable to support herself and left virtually helpless, or a women whose husband has been put in jail; Sonu gives these women opportunities to support themselves and their children through self-sustainable enterprises. Teaching the women different skills such as sewing, candle-making and running their own businesses is just a small step towards giving these women more freedom and confidence.

The Problem

Many women in the local community struggle financially. They do not have sufficient food, shelter or clothing. There are many reasons behind this:

• The women did not receive an education growing up, so they have difficulties finding a steady job or income
• Their husband's low income source is not enough to provide proper food, clothing and shelter for the whole family
• Many men have problems with alcoholism, and frequently spend the little money they do earn on alcohol, while their families suffer
• Men often turn to a life of crime to provide for their families - if they are jailed, the women are left to fend for themselves and their children
• If a woman is widowed, she is left without any assistance to support herself and her children

The Solutions

Many of these issues can be improved if the women are able to provide additional income to the family's pockets, or are completely financially independent. We are helping the women achieve this through employing them for the making and selling of tea boxes and key chain products. The products are then sold in the market and the money raised is used to promote education and financial independence for women. In the future, we want to promote the selling of these products in an international market, advocating social change. We have begun doing this through our Thrive Seed Accessories UK facebook page, run by one of our supporters.

  The women are also receiving an education, and being taught skills such as tailoring, knitting, lotion and candle making . By providing them with a small job to help them financially, they are able to live an independent life, and provide for their children. Combining this with the education and counselling they need, this is a small step towards giving the women more freedom in their lives.