International Day of Rural Women: 5 Meaningful Initiatives Upholding the spirit 

October 12, 2023 S Ranjita Lifestyle, Lifestyle 0

International Day of Rural Women

According to the NITI Aayog, rural women serve as torchbearers for social, economic, and environmental transformation. It says that empowering and integrating the rural women’s workforce into sectors such as agriculture can help the country achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030. As the International Day of Rural Women approaches on October 15, here is an overview of five organizations actively empowering women in rural India. These endeavors not only create economic opportunities but also aim to amplify the voices of rural women and build a brighter future for them.

Grow-Trees

Led by Pradip Shah, the founder of Grow-Trees.com. Grow-Trees.com is one of India’s most popular environmental endeavors, having successfully planted millions of trees nationwide. With most of their projects focused on rural areas, the organization has increased a much-needed green cover and provided employment opportunities to rural women. By engaging women in plantation activities and the ongoing care of trees, they offer them a sustainable income. Furthermore, Grow-Trees.com contributes to creating environmental awareness among rural women, involving them in the restoration of forests, improving wildlife habitats, and upgrading water catchment areas.

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Nasscom Foundation:

Founded in 2001, Nasscom Foundation is a prominent non-profit entity representing India’s technology sector. It primarily focuses on programs for women entrepreneurship among rural communities, digital literacy, skilling and employability, social innovation, and empowering NGOs. According to the Foundation, their entrepreneurship program, intended to connect rural entrepreneurs to the digital economy, has impacted over 33,000 women in 2022 alone. Believing that technology can be a game-changer for these entrepreneurs, the organization provides support at every juncture and equips them with the tools they need to enhance their livelihoods in a rapidly changing economy, leading them to a more equitable and sustainable future.

Inner Goddess:

The non-profit organization Inner Goddess was founded in 2016 by two young women, Anannya Parekh and Disha Shah. Its primary focus is providing financial literacy education to underprivileged girls in rural communities who attend under-equipped schools. Since its inception in 2022, the organization has conducted over 70 workshops for about 10,000 women. Beyond education, it also assists them in accessing paid courses at esteemed educational institutions and colleges. This initiative allows young girls to dream bigger, aspire to higher education, and break through societal constraints.

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Dost Education:

With a mission to make every child from rural and low-resource settings school-ready, Dost Education provides parents, especially illiterate mothers, with knowledge that unlocks their child’s potential. This innovative approach bridges the gap in early childhood education and ensures that every child, regardless of their background, has access to quality learning experiences. With a team comprising engineers, entrepreneurs, teachers, and parents, Dost Education successfully empowers mothers with the tools to nurture their children’s growth and development. According to its claim, over two lakh families from rural India have received Dost’s early childhood development programs.

GramCover:

GramCover is an Insurance broking firm focused on insurance product design for rural India and follows a hybrid model to train and develop village-level entrepreneurs. It has adopted a servicing model well-suited to make insurance accessible to rural populations, including women. It increases access to key Government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY). GramCover has so far covered 22,000 villages and enrolled two million customers under its rural insurance scheme. It also allows people from rural communities, including women, to join its Point of Sales Person community. By ensuring financial security through insurance products, GramCover empowers rural women to take calculated risks, invest in their businesses, and secure their families’ futures.

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International Day of Rural Women (October 15): Breaking The Generational Cycle: Five Inspiring Women Driving Change in Rural India Dolly Sarpanch, Roshni Perween, Mausam Kumari, Rohini Patnaik, and Varsha Raikwar are blazing new trails for other women to follow In a report this year, the World Bank has stated that even though women constitute half of India's population, their benefits from the country's economic prosperity remain disproportionately affected. In rural India, women face unequal access to education, acute gender discrimination fuelled by patriarchal control over their lives, are often pushed into early marriage and have limited overall agency. Lack of employment opportunities, gender restrictions, domestic work, and childcare responsibilities clip their wings and restrict them to conventional roles. However, some women are changing this narrative and showing how to break new ground. They are not only contributing to the rural economy but also changing social dynamics within their communities. Hailing from different parts of India, these women are standing up to counter gender bias in climate action, opposing child marriage, and challenging social stigma and prejudices in the heart of rural India through their brave initiatives. Dolly Sarpanch As a two-time woman Sarpanch in Bihar's Gaya district, Dolly wants to encourage greater women's involvement in policy-making processes and is challenging societal norms that associate seats of power with men. She has petitioned the Ministry of Panchayati Raj in Bihar to issue directives to penalise government employees who promote the 'Sarpanch Pati Culture' in Bihar. Her demand is clear: those found supporting male representation on behalf of elected women representatives must face consequences. She has also fought gender discrimination herself, and with the help of Nguvu Collective, an organisation actively working towards empowering change leaders from marginalised communities, she aims to spread awareness about the power of women leaders. Roshni Perween A resident of Kishanganj, Bihar, Roshni is a survivor of child marriage. A Muslim woman from the Surajpuri community, she is now a fierce advocate of women's empowerment and wants to bring change in a community where illiteracy and child marriage is rampant. The Change Leader has garnered significant backing from Nguvu Collective, for her efforts to prevent multiple child marriages within her village. Roshni has embarked on a journey of digital advocacy by initiating an online petition aiming to put an end to child marriage in the Seemanchal region of Bihar by 2024. Mausam Kumari Since 2016, Mausam has held a leadership position within a Kishori Samooh (Adolescent Group) in Bihar, where she actively champions the cause of adolescent health. Recognizing the urgent need for menstrual hygiene, she mobilised her group to collectively procure and distribute sanitary pads with the support of the Population Foundation of India. Mausam also highlighted crucial concerns during a meeting with Bihar Health Minister and Executive Director, of State Health Society Bihar, including the lack of information on adolescent health and the unavailability of sanitary pads for economically disadvantaged girls. Consequently, an adolescent health corner was set up at the Sub-Divisional Hospital in Rajauli. Trained ANMs now offer counseling services, representing a significant stride in meeting the healthcare requirements of adolescents, especially girls, in Bihar. Rohini Patnaik Rohini Patnaik is inspired by the nutritional richness of millet, one of India's oldest staple foods. The leader of a self-help group (SHG), Patnaik decided to establish a 'millets cafe' to bring the goodness of this wholesome grain to the larger community of rural Raipur. Empowered by Transform Rural India (TRI), designers of development solutions that work on bringing equal opportunities to rural areas, she founded this cafe which quickly captured the hearts of Raipur's residents with its diverse and delicious offerings. Its resounding success also drew the attention of Prime Minister Modi, who visited and lauded it. Varsha Raikwar Varsha is much more than a vibrant radio jockey from Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh. Having experienced first-hand how conversations about climate change often exclude women, she now passionately strives to inspire more women to volunteer and join initiatives related to climate action. 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Ranjita is a seasoned writer on a variety of topics. She has been writing for 8 years now on various international publications. Entertainment and current news topics are her favorite. She can be reached at [email protected]