Women inherently play a pivotal role in nurturing and laying the foundations for life. The progress of every country has the potential to quadruple if women are actively integrated into the workforce. In India, women play a significant part in reshaping culture, the economy, society, and the environment, contributing indispensably to the country's growth. While major cities have been prioritizing women's education and development, actively involving them in the nation's economy, the progress in Tier 3/4 cities and rural India remains relatively stagnant.
In smaller cities and towns, women are still predominantly viewed as family creators and caregivers, often subjected to early marriages and subsequent motherhood. Numerous civil society organizations are tirelessly dedicated to advancing the women's workforce in the country, yet only a handful have achieved remarkable breakthroughs in recent years.”
1. Pradan: It is a 38-year-old organization, which has been working extensively towards reaching out to the poorest communities, building human capabilities, and building women’s self-reliant collectives as change agents. It has been working extensively for the rural populace in the seven states of Central and Eastern India. PRADAN recruits and trains young professionals from across the country to engage with poor communities at the grass-root level. Over the years, Pradan has partnered with many State Governments and Departments to design and implement initiatives that impact and transform the lives of the rural poor. PRADAN is also the NSO (DDAY-NRLM Support Organization) for the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, which provides a piece of knowledge and capacity-building role in these critical ministries. PRADAN conducts several programs for rural women with an opportunity to explore and learn skills as per one’s own interests and the prevalent demand in the market and make informed career choices.
2. Make Love Not Scars: It is a non-profit organisation that aims to rehabilitate survivors of acid attacks. Acid attacks are predominantly gender-based crimes, however acid is increasingly being used as a weapon in India and across the world. They operate India's only rehabilitation center for acid attack survivors. They focus on providing immediate life saving medical attention, reconstructive surgeries, legal aid and skill training in order to help survivors cope with the massive changes taking place in their lives as a result of their attacks. Their aim is to help establish a “new normal” in society where gender-based violence and discrimination of all forms – acid attacks, female feticide, bride burning, rape etc. – are seen as archaic and unacceptable by all sections of society. While they are predominantly crowd-funded, we are also sustained on corporate funding. We work in tandem with numerous hospitals, corporations, media partners and anonymous sponsors to raise awareness about our cause.
3. Sajhe Sapne: During the lockdown in August 2020, Surabhi Yadav initiated “Sajhe Sapne” after realizing that rural women were discontinuing their education due to school closures. Operating from Kandbari, a village in Himachal Pradesh, she aimed to highlight the potential, rather than the hardships, of women in villages. Sajhe Sapne provides comprehensive support to empower young rural women in launching and advancing their careers in contemporary professions. In its inaugural year, the program engaged 28 women from 16 diverse villages across Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Of these participants, 24 successfully completed the program, securing job offers. All 24 accepted the offers, with a 95 percent success rate, while two chose to explore alternative opportunities by declining their offers.
4. Guria India: This NGO was established in 1999 by Ajeet Singh, is a non-profit organization committed to combating child prostitution, second-generation prostitution, and sex trafficking in North India. To date, Guria has successfully rescued and rehabilitated 5,185 individuals from various forms of enslavement, including commercial sexual exploitation in brothels and bonded labor. The organization's persistent efforts have led to significant achievements, such as establishing India's inaugural sustainable child prostitution-free zone in a red-light area in Varanasi—an accomplishment recognized by the International Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice in 2019. In partnership with GiveIndia, Guria is presently raising funds to liberate women and children from the clutches of the sex trade.
5. Centre for social research: It was founded by a group of social scientists from JNU, CSR was established in 1983 in New Delhi. They are dedicated to creating a violence-free, gender-just society through social research, capacity building, and advocacy. A renowned social activist and a prolific academician, Dr. Ranjana Kumari is the Director of the Centre for Social Research as well as Chairperson of Women Power Connect. The organization operates on all three levels — local, regional and national, helping to create better systems for gender equality. Dr. Ranjana Kumari combines the roles of a women activist and scholar with great felicity and panache. Having dedicated her life to significant social causes, Dr. Ranjana Kumari continues to impact the lives of many with her dedication and zeal.
