Women Empowerment

Code

Name of Project

Location

Period

Type

Vols No.

Age

OSVSWA-VOL-WE-04

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT

Daspalla, Dhenkanal, Angul, Phulbani

July –March

WEMP

8 - 16

18+

EMPOWER COMMUNITIES THROUGH HEALTH , SANITATION AND HYGIENE EDUCATION

Although INDIA is considered to be a developing country where women are making their mark in almost all spheres of life but there are still many who are struggling to have a decent life. Women in tribal areas are the real bread owners.

Volunteers are required to work for the welfare and social development of women who are rural, under privileged and belong to poor background. All these women come from deprived families and have low or almost no education level.

Volunteers who choose to work for women empowerment programs need to be highly determined and understanding. You would be required to adjust with the situations and share knowledge that you posses with these women. Volunteering for women empowerment in Odisha is of great importance as it can bring about a paradigm shift in their lives.

We know that everyone looks for ways to enrich their quality of life, and we believe that we can all do this by broadening our horizons as people. Using Volunteer Travel, we can help you to make deeper connections, through close and personal interactions, which enhance your understanding of other people’s lives, of places and situations. These extraordinary insights will lead you to a new and richer world where you may discover ideas and possibilities for a better you. Every volunteer program we offer is designed with four key values in mind.

We are responsible for everyone we connect with. Our programs are driven by the community, and we also match our volunteer needs to those of the community. We encourage living in local settlements and sharing space with other volunteers for an immersive experience of life, natural environment, and local flavour. We believe the more we learn, the more we grow and our programs help to develop awareness of the people and world around us. We enjoy what we do and we keep our itinerary flexible to accommodate for different needs. We want you, the community and anyone working with us to have fun.

Making them aware of global trends and helping them learn a skill that can help them become an independent individual is the ultimate objective of the program. Volunteers interested in the cause of upliftment of women and making a difference in their lives would find this project fulfilling and rewarding. Volunteers can engage women in vocational courses such as beautician work, stitching, handicrafts, online technology etc. They can also teach English, provide guidance for nutritional and wholesome diet. Help and give computer based training for their sustainable development.

Gender inequality is one of the biggest problems and that continues to haunt, hinder and disable modern society across all parts of the country and states today. Although gender inequality is a key issue in a number of countries, it’s especially prominent in India; the 2015 Human Development Report (HDR) listed India 130th out of 155 countries in the Gender Inequality Index (GII) so our women’s empowerment program is more significant than ever.

In the rural and semi-urban communities we work in particular, gender inequality and female oppression mean that women have a disadvantage in every area of life from education and employment to healthcare and social status. This often leads to the mistreatment of women; it’s disturbingly common in poor and disadvantaged communities and there are issues such as forced early marriages and problems of domestic violence happening every day. Our women’s empowerment volunteer program is designed to address some of these issues head on, with tangible results that will change the lives you touch. Focused on skill building, women’s education and confidence building.

What makes India more complex in its sex divide is that male heirs in India are considered to be more important in Hindu culture, making women second class citizens in some communities. We understand we cannot immediately change this dated, destructive and detrimental view within Indian society, but we strongly believe that education and empowerment is the way forward. It’s one of our most important programs and we’re dedicated to changing the lives of women in a hands-on way, with rewarding elements for the volunteers who come and join our ongoing project.

Our women’s empowerment program in India gives you the option to choose from two fantastic locations in Odisha. In Odisha you will be volunteering in community centres to help teach women from slum areas essential skills such as English and to help with building skills and knowledge in the areas of health and well-being, computer operations and word-processing, and entrepreneurship. A lot of the women who come to our programs are rag pickers or housewives from disadvantaged families and this is great way for them to not only pick up new skills for independence, but to have an open sounding board and support group to talk about their personal experiences of daily struggles they go through as women living in India (i.e. early marriage, forced marriages, abuse or low paid jobs).

In Odisha our program is geared towards teaching English. The women who attend our classes are local housewives who are excited to learn from our volunteers. By learning ‘proper’ English they can engage in helping their children with school homework, communicate better with those outside their community and to secure better paid jobs. We expect all our volunteers to be proactive in creating teaching resources in consultation with our local team. We encourage only those over 21 years old to apply for this program.

YOUR ROLE :

Volunteers are needed to help give women in local communities a sense of self-worth and empowerment. Activities include:

  Teaching basic English (especially conversational skills), math and budgeting lessons
  Running educational activities, creative workshops and vocational training promoting self-reliance
  Organizing recreational activities and computer skills sessions
  Teaching the women and girls about their fundamental rights as women
  Organizing local women group meetings to educate them about their basic rights and about health issues.
  Mobilizing women awareness about cleanliness around their homes and kitchen in particular.
  Training on better health and sanitation
  Training on self defence
  Creating a healthier environment among the women groups

Volunteer duties will depend on your specific project placement, but most placements will focus on underprivileged women who are in need of extra support. Most of the women and girls perform their chores in the morning, they are able to participate in project activities in the afternoons. Thus, you will combine your afternoon women’s empowerment placement with another project in the morning, depending on your skills and preferences. You will be expected to attend weekly volunteer meetings and to update project documents.