Gender Equality India Project #54654

Empower 300 girls to end gender based violence

by iPartner India

Project Report | Feb 11, 2025
Breaking the cycle of Oppression

By Nisha Dubey | Project Leader

Girls Practicing Football

Dear Global Givers,

We are delighted to share that our One Team One Dream initiative is expanding, thanks to your generous support. With your contributions, we are now reaching 10 villages and 10 urban slum pockets, actively engaging girls, boys, and women in transformative programs that empower them to challenge and overcome gender-based violence.

We are proud to share that girls from our football program have been selected to compete in the Calcutta Women's Football League (Kanyashree Cup)—a testament to their resilience, confidence, and growing leadership. Here’s an update on our achievements from November 2024 to January 2025, demonstrating how each initiative fosters gender equality and creates pathways to end gender-based violence.

Expanding Our Reach to Break Cycles of Oppression

The Rakshan/One Team One Dream project operates in South 24 Parganas District, focusing on Baruipur Block, covering Hariharpur and Mallickpur Gram Panchayats. What started in just three villages has now expanded to ten villages and ten urban slum pockets (Para), with outreach extending to the Sundarbans region, where girls are now accessing our training programs. Expansion means more girls are being equipped with tools to challenge gender norms and assert their rights.

Gender Awareness Training: Building Resistance to Gender Inequality

We have trained 281 girls and 80 women on gender concepts through engaging tools and interactive methods. Additionally, 50 boys have undergone training in local schools, helping to shift mindsets that perpetuate violence and discrimination.

The Adolescent Reproductive Health and Rights (ARSHR) training further empowers girls with knowledge about puberty, menstruation, contraception, family planning, sexual orientation, and LGBTQIA+ rights. With three out of five modules completed, 50 girls have gained critical insights, enabling them to make informed choices and resist harmful practices like child marriage and sexual exploitation.

Empowering Girls Through Sports: Challenging Gender Norms

Sports play a transformative role in dismantling gender-based discrimination. Through 21 football coaching sessions, 52 girls have built strength, confidence, and teamwork skills—qualities essential for self-advocacy and challenging gender violence.

Recognizing the girls’ interest in basketball, we secured a female basketball coach to train them twice a week. This initiative, launched in December 2024, provides not just athletic skills but also a safe space for girls to reclaim public spaces traditionally dominated by boys.

Digital Literacy: Enhancing Girls' Independence

Girls often face restrictions on digital access, limiting their knowledge and opportunities. To break this barrier, we partnered with a local computer training institute, enrolling 14 girls in a six-month certified digital literacy program. Equipping girls with digital skills enhances their ability to seek information, access online safety resources, and resist digital exploitation.

Improving Access to Quality Education: Breaking the Cycle of Dependence

Early assessments revealed that girls in higher grades (Classes 8-10) struggle to cope with school, making them vulnerable to early marriage and economic dependence. To address this, we collaborated with Pratham to assess literacy levels and create targeted interventions in English, Bangla, and Mathematics. By strengthening their academic foundation, we ensure girls stay in school longer, gaining the knowledge and independence to resist gender-based violence.

Theatrical Skills: Finding Voice Against Violence

A senior theatre artist conducted workshops for 30 girls, using theatre as a tool for self-expression, confidence-building, and emotional healing. These sessions encouraged girls to explore self-worth, articulate aspirations, and confront personal fears, providing an emotional outlet for those experiencing violence at home or in their communities.

Psychosocial Counselling: Healing Trauma and Restoring Dignity

Many girls in our program face stress, trauma, and depression due to domestic violence and societal pressures. Our counselor provides one-on-one support, helping girls navigate mental health challenges, build resilience, and regain self-confidence—critical for those breaking free from abusive environments.

Livelihood Initiative: Economic Empowerment as a Shield Against Violence

We train 40 women in stitching and embroidery, equipping them with skills to earn an income. This initiative is more than economic empowerment—it provides a safe space for women to share experiences of domestic violence, seek support, and build financial independence, reducing their vulnerability to abuse. Initially, some women attended in secrecy, but now they assert their right to work and make their own decisions—a major step in shifting power dynamics in their households.

Looking Ahead: Strengthening Girls’ Leadership and Expanding Opportunities

We are committed to expanding our impact by:
Organizing exposure visits and residential training camps for our football girls
Enrolling more girls in digital literacy programs
Arranging visits to theatre shows in Kolkata to enhance their skills
Conducting leadership training for girls and women

Your Support Fuels Change

Every contribution you make strengthens our mission to empower girls, dismantle gender-based violence, and create safer communities. We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support.

With gratitude,
Team iPartner India

Girls in the gender session

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Oct 15, 2024
Empower 300 girls to end gender-based violence

By Nisha | Project Leader

Dear Global Givers,

As you may know, our One Team One Dream initiative has expanded its impact in the South 24 Parganas district, West Bengal, extending activities across nine villages and several municipal areas, beyond the initial three villages. Girls and women from Hariharpur, Mallickpur, and neighbouring regions have actively participated in our training programmes and meetings, which focus on empowerment through gender awareness, sports, life skills, and livelihood training.

We are happy to share an update on the achievements we have accomplished between July 2024 and September 2024.

Achievements:

Gender Awareness Training: We conducted multiple sessions on gender equality, using a gender toolkit and audio-visual aids. These tools have facilitated discussions on gender inequality and different forms of violence. The toolkit also illustrates examples of change, encouraging participants to identify small actions that can lead to significant societal shifts. So far, 79 women and 200 girls have successfully completed the gender training programme.

Next steps involve adolescent reproductive and sexual health and rights awareness sessions, with pre- and post-assessment questionnaires to measure impact. Meanwhile, our community mobilisers are reaching out to new villages, and around 100 girls are currently participating in the ongoing sessions. We have also initiated boys from a local school into the project, with monthly sessions to further their understanding of gender dynamics.

Sports for Empowerment: 60 girls are currently undergoing regular football coaching by a professional coach, with 15 girls selected to represent the community in local matches and tournaments. These girls are scheduled for friendly matches and an outstation residential camp later this year. We are also exploring other sports like hockey, athletics, and badminton, depending on the availability of coaches and proximity to facilities.

Theatre and Self-Exploration: Twice a month, our consultant conducts theatrical skill-building workshops, designed to empower girls to express themselves through street plays and awareness campaigns. This training encourages self-confidence, communication, problem-solving abilities, and key life skills for personal growth and leadership.

Counseling Support: We have introduced confidential counseling services for girls aged 9-14, offering them a safe space to discuss their concerns and receive psychological support. This intervention is crucial in helping them navigate personal challenges and gain resilience.

Livelihood and Skill Development: Our livelihood initiative, focusing on stitching and embroidery, offers 40 women the opportunity to learn new skills and gain financial independence. For many participants, this is their first time stepping outside patriarchal households marked by domestic violence and limited freedom. The training center has become a refuge where women feel supported, connected, and encouraged to pursue their aspirations.

Looking ahead, we plan to expand our gender awareness training to more villages and schools, integrating adolescent reproductive and sexual health sessions to equip young women with essential knowledge. We aim to broaden our sports programmes by introducing new activities like hockey, athletics, and badminton, and enhance theatrical skills training focused on leadership and self-expression.

Additionally, we will strengthen our livelihood initiatives by introducing new vocational training and exploring markets for their crafts, while continuing to expand our confidential counseling services to support the mental well-being of more girls.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude for your support. Your contributions make this vital work possible.

With heartfelt gratitude,

Team iPartner India

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Jun 18, 2024
Empower 300 girls to end gender-based violence

By Sumedha Sharma | Project Leader

Dear Global Givers,

The One Team One Dream (OTOD) active in the Mallikpur and Hariharpur Gram Panchayats in the South 24 Pargana District of West Bengal, has been making significant strides over the past months. This initiative focuses on women and girls from economically disadvantaged families, aiming to build their leadership skills and awareness around critical gender issues. The project also trains young girls to become footballers and challenge gender norms related to sports.

We are happy to share an update on the achievements we have accomplished between March 2024 and May 2024.

Achievements and Activities

1. Gender Awareness and Education:

One of our primary objectives is to educate women and girls about gender concepts, stereotyping, equality, and gender-based violence. During the reporting period, regular sessions in village communities, using participatory toolkits and discussions were conducted. The topics included understanding violence against women and girls and its impact on families. These sessions often started with hesitation but gradually fostered open discussions about personal experiences with violence. One young woman shared, "We face sexual violence and abuse but have never discussed it or thought about how to prevent it in our lives."

2. Collaboration with Local Schools:

Local government schools have shown a keen interest in partnering with the OTOD project. The project has now become a collaborative effort with Mallikpur Girls High School where girls have been introduced to hockey and are being trained by a professional coach. Weekly sessions on gender schools. This collaboration has also allowed us to engage with teenage boys in these schools.

3. Sports Training and Development:

Our sports initiatives have seen tremendous growth. After our football camp in December 2023, the number of girls wanting to join football coaching increased from 35 to 60, leading us to limit participants due to capacity constraints. Sports coaching is conducted twice a week, with a special group of 17 girls receiving advanced coaching at a sports club.

4. Psychological Support and Counseling:

Recognising the need for psychological counseling, especially for our core group of girls aged 9-14, we have conducted two group sessions focusing on stress management. Another session used dance as a form of self-exploration, helping girls express their inner fears and stresses.

5. Skill Development for Women:

We have established a unit to engage women in various skill development activities. Three batches, totaling 35 women, are undergoing handcraft training, including embroidery. They are learning to create traditional hand embroidery designs on different fabrics and products.

Impact

A total of 220 girls and 60 women are actively participating in OTOD project activities through community and school initiatives. Our efforts have empowered these women and girls with knowledge and skills and also provided them with platforms to express and address their concerns.

We are grateful to donors for their on-going support. We aim to expand our initiatives, reaching more women and girls and providing them with the tools and opportunities to lead empowered and violence-free lives. Thank you for being a crucial part of this transformative journey with One Team One Dream.

With heartfelt appreciation,

Team iPartner India

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