Providing Education & Training to Women in India

Dear Supporters, 

GVI staff and volunteers facilitated a 2-hour Women’s Empowerment workshop at the HQ of WIN society, for 64 of the staff ‘Animators’ within the organisation. The workshop sought to present a range of issues that are facing women in India and highlight the connection to the global issues women are facing today.

Through group discussion and idea generation we were able to unite the staff team in addressing these issues and thinking about potential solutions they could work towards as an organisation.

Some Context

The recent abduction and assault of well-known Keralan actress in the state caused outrage among activists who say it highlights the lack of safety for all women in India and a lack of justice for victims of sexual violence. According to the data on the Kerala Police website, the number of rape cases in the state has risen from 500 in 2007 to 1,644 in 2016. This shows that progress in women’s safety issues is either non-existent or inefficient.

The WIN Society

The WIN society support various Women’s Empowerment initiatives across the coastal belt of Kerala and are working with over 16,000 families through their efforts. Through offering scholarships and running educational programmes to young people and working to train and empower women into new profitable careers, they are able to tackle some of the issues on the independence and security of women in the state.

The Workshop

With the support of a translator, we were able to discuss 8 key topics related to the limitations placed on women that prevent them from becoming empowered. The women were able to share their experience in encountering and tackling these issues both individually and as part of their organisation. The response to this session helped in strengthening the bond between GVI and the WIN society, we were able to learn about the already impressive achievements of the organisation and discuss how we could support them further.

The great impact from this session was that women taking part felt they were both concerned and motivated to make a positive change to influence the safety of women through their work. Stating that the workshop had ‘reminded them of the work they had already done’ which they found to be a useful tool. The members of WIN society later went on to hold several marches for women’s safety on International Women’s Day in early March, in which GVI supported their efforts.

Thank you for your continued support of this project!

With Gratitude, 
GVI India