International Wormen's Day: women's achievements in the Indian social sector

Samhita is a sort of charities aid organisation in India - you can look at its website for information about Indian voluntary organisations. It has an interesting feature acclaiming women contributors to social development, in recognition of International Women's Day. Among the women recognised are:

Sara Lizia D’Mello – Founder, Committed Communities Development Trust

She has been working in the social sector for the past 24 years, and founded Committed Communities Development Trust (CCDT) in 1990. It uses a rights-based approach working with marginalized communities living in the slums and Red-Light areas of Mumbai, engaging with people impacted by HIV/AIDS and with ensuing stigma, discrimination and deprivation. Children, especially orphan and vulnerable children, and women, including women in prostitution, have constituted the core of its integrated community development interventions.

Prema Gopalan – Founder, Swayam Shikshan Prayog

Prema completed her Masters in Social Work and her pre-doctoral study on women in the informal sector left her restless and she wanted to engage directly with such women. Swayam Shikshan Prayog partners with over 72,000 women in self-help groups or networks in three states in India Maharashtra, Tamilnadu and Gujarat. Scaling up its microfinance and enterprise strategy by partnering with women’s groups/federations, SSP expanded its operations to 1600 villages across six districts in Maharashtra promoting a women’s leadership to operate savings and credit and insurance businesses and act as information/service providers. 

Nikita Ketkar – Founder, Masoom
Nikita worked in different capacities as a Journalist, Lecturer and Social Worker. She started Masoom in 2008, an organisation focused on improving the night schools. Masoom is presently working in 10 night schools of Mumbai. Masoom plans to reach out to 210 night schools by 2020 impacting 20,000 night school students in Maharashtra.

Annabel Mehta – Honorary Treasurer, Apnalaya

Annabel was born and brought up in England, She completed her Diploma in Social Administration and came to India in 1966. Annabel has been closely involved with Apnalaya since early 1973. Apnalaya strives to achieve this through urban community development projects in Mumbai. Its role is one of empowerment: of encouraging ordinary men and women to believe in themselves and in their abilities to change their lives for the better.

My comment: These case histories ilustrate the importance of connecting women's economic and educational development with 'rescue' of marginalised groups.