Women Empowerment
'There is no tool for development more effective than women’s empowerment'
It is a well-known fact that if we address the constraints to women's economic empowerment then it also helps in poverty reduction, food security, inclusive & sustainable economic growth, and gender equality. The approaches to economic empowerment could include increasing skills and access to productive resources, improving the institutional environment, and assisting women in their ability to make and act upon decisions regarding economic growth and development. Enhancing women’s skills can be viewed as an instrument to empower the individual and also improve her social acceptance or social value.
PAF believes that when a poor woman gets empowered then it benefits the whole family and the entire society. In India, there is no serious effort has been made toward women’s empowerment instead these women are deprived of even very basic rights like health care, girl education, participation in the decision-making process at home and away from home, employment, and self-respect and dignity.
Many studies revealed that there has not been much development of human capital of economically active women living in slums as they remain low-skilled, face deteriorating health and well-being, and are burdened by household chores and economic pursuits of survival. PAF works with the vulnerable working women living in Thane slums by providing them with training on skill development and awareness on diverse topics.
Under social awareness, women are provided with sessions on diverse topics related to their overall socio-economic development like life skills, first aid, emergency & support mechanism, food and nutrition, leadership development, child marriage, stress management, entrepreneur development, successful running an enterprise, mindfulness and non-verbal communication, gender-based violence and discrimination against women, etc. PAF is empowering women through financial inclusion and gender-based awareness programs.
Under the skill development program, PAF works with women to develop and enhance their skills that suit the demand of the market for better financial inclusion and gender equality.
These women also do not know anything about the outside world as they are so busy at work and then taking care of household chores that they hardly get time for any other activity. To provide them an opportunity to see the outside world, PAF organizes recreational visits for these women as well as for their children. These visits help them to know the things happening outside their homes and also provide a platform to enhance their knowledge and wisdom about themselves and the world and widen their perspective on many issues.
In Thane slums and nearby areas, Proaction is working with women working in the textile industry by assisting them in capacity building, awareness, and skill development to help them in their overall socio-economic empowerment. In addition, regular monthly health check-ups for all targeted women, a group health insurance covering all women and their family members is also part of this project so that they live a happy and healthy life. For children of these working women, there is a well-functional Day Care Centre (DCC) with fulltime qualified staff that caters the needs of the children, DCC provides a safe place with a conducive environment for children with educational, healthcare, and nutritional support.
We follow an inclusive approach in implementing activities, no one will not be excluded based on caste, class, religion, language, or any form of disability.
