Orissa ACTIVITIES:

Women’s Empowerment through Self-Help Groups
Forest Protection and Environment conservation
Education for All
Child Labour Elimination Program
Community Health with special focus on HIV/AIDS Prevention and Care
Agriculture / Irrigation
Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation
Watershed Development / Management g Housing

Problem of illiteracy, awareness & superstitions
Lack of working opportunities throughout the year
Lack of adequate safe drinking water facilities
Destruction of forests, soil erosion and loss of agricultural land’s fertility
Lack of technical skills for becoming self-employed
Lack of leadership qualities and organisational power of the people
Atrocities on women
Socio-economic oppression and low status of women in the society
Lack of land in the hands of majority people
Lack of irrigation facilities in the area
Lack of decision-making power in the hands of majority people

Women Had No Recognition In The Village
Treated As Secondary Sex And Second Class Citizens.
They Were Neglected And Oppressed

Women were Oppressed by the
Patriarchal Culture and Customs
Alcoholism
Battering of Women
Child Marriage
Child Labour

Agriculture is the primary source of income, they are small and landless farmers and daily labourers.
These people’s daily wages are very low and erratic. There is a discrimination in the wages, women are paid only Rs 20 or 30 while men receive Rs. 40 or 50 per day.
Majority of the people depend on money lenders to run the food security activities.
People did not have the habit of saving and migrate to outside to earn their livelihood.

Child Marriage and large families with more children
Lack of safe drinking water and sanitation facilities
Diarrhoea, Malaria, Leprosy,TB etc.. cases are high in the project area
The rate of awareness on health issues is very limited

TheLandlords & Money lenders
Negative attitude of Youth & Men
Old experiences of women/ Mistrust
Superstitious beliefs
Extremists’ Interference (wood mafia)

Need for literacy amongst women
On Child labour Issues
On Communicable Diseases
Need for clean environment
Environmental Protection
On superstition
Child Marriage
Government Schemes

Formation of Women’s Action Groups and Self-Help Groups(SHGs)
Formation of Federation of Women’s Action Groups and SHGs
Alternative livelihoods Developmental Activities
Empowerment of Women ,Children and Youths
Gender Justice

Obtained Drinking Water
Laid road to the villages
Solidarity with the poor
Village waste-land reclamation
Agitation against Liquor and other injustices
Shramadhan –Clean Village and Environment Conservation
Literacy Centres –Education for All
Safe Drinking Water, Toilets & Smokeless chullah
Women’s Action Groups and SHGs formation
Forest protection committee formation
Water harvesting structure

Tackling village disputes
Action against violence against women
Tackling family disputes between husband/ wife, mother –in-law & daughter –in-law
Community Health and Environment conservation
Elimination of Child Labour
Capacity building of women leaders elected to Panchayat as Surpanch, Ward Member , Samiti Savya

Date of Formation – 30.11.2001
Number of Women SHGs – 158
Total members – 2307
Total Savings of Women members – INR 1208760
Internal Loan among members – INR 273115
Total Loan availed from Banks – INR 198200
Total Loan disbusrsed by DISHARI- INR 834500

Financial Transaction for IGP
‘Fist full Rice’ savings
Lobby, Advocacy at block/district level for women’s rights, forest rights etc.
Celebration of World Forest day, International Women’s Day, World Environment Day, World AIDS Day etc.
Capacity building of Women Panchayat Members and their active participation in Panchayati Raj ( Local self governant)
AIDS Prevention programs

Increased participation of women in local governance
The group leaders take initiative in villages
Leaders express more openly in public
Women approach local & state governments freely for assistance

Identify problems and find solutions collectively
Elected in Panchayats – giving good leadership
The women are better skilled to lobby for their rights and benefits from the government
Women deal social issues, health, environment and Issues related to Women’s greater role in Society

Women are better skilled to play active role in communities.
Women gained respect, Self confidence and psychologically secure.
Women are more autonomous and secure financially.
The status of women and Self-esteem are increased considerably.
Women enjoy more freedom and empowered

Respected in their families and Status is increased
Violence decreased
Empowered with increased capacities
Self – employment with credit opportunities
Children get better education
Better health of the family

Equality of women with men at all levels gaining ground
Women entrepreneurship has contributed to Economic Development of community.
Greater involvement of women management of community activities.
Values that women foster have positive effect on the communities.
Living conditions of the communities have improved

Capacity building of women and men for establishing rights over natural resources.
Formation and Strengthening of Community-Based Organisations/Forest Protection Committees in all the villages, and uniting and bringing them under the leadership of the Network-“JUNGLE SURAKSHA VAHINI”.
Arranging training and exposure programs for members of FPCs/CBOs for capacity building.
Strengthening people’s role especially of women in Panchayat Raj Institutions(PRIs).
Through ‘Micro Finance and Livelihood Development programme’ build better relationship with the government officials and tap government and bank resources and schemes.
Mobilize the local resources for better livelihood opportunities with the support of ‘Micro Finance and Livelihood Development programme’ .
Organising orientation training on micro enterprise development and micro finance management and marketing services etc.
Organising leadership development and capacity building training programmes
Organising orientation training on various livelihood skills and micro enterprise development.
Providing micro-credit to women members of SHGs for livelihood promotion.
Training Orientation on natural resource management for livelihood development.
Undertaking marketing services through showroom and wholesale outlets throughout India and abroad, for supporting the micro-enterprises.
Developing a Network of NGOs involved in micro-finance and micro-enterprise development through SHGs.
Strengthening the Women SHGs Federation-DISHARI for sustainablity of all community based development action programmes.
Strengthening the empowerment process of all the women and men in order to develop Civil Society Organisations and attaining Good Governance.
Strengthening linkages with National and International Hu(Wo)man Rights Network.