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| Women's Health and Empowerment - Swayamsiddha |
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Recognition for Rural Women  |
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| The Swayamsiddha (Swayam or self and siddha - one who has proven capability or is empowered) Project was initiated in the year 2000 to improve the lives of women and girls in rural India and to empower them to address their own socio-economic and development needs. The partners in the project included thousands of rural women across 6 states. The project has reached more than 6000 women and girls from 91 villages. |
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| The major focus of the programme was gender integration, development of suitable models for health care and action research on various gender issues which can enable policy makers to develop suitable programmes in the future. This project has brought women into the mainstream of development. |
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| Although Swayamsiddha was rooted in a particular place and time, its lessons and experiences are useful models for others involved in participatory development research and programmes. |
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| The multi-institution and multi-state initiative – the Swayamsiddha (swayam or self and siddha – the one who has proven capability or is empowered) project was launched in June 2000 in partnership with the International Development Research Centre (IDRC) and with the financial support of the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) in 91 villages in 9 locations of 6 states. Focussing on gender sensitivity through gender responsive initiatives, drudgery reduction, livelihood support, improved health status, formation of community based organisations by women to address their problems and to ensure income, this model project has benefited 6987 women and girls. 616 community based organisations such as groups of adolescent girls, youth groups and 7 Federations of Self Help Groups have been formed comprising of 8146 women and men members. |
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| Objectives |
| The project aimed at improving the lives of women and girls in rural India and empowering them to address their own socio-economic and development needs by expanding women's knowledge, understanding and views of what was possible for their lives; build women's capacity to make decisions and take actions to bring about changes in their lives and together with the involved communities, improve the enabling environment |
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| The project provided a tremendous learning opportunity for BAIF and the project partners comprising of Chaitanya, Halo Medical Foundation, Maharashtra, BAIF Institute for Rural Development, Karnataka, BAIF Institute for Rural Development, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra Institute of Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, Maharashtra, Dharampur Uthan Vahini, Gujarat, Gujarat Rural Institute for Socio Economic Reconstruction, Gujarat, Rajasthan Rural Institute of Development Management, Rajasthan and Society for Promotion of Eco friendly Sustainable Development, Madhya Pradesh. |
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