North of India: Life of women 

What is the general situation of women in India, particularly in Gujarat?

One of the strong points of Indian society has been its strong family bond. Men enjoyed a dominant position in the family structure and were considered to be the privileged class. Of late women have faced the challenges of family life by both working outside of the home and also toiling hard in the house. Women have to perform various roles but with very limited freedom. Abuse of women is increasing many are left helpless to cope up with the situation. Though women contribute great deal to society, there is still lot of discrimination against them. In Gujarat, this condition is especially regrettable. Literacy rate for women is only 58.60%, whereas for the men it is 80.50% (according to the census report 2001). Sex ratio disadvantages women as well; the female: male ratio is 919:1000. Female fratricide and infanticide, child marriage and malnutrition affect women adversely.

How do cultural traditions influence social development?

In this region, child marriage is common. Sending girls to school not considered worthwhile as they would marry and eventually leave their parents. Many women are illiterate and do not learn the basics of health and hygiene. In rural areas deliveries take place in the house, without the help of medical practitioners or properly-trained staff. Many deliveries are carried out by midwives. The dowry system is also practiced in the area. The dowry is not only in the form of cash, but also in the form of material goods, such as vehicles, bedding and other household items. Women are not allowed to work very far from home. These factors make women's lives difficult, and in some extreme cases, widows go without any support. Traditionally, these helpless women cannot even remarry.

How is SOS Children’s Villages trying to help?

Many widows find it difficult to meet the health and nutritional needs of their children due to their precarious financial situation. These children do not attend schools and are on the brink of abandonment. SOS children’s Villages provides them with much needed financial help to prevent the children from dropping out of school. We run outreach programmes for the school dropouts, which provide them with informal education along with nutritious meals. These programmes encourage children to return to formal schooling.

The SOS Social Centre at Bhuj empowers these women by training them in tailoring, handicrafts, bag making, which enables the women to find alternate sources of income. In the near future, we hope to offer computer courses, clay work, beautician courses and food preservation courses. We have formed self-help groups in the villages where the women help each other and improve their situations.

We seek the assistance of these self-help groups in managing the training programmes and informal education. Through our SOS Medical Centre, we provide medical assistance to neighbouring communities. We conduct check-ups at the informal education and training centres, and we plan to issue a health card to women to monitor their health status and that of the local rural people.

Which women benefit from the programme?

We work with divorcees, widows or separated women who find it difficult to send their children to school. We also help the weak and disadvantaged women of the society, some of whom find it difficult to feed their children. How did the 2001 earthquake affect the lives of women? Many women were widowed and many more lost all their possessions, including their homes. Many women and children were left seriously injured, and still many more lost their livelihoods and were traumatized. A study shows that 50% to 60% of the people suffered from depression soon after the earth quake.

What are the key challenges?

Making women self conscious and aware of their rights, so that they can emerge into the mainstream and become productive members of society. Organising and motivating women is also very important. A comprehensive literacy drive will definitely facilitate women's development.

What impact does the programme have on the lives of children?

There are several children who were traumatised by the 2001 earthquake. They had to suffer its after affects and the social taboos that accompanied it. SOS Children's Villages will help several children stay with their families and receive quality education, nutritious food, hygiene and healthcare, which will result in an improved quality of life. These programmes will decrease child abuse and will improve children's self-confidence and self-esteem, which in turn will enable children to explore the outside world and take advantage of opportunities which were not available to their parents.