is equitable and
just. Social discrimination, subordination,
domestic violence, cultural impediments and many
other factors subjugate rights of women to survive
and share livelihood.
Focused and specific activities should be designed
for the well-being of the women where by she would
equally participation in all decision-making
processes. The first move starts right at a tender
age when girl child is supposed to be in school
instead of slogging with domestic chore. There are
evidences that women related their dis-empowered
status to lack of educational opportunities. To
achieve its goal to reduce gender inequality,
MAHITI set the following objectives.
To promote girl child education in Bhal region**
Education is the important tool for achieving
gender equality. Low literacy level among women is
one of the main reasons for backwardness among
women. Though education is not an ongoing activity
due to prevailing situation in the Bhal region,
MAHITI decided to encourage girl child education.
Following activities are planned in this area.
To develop women
cooperatives***
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Saving and credit among women is the major thrust
area of MAHITI. The concept of organising women
for saving and credit activities is not and
imported idea for MAHITI. It is a result of its 20
odd years in empowering women. The main
benefits of the saving and credit
activities as perceived are as follows: |
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• To organised women from marginalized section
through saving and credit groups.
• Generate capital of its members through savings
and make it readily accessible.
• Loans claimed on the basis of saving accumulated
by members. This is to counter the exploitation of
women and marginalised by moneylenders.
• Loans will help woman member to start her own
business and become economically independent.
• This activity is a platform for women to
organize and actively participated in various
developmental issues of the village. |
On the basis of saving and credit activities,
MAHITI has promoted two district level apex
cooperatives. Presently these cooperatives cover
75 villages of Ahmedabad and Bhavnagar districts.
Mahiti intends to develop these cooperative to
fulfill the needs and aspiration of the women in
their social and economic sphere of life. MAHITI
intends to spread its outreach to more than 110
villages in next 5 years through these
cooperatives.
To strengthen Social
Justice Group and its committees
MAHITI’s activities will be increased both in
terms of scale and impact in next 5 years. With
increased scale of operation it has to prioritize
issues such as violence against women, Dalit,
human rights and exploitation. The problem of
underdevelopment and exploitation has its root
deep in the unjust social structure of the region.
Until and unless this structure dismantled people,
especially women of Bhal cannot get the fruits of
development. The system will exploit them again
and retain the benefits.
To create conducive environment MAHITI has
promoted a Social Justice Group. This group
consists of local young and educated women and men
who are committed to fight for social issues. This
group functionally divided into five committees
spread in 5 zones where MAHITI intend to operate.
These committees will work on various issues
related to exploitation, discrimination and abuse.
MAHITI intends to address conflicts of Bhal
through Social Justice Group.
* Gender equality and
issues are MAHITIs thrust area right from its
inception.
** This activity is targeted to
address gender inequities highly suggested by
community groups.
*** Though government heavily controls
cooperatives it is widely accepted mechanism in
Gujarat.
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