Women Empowerment – WE

Our Goal: To Truly Empower Women in Rural India

Share and Care Foundation’s Women Empowerment Committee (WE) has been striving to find simple and effective solutions to truly and completely empower rural women in India.

The Status of Women in India

Today, there is much discussion on gender equality and women empowerment. It is a multi-faceted and deeply rooted issue in all countries. There is not one single solution to promote gender equality, nor will the problem be solved quickly. However, small steps can be taken to create significant change, and impact in the lives of women all around the world.

Empower a woman today

Our Programs

The women who WE impacts have limited education, and therefore have few skills that can translate to an income or self-sufficient life. They also come from traditional families, where women are not given the same importance or value as men. The WE committee decided on providing these women with the following:

  1. Vocational training, such as fashion design and computer training , to provide skills for employment or starting her own business
  2. Financial management skills, to teach women the basic principles of budgeting and saving their own money for their futures
  3. Self-defense lessons, to empower women in the truest sense and help them defend themselves physically when necessary
  4. Confidence training, to help undo the traditional mindset of inferiority their communities have instilled in them and to help them blossom into confident, self-sufficient women
  5. A safe space, for women escaped from red-light districts along with legal protection, governmental services, and education
  6. Gender equality education, for both boys and girls from a young age to change the way women are viewing in society.

A Story to Inspire

Over the years, the committee has seen many success stories. The following is one that continues to be Share and Care’s motivation to keep working: Ranjanben, a graduate of the WE Committee and Project Life’s 12-week training program designed to empower women, has suffered through unimaginable tragedies in her 36 years. Her husband, Keshavbhai, struggled for years trying to make enough money to support himself, his wife, and their 3 young children. The pressures of debt and hardship of his life caused him to develop severe mental health issues. Ultimately, he committed suicide along with his 3 children in the Sabarmati River.

Ranjanben saw her whole life fall apart, and no longer had the will to go on. Project Life provided her with continuous support and mentoring till she was ready to enroll in the livelihood skills training program. She chose the sewing class, having always had an interest in learning, and is now completely independent – living alone, and running a handmade quilt business. More importantly, she has found contentment, self-confidence, and self-respect. She now encourages and mentors other women enrolled in the training programs.

Help a woman find her voice

By women, for women, and of women.