Gender Development Programmes

          The women in India, by and large do not enjoy the same social status and decision making power, as the men folk enjoy. The women from lower income groups and specially of the vulnerable groups are exploited and mal-treated, on various counts. They do not have any opportunities to come together, share their problems and decide together, for their rights and to develop themselves. In order to ameliorate, this situation of women, ODISA has started women self-help groups in all the 200 villages, where it is working. Women of the villages form their own self-help groups with a minimum of 15 members. They have their own elected representatives to function their groups. ODISA has enabled them to start a saving scheme, in which they can contribute and also take share or benefits in turn. There are 200 such women groups with each group having a minimum savings amount of Rs. 5000/-, and this amount is rotated among themselves for their improvement. The women groups conduct basic awareness meetings, take up common kitchen garden, common farms, community shops and other such income generation schemes for their welfare. ODISA wants to strengthen these groups already formed and wants to form more such groups in the future to help those millions of underprivileged women folk.