Bengaluru: India has had plenty to be proud of over the last few decades, but gender inequailty is a persistent problem that has never been adequately tackled. This exists at many levels, with violence against women receiving enough media glare to spread significant awareness. However, the bottom line stays the same. Women who are unable to fend for themselves have little chance of walking away from a difficult situation.
In Bengaluru, Raise, Empower Women Around (REWA), is committed to working with economically marginalised women, irrespective of age, caste, class or race and facilitating their overall development. From education to vocational training, they do it all. "We believe that empowering a woman empowers an entire family and is the best way to bring about a radical change in society," said Abhishek Saran, the founder and director of the NGO.
The NGO was established with the aim of uplifting helpless and destitute women and also teaches disadvantaged and deprived women how to fight for their rights. Nurturing talent, skills and abilities is also an important part of the programme, for it helps women, they believe, tackle life's challenges independently. Education, health, environmental awareness and education are its key areas.
Calling it a "resource center," the founder, Saran, said it "deals with women's needs and gives them professional counselling, medical care and micro savings facilities."
On Sunday, the NGO organised a health and hygiene camp for underprivileged women at Puttenhalli government school campus, focussing on the significance of personal hygiene in promoting health.
"We were reaching out to adolescents and adult women," said Saran. "The idea is to enhance the health and hygiene status of women living in urban slums and rural areas."
Founded in August 2014, the NGO has made its presence felt at the grassroots level. They do this by organising awareness campaigns on environment conservation and protection and educating women on these topics as well. Women are also taught the water-table depletion, water and soil pollution and inappropriate waste disposal.
The chief objectives of REWA for women welfare and empowerment are:
Identify the needs of change in any community and address them with sustainable solutions.
Facilitate access to education and health care services.
Ensure gender equality in all life opportunities.
Reach out to the most neglected women and impart skills to them which can help them improve their economic and social conditions.
Provide self-employment and outside employment opportunities.
Boost confidence, enhance self-esteem and enlighten women about their rights.
Uplift the standard of living.
