Changes

New friends, new knowledge and new work to do – for many a woman participating in the Women's Development Programme means a new way of living. It is not long before women's condition improves leading to a gain in position as well. Some of the frequently documented changes are as follows:

Condition Position

Gender equity

Advancement of women's social standing

  • Reduction in discrimination between sons and daughters in respect of food, clothing and education
  • Question on son preference
  • Men's sharing of domestic chores
  • Consent to women's participation in community work

Reproductive health

Co-operation in creating demand-side awareness and extension of reproductive health care services

  • Prevention, diagnosis and cure of problems
  • Immunisation of mothers and babies
  • Improvement in maternal and child nutrition
  • Safe motherhood because of readiness for treatment and provision for non-funded emergencies

 

Life skill education

Women's agency in enriching own life and that of others in similar condition

  • Self-confidence on account of basic, specialized and leadership development courses
  • Decrease in actual cases of domestic violence
  • Increase in reported cases of domestic violence
  • Improvement in the state of male dominance and vulnerability

Adequate prosperity

Women's coming forward to end income poverty

  • Creation of alternative livelihood opportunities as a result of skill and entrepreneurship development, business start-up grants and seed money support
  • Economic security resulting from savings mobilisation 

Institutional participation

Increase in both binding and bridging types of social capital

  • Shared responsibilities, different roles and access to service-providers
  • Promotion of self-help and mutuality