Women and Girls' Rights

	Self help group members holding their meeting
	Women gather during a function

Parmarth actively works towards eradication of gender-based inequality and promotes women’s access and control of resources in the project area.

A large number of SHGs have been formed all over the operational area. Apart from carrying out regular savings and credit activities these SHGs are also providing a platform to the members to discuss host of problems and issues and their solutions that they face.  The SHGs have been federated and linkage has been built up between SHGs and Mahila Ekta Sangh, the federation of SHGs.

Other interventions include:

• Establishment of 16 reflect circles with a membership of 383 women in six villages. The circles provide a literacy platform to these women
• Organisation of Mahila Adhikar Abhiyan (women rights campaign) for strengthening capacity of women and girls to claim their rights and meet their basic needs
• Organisation of Jan Jagaran Yata (public awakening journey) on domestic violence issue in 19 villages. Around 5,000 people participated in this yatra
• Holding of regular meeting of Mahila Mandal at village level in 36 villages of Madhogarh and Rampura blocks
• Training to 149 women elected panchayat members
• Organisation of gender refresher training for 65 school teachers
• Holding of weekly classes for 129 adolescents and women. Besides literacy component, these classes also covered issues like gender issues, government schemes and entitlements
• Formation of 21 Kishori Mandals (adolescent girls’ group) with a total membership of 263 adolescents

As a result of these interventions

• 46 girls have taken support from Girls Education Fund for continuing their education at middle and high school level and five girls for intermediate and graduate education
• Inactive primary schools have become functional in operational area due to collective efforts by reflect facilitator
• 52 women have taken support from the Health Emergency Fund during pregnancy and other illnesses
• Parents have become sensitive towards girls education and 229 girls have got opportunity to continue their education
• 47 poor drop out girls children restarted their education

Eradication of Female Foeticide

One of the major reasons behind declining sex ratio (defined as number of females per 1,000 males) in India is killing of female foetus inside the womb, commonly called female foeticide. Parmarth is working towards eradication of female feticide in over 54 villages of Kuthond block and 35 villages of Madhogarh and Rampura blocks. As a result of the interventions, families in the intervention area are slowly getting sensitised towards the issue. Working committees in 54 villages of Kuthond block have been formed while Sajag Samitis (vigilance committees) have been formed in 35 villages of Madhogarh and Rampura blocks. Necessary capacity building inputs have been provided to the committees. These committees work on female feticide.

The PNDT (pre-natal detection test) Committee is working with full devotion and conducting regular meetings after start of the interventions. Consequently it is performing its duties well.