A land having the distinction of boasting the world's
largest number of professionally qualified women is yet to ensure
a life with dignity for the majority of its womenfolk!
India’s male to female ratio is an alarming
1000:933. Women form half of the country’s population, yet
only about half of them are literate. Close to 1.5 lakh women become
victims of various crimes annually, as per reported cases. Further,
an estimated 5 crore women face mental and physical cruelty. Although,
the legal marriageable age for a girl in India is 18 years, our
girl child doesn’t have a say when she is going to be a woman!
Ironically enough, India has the distinction of
having the world's largest number of professionally qualified women!
India prides in having more women as doctors, surgeons, scientists
and professors than the United States has. India is also proud of
the Kalpana Chawalas, Indra Nooyis, P T Ushas, Sania Mirzas, Aishwarya
Rais, Kiran Majumdar Shaws, Kiran Bedis, to name a few.
Then again, woman faces discrimination at her home,
starting from womb to tomb. She ventures out to the street and she’s
not sure what harassment would greet her at the corner. If she bears
a daughter, she doesn’t know why rest of her life won’t
be the same again! The saga continues; generation after generation;
leaving little chance for Indian society to take a giant leap.
As a matter of fact gender-based discrimination
and societal behavior leading to physical and psychological harassments,
emotional violence bordering on cruelty is never scant in woman’s
basket of woes. Social evils begin at the womb with female feticides,
infanticides, sexual harassments, rape and dowry related tortures
putting an end to her misery only at the tomb!
In order to make the women realize their inner
strength and importance in the society, Swabhiman has taken a pledge
to illuminate their lives with Pride and Dignity!
Swabhiman, an initiative of Smile Foundation,
aims to bring pride and dignity for our girl. Swabhiman, meaning
self-respect, is a programme designed to enable women to realize
their full potential in every sphere, be it home, office or community.
This programme helps in enhancing the skills and information relevant
to make them realize their self-esteem. Again, Swabhiman is not
anti-men, but it encourages women to defend themselves and escape
from violence and advocates men to be a part of bringing due dignity
for our girl child.
1st Milestone [Achievements]
Swabhiman started getting an overwhelming response
from the participants, communities, institutions and organizations
alike within a short time of its launch in Delhi & NCR. During
first year of its launch Swabhiman has reached out to around 4000
beneficiaries through 50 communities and organizations
Supporters Speak
Swabhiman, in course of its eventful journey, has
received real value addition as well as accolades from persons of
substance! These public figures have set their own roads in life,
and thus set examples for others to excel. All of them have been
associated with Swabhiman during various activities and programmes.
Comments, suggestions and observations from
a few of them are as mentioned below:
"There is a night-and-day difference
women having training and exposure as in Swabhiman and those
not having this. In crisis, they are the best people to
come out as winners. Low skilled, family pressure and not
having financial authority at home often results in low
self-esteem for women."
Dr. Kiran Bedi, Magsaysay Award Winner Super Cop
"I feel surprised when I look back
and realize that I successfully scaled Mount Everest twice
and hold a place in the Guinness Book of World Records for
being the only women in the world to have conquered Mt.
Everest twice. I saw snow for the first time only in 1986
but conquered the highest and toughest peak twice in 1993
and 1994. If you feel you can do it, the way to the top
is not impossible."
Ms. Santosh Yadav, Mountaineer
"For a woman to be successful, she
has to grow everyday and take life positively,"
Ms. Anjolie Ela Menon, Painter
"It feels great to be associated with such an initiative.
Women have always been placed highly in our society. We
just need to revive it again, involving all members of
society."
Ms. Manisha Koirala, Bollywood Actor
"Never accept being 'allowed' by others to do something.
One must be aware of one's right and freedom."
Ms. Feroz Gujral, Model
"Woman has been gifted with all vital
knowledge in capsules by Nature. So she should feel privileged
to lead her own way in life, be it personal or professional,"
said veteran actor Sushma Seth. For a woman, responsibilities
and challenged could come three ways. It can be by choice,
can be trust upon you or it can also be Karmic. One needs
to take care of it in a positive and cheerful way to come
out winner."
Ms. Sushma Seth, Bollywood Actor
Do not be a weak woman, a liability. You
need to be healthy first of all."
Dr. Shikha Sharma, Nutritionist & Health Expert
"Women have to first respect themselves
and then only the world will respect them. Whatever she
faces she need make a revolt but should confidently face
the challenges and come out a winner in life. Never surrender
in front of the problems and always fight back."
Ms. Nadira Babbar, Theatre Personality
"I feel that women are the great creation of the
God. All human beings need love and affection to grow
in life and these qualities are abundant in a woman. I
am very happy with the work of Swabhiman because the programme
has evoked self confidence in all girls and now they are
becoming independent."
Ms. Nita Malhotra, ACP – Crime Against Women
Cell, Delhi
"As a woman one needs to work harder
to prove herself. She needs to make balance between work
and home. Keeping a good health, time management and self
management are three important things particularly a working
woman needs to take care of. Furthermore, there is a Mantra
in life for a woman: AMA - Ability, Motivation and Attitude."
"I am very happy with the act of awareness and empowerment
showed by the community girls and appreciated their acts
and Swabhiman's efforts in making them confident and aware
of their rights. I am disheartened that at one hand girls
are carving a niche for themselves and on the other hand
they are fighting against molestation, humiliation and
deprivation in their lives everyday in the society. We
all have to come forward to make a well-cultured and civilized
society."
Mr. Farooque Sheikh, Actor
"Men do have a responsible role in empowering our
girls in the society. Let's make efforts like Swabhiman
a movement and more people from various backgrounds should
join it."
Mr. Raghavendra Rathore, Fashion
Designer
"I come from a modest background and studied English
only from standard 6th in a government school. I started
taking tuition after Class 12th and made my way through
graduation. Focus and determination are the ingredients
for success. I am very proud of being a mother and a wife.
You can be down, but never in any point of life feel that
you are out."
Ms. Alka Saxena, Journalist
"The essence of a woman is all about her strength.
We all know how to look good but we do not do it because
we do not feel important about ourselves."
Ms. Samantha Kochar, Hair Stylist & Expert
"A woman anywhere in the world needs to know her rights
and ask for it."
Ms. Alkashree Shivshankar, Advocate & Legal
Consultant [First woman to set up a law first in Europe]
Swabhiman Partners
Swabhiman, in course of its crusade, has joined
hands with various organizations and communities for reaching out
to the beneficiaries effectively. It led to the formation of a Referral
Network among the partners which proved to be instrumental in achieving
the objectives behind the programme collectively.
A few of Swabhiman’s partners include Delhi
Police, Delhi Commission for Women, Delhi Legal Services Authorities,
Crime Against Women Cell and British Council etc. Many more partners
who have joined hands with Swabhiman in multiple levels are as follow:
Anurag, Pratham, NTPC Ltd., IPP Project - W.H.O.,
National Students’ Union of India, Salam Balak Trust, Child
& Women Development Programme, Paryas, Kirandeep, CASP, Sankalp,
Alamb, Father Agnel, Samarthya, Chakradhar Seva Sansthan, Butler
School, Nav Shrishti, CASP-Plan, Sahayogita, Aradhya, Swami Shivanand,
Abhas, Health & Care Society, Vidhya, C.S.R., Child Survival
India, Prayatan, Literacy India, Sakshi, Child Welfare Society,
I.C.D.P., Swashrit, Adhar, Mercy Welfare, Sadhna Shakti, E.E.T.S.,
Association of Studies & Research, Urida, New Opportunities
for Women [NOW], Society for All Round Development [SARD], Chetanalya,
Sulabh International, AICURD, APSR, Janhit Society, India Aids,
NavJyoti Delhi Police Foundation, Viklang Sewa Samiti, Jeet, Sur
Nirman Kendra and Astha Jan Kalyan Samiti, among others.
Smile Foundation has been tying up alliance with Corporate
Organisations and Companies forming partnership, functioning
as National Funding agencies for NGOs. It strives to form
collaboration and tie up with International Development
organizations, corporate social responsibility [CSR] companies
as partners in south Asia for child education programmes,
healthcare projects and welfare programs for underprivileged
children in India. At the grassroots level Smile has non
government charitable institutions and trusts, schools,
NPOs as partners across India as part of institutional and
organizational joint venture in social sector.
Smile Foundation has head office in New Delhi and regional
offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, Chennai, Goa, Kolkata and
Nagpur. Smile projects are located across 21 states of India.
A few major locations and states are Mumbai, Thane, Pune
in Maharashtra; Vaishali, Patna in Bihar; Trivandrum, Kochi
in Kerala; Jaipur, Bhilwara in Rajasthan; Hyderabad, Secunderabad
in Andhra Pradesh. Contact points for Smile projects and
partner NGOs also include places like Sambalpur, Cuttack,
Kendrapara, Bhubaneswar, Bolangir, Sonepur, Puri, Behrampur,
Angul in Orissa; Chennai in Tamil Nadu, Bhilai, Raipur,
Raigarh in Chhattisgarh. Various child welfare programmes
located also in Bangalore or Bengaluru, Mangalore, Bijapur
in Karnataka; Ahmedabad, Gandhi Nagar, Paldi, Himmat Nagar,
Mehsana in Gujarat; Ratlam, Bhopal in Madhya Pradesh; Jhansi,
Lucknow, NOIDA, Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh; Roorkee, Haridwar,
Dehradun in Uttarakhand. In the North East, Smile Foundation
education projects with local non government organizations
are located at Imphal at Manipur, Guahati or Guwahati, Kamrup
district in Assam. Other major NGO project locations and
cities with local offices for Smile children cover Ranchi
in Jharkhand; Jalpaiguri, Kolkata, Howrah in West Bengal;
Faridabad, Gurgaon in Haryana; Delhi NCR.
