WOMEN EMPOWERMENT FOR NATION BUILDING

Reproductive & Child Health is the pilot initiative of Swabhiman aimed at providing basic primary healthcare, addressing issues of pregnancy, newborn and child health, and facilitating access to public and private health facilities. Efforts are made to provide accessible and comprehensive reproductive health services, education, and resources to women of childbearing age. This includes promoting family planning methods, offering counseling on contraception, and ensuring access to contraceptives and family planning clinics. Through continuous communication activities in households and communities, the programme motivates, educates, and prepares expectant mothers for childbirth, highlighting an array of health issues including maternal and neonatal danger signs, nutrition, breastfeeding, and immunization. The programme envisages improvement in the health status of mothers, infants, and children in underprivileged communities by bringing healthcare services to their doorstep through specialized health camps and telemedicine centers that provide free diagnosis, counselling, medicines, and contraceptives.

Studies have shown that the child’s health in their first 1,000 days of life is critical and as it influence the outcomes during childhood and later in adulthood. Hence, it becomes imperative to ensure healthy pregnancy and healthy mothers and children. Nutrition Enhancement Programme focuses to strengthen the physical infrastructure and initiatives of the government system, build awareness and knowledge amongst the community. The programme also involves engaging with various stakeholders through capacity building. Through the Nutrition Enhancement Programme, there is an overall improvement in the health outcomes, which ensures that vulnerable populations have access to adequate and nutritious food. The programme seeks to empower communities and individuals with the knowledge and resources necessary to make informed decisions about their nutrition and lead healthier lives. Some of the key activities under the program include:

Entrepreneurship and skill development training is provided to women from urban slums and rural areas with limited means owning low scale businesses, giving them access to opportunities for economic empowerment, independence, and leadership. Fostering entrepreneurship among women breaks down traditional gender roles, promotes gender equality, and contributes to overall societal progress. The dedicated efforts to empower women through entrepreneurship development takes various steps to support and uplift women in their entrepreneurial journeys, providing access to training, mentorship, and capacity-building programs that equip women with the skills and knowledge needed to start and manage successful businesses. Industry experts join in-house Swabhiman trainers to help the women understand and apply the basics of business and financial management, marketing and communication. They are familiarized with ways and opportunities to scale up and expand their small-scale endeavors to maximize profit and grow as independent, successful entrepreneurs. The programme also facilitates networking opportunities – connecting women entrepreneurs with peers, industry experts, and potential investors.

The Digital Financial Literacy initiative has been empowering women with the knowledge and skills to effectively navigate the digital financial landscape. This programme provides education and training on various aspects of digital finance, including online banking, mobile payments, budgeting tools, and safe online transactions. It equips women with the necessary skills to manage their finances, make informed decisions, and access financial services through digital platforms.

Swabhiman by far has been able to affirm through community actions and advocacy that though women face numerous socio-cultural challenges coming from their prescribed societal roles and ascribed status within the family, community, and society, contravening such challenges is very much possible through creation of opportunities and enabling environment. The mainstay of Swabhiman programme’s community outreach is through Change Agents, Peers Educators, Community Health Educators and Swabhiman Health Volunteers. These change agents are identified from the community and empowered through regular training sessions on relevant issues. They further educate and spread awareness among their peers in the community.Such interventions and innovations lead to a comprehensive approach that addresses social, economic, and health challenges, promoting sustainable development, and leaving a positive and lasting impact on individuals, communities, and society as a whole.

One of the major interventions under Swabhiman programme is networking with government institutions to enhance community awareness. The community institutions with which the networking is undertaken are Integrated Child Health Scheme (ICDS), health departments, educational institutions and panchayats. The fostering of network with such institutions has qualitatively impacted the outcome of efforts and activities, and Swabhiman has always kept these organizations under the information loop ensuring possibilities of future convergence and relationships. Networking is also done with 3-level structures of the health administration for seamless implementation of its interventions:

a) Primary level—working closely with Auxiliary Nurse Midwives (ANMs) and Accredited Social health Activists (ASHA) workers in the community

b) Second level—coordination with Primary Health Centres (PHCs)/dispensaries

c) Third level—contact coordination with medical personnel at specialty hospital/institutions

Covid brought many problems with it– both outside and within our home. My husband who used to work at a tailoring shop lost his job. It became very hard to make ends meet. We could not even pay the school fees of our daughter. This led to many fights at home and I could see my family falling apart. At that time, the Swabhiman community mobilizer started visiting me, asking about my health and well being. I started attending the meetings where we were taught about healthcare, financial literacy, and becoming self dependent. I gradually became more confident and encouraged my husband to start working from our home. I too learned sewing and got much-needed support to get a tailoring machine. After that, we started receiving orders and getting back on our feet. During Covid, I also taught how to make masks to other women in my slum who needed some extra income. Now, thankfully, things are much better.

Before the pandemic, Yashoda was a young mother to a one-year old, living with her cab driver husband in Bengaluru. However, her husband lost his job in the lockdown and things turned bitter due to the resultant financial constraints. Yashoda, however, fought back. She joined the ‘Entrepreneur Development Training Programme’ of Smile Foundation which enables women to start their own ventures. Yashoda not only completed the training herself, but also gathered women in her community who were suffering like her. Soon she emerged as a leader of her peer group and set up a business of handmade organic cosmetics with them. Since then the group has started making lip balm, kajal, bathing salt, bathing powder and tooth powder. The enterprise has now been registered as “Kadamba Naturals”. Yashoda wants to expand her business and support other women too in becoming self-reliant. 

Ishwati was a daily wage labourer living with her family of six in Maharashtra. After a day’s work her family was barely able to make ends meet. When Smile Foundation began its Swabhiman programme, she was one of the first to come on board and helped mobilize other women from her community. Initially, Ishwati took up vegetable cultivation in her backyard. The two-pronged benefit being that not only does she run her own business, but also uses nutritious vegetables to feed her family. Slowly Ishwati mobilized other women of her community and formed a Self Help Group which now runs the vegetable cultivation business. During the Covid-19 lockdown, it was this essential business which helped their families survive. Ishwati is a true change-maker, who has led women from her community towards financial independence and confidence.