Social  Development

Social Development

Many factors coalesce dramatically to make the position of women in Rajasthan a desperate one, where, according to our one of our NGO partners in the Thar Desert, Mrs Shashi Tyagi, General Secretary of Gravis, their lives from birth to death are full of suffering. Rajasthan is the second poorest state in India and many of the new economic opportunities enjoyed by middle class Indians do not penetrate to the remote interior villages. Ancient traditions, religion, caste-based patriarchy, the economic effects of global capitalism combine with environmental stress factors to make the way forward extremely complex.

Despite all efforts towards social justice, women continue to be perceived as burdens.

Some of the factors contributing to this are:

Sex ratio: there 910 women for every 1000 males in the population of Rajasthan. (Regional differences show Dholpur and Jaisalmer districts to be the worst at 795/810 respectively).

Female infanticide, anaemia, poor nutrition, maternal mortality, (558 per 100,000), child deaths from poor nutrition and water-related diseases are factors. (80% of all women of child-bearing age suffer from anaemia; infant deaths are 79/1000; the maternal mortality rates are among the highest in the world - according to UN figures. Women and girl-children are caught in a cycle of malnutrition.

Sati and child marriage are age-old customs in Rajasthan. Incidences of sexual abuse and domestic violence are high. The state has one of the lowest rates for female literacy in India. In some of our project areas the literacy rate among women is nil.

 

 

Women Workers

Women do most of the work in the villages, often walking for many miles each day to fetch water.

Self Help Groups

All our projects involve social development programmes. Self help groups are set up to give women a say in the development of their lives. Often the groups set up monthly saving schemes to save for buying seeds or to give loans.

In many villages the women are now more confident and outspoken, no longer hiding behind their veils.

Kriya

Our partners GRAVIS have set up an income generating activity with craft items such as embroidered cushion covers and hand made paper products like conference folders and gift bags . These are sold at a local market stall

Read a paper by Mary Grey on Women’s Empowerment in Rajasthan