Livelihood for 500 Tribal Women in Gujarat

It has been awhile since the last update.

In recent news, the women are working hard to prepare the land for monsoon season. The rain has already begun and much more is expected to come our way!

The growing and selling of organic vegetables was a great success this past month. Making a profit totaling 700 INR in one month, the women have therefore increased their crop. In the last ten days only, the vegetables sold have made a whopping 400 rupees! Their demand is on the rise!

Mahila Panch, the Women's Court, has had wonderful turnout and results in the last two months; the number of successfully resolved cases is constantly increasing. More and more cases of domestic violence are being brought public to the court because of recent achievements. The tribal women have created a unique space amongst their communities where their voices are heard loud and strong.

Lastly, but definitely not least, the women have significantly increased their interest in loans. The Sakhi Sanghatan decided collectively to loan 20,000 INR to a group of marginalized tribal sex workers, ORSAN, for the collection of grain. This money will greatly improve livelihood, and proves the power of sharing between women's groups. The SS is able to provide a helping hand to yet another tribal community of marginalized women. Sharing resources between women has always been at the heart of Vikalp.

SHARING A CASE from Women's Court:

A woman, Shashilaben came with her parents and six year old boy to testify against her husband who drinks, verbally harasses and physically harasses her. She did not want to remain married, claiming that he is a negligent father and husband. Shashilaben requested a divorce from the Mahila Panch.

The husband came with many elders from his community, who all argued for his case. Women from Mahila Panch individually approached the men, who quickly became defensive and began to yell. One, however, agreed with the Panch, mentioning that the boy is out of line in his drinking, so they will indeed be willing to compromise. At one point, the young boy said, “But all men drink, so what is the difference?”

Furthermore, the women of Mahila Panch observed some strange behaviour from the child during the hearing. Initially, the little boy was very friendly, running around actively. However, once his father arrived he quietly hid behind his mother and grandparents, shrinking away from the crowd. The women used this as evidence that the boy must fear his father, proving that the husband indeed acts badly towards both mother and child in their home.

The decision came for a divorce, and now the boy lives with his mother only. She was paid full compensation thanks to the efforts of Mahila Panch.

Please help us in supporting these women's efforts. Their hard work is just beginning - any small amount will help to generate more crop from the upcoming harvest. You can't imagine how far a small donation will go. Thank you again for your enthusiasm!