Reduce Gender Based Violence in Urban Communities

Girls and women, Maitri is engaging with, are trapped in a cycle of poverty. Lack of diverse and market responsive education and skill building opportunities often result in these communities being left out from mainstream opportunities. Many girls are pulled out of school to take over household responsibilities and never develop the skills to enter the job market.

Maitri aims to bring these girls and women out of their homes, empower them with education and provide them with important technical skills in tailoring and culinary and English speaking. Since, the girls and women are essentially homemakers, they are well versed with the basic skill of tailoring and cooking. With training, they are being skilled and empowered with techniques of clean cuts, finishing in the final products they stitch which would have a market value. Maitri is also providing them opportunities to become entrepreneurs or support them if they want to work with an export house.

The training provides women with employment and self-employment opportunities. The self-employment creates self-confidence in the trainees and also helps in improving their living conditions. 

We are proud to inform you that 7 women were facilitated on 15^th February 2017. They have now acquired the basic skills and confidence they need to either venture into a home based self-employed small business. We are happy to inform our supporters; all our trainees from culinary class and English speaking class found employment with companies like Starbucks, Café Coffee Day etc.

There is exceptional determination in the students to learn and empower themselves. We saw that the trainees are in a hurry to complete their basic course so that they are able to step up to learn designer boutique wear stitching. The students not only know how to stitch basic blouses but also have started stitching designer Indian wear. The drive to learn and implement the skill is so much that the students within a month of their course start taking basic orders for stitching Indian wear from their neighbourhood. Gradually as their skill improves they will start taking more advance orders from the ladies.

 Story of Empowerment

Seema, enrolled in Maitri’s tailoring course with an aspiration to learn a skill that can empower her to be independent and support her parents financially. She has been a part of the classes for over a year now and has completed her basic sewing course. Seema is pursuing her advance designer course with us and spends two hours a day in learning the skills. Rest of the time during the day she spends in completing the stitching orders given to her by the ladies in her community. Within six months of her enrollment under the course and completing the basic course with excellent skills she has started taking stitching orders from the ladies in her neighborhood. She mostly takes orders for Indian wear that comprise of salwar suit and petticoat , but stitching work  pays her enough to earn a pocket money for herself, fulfill her basic needs and contribute a little to the family income. She is able to earn around four thousand rupees a month. At times when the sewing class teacher is on leave she acts as a substitute teacher for her peers. It is a proud moment for us that our Student has become capable enough to step into the teacher’s shoe.

Seema is grateful to Maitri for giving her the opportunity of learning the skill of tailoring and making her confident enough to be an independent earning member in the family. She not only earns for herself but also is able to help her parents financially when required.

Some of our students need financial support to purchase a sewing machine to become entrepreneurs; Maitri seeks support from our compassionate donors.

All in all, the past couple of months have been full of excitement and satisfaction for our Tailoring Class students. You have been a very important link to bringing change in the lives of vulnerable women and young girls we work with. We are very grateful for your support and are positive that with your continued support, we can reduce the incidents of gender-based violence.

For years of subjugation now, women’s individuality has been reduced to the four walls of the house. It is worse when the walls support domestic violence. It is the brutality and the evil associated with gender based violence that Maitri strives to fight against. Since its inception, Maitri has stood firm in its stance of protecting marginalized vulnerable women, and help them realize their potentialities to fend for themselves in all spheres of life.

To achieve the same, on Oct 14, 2016, Maitri organized a rally against Domestic Violence in and around the communities that we work with in Soniya Vihar, Delhi. The objective of the rally was focused on bringing women and men of the community together to take a unified and solid resolve against domestic violence.

The event was successful in garnering a large participation, with 60 people including women, youth and children. The major challenge that we faced as an organsitaion for fighting against a matter so sensitive was participation from women. A sense of awkward hesitation prevailed to come out in support of it, as most did not have their husband’s approval. This is a clear example of rigid hierarchies that exist within the family, where the woman is restricted only to child bearing and child rearing.

Another attempt into breaking the silence around domestic violence was exhibited through Nukkad Natak (street play) organized in the ARD Community on Oct 16, 2016. The theme was based on breaking the silence and myths around domestic violence and an urge to extend both males and females an equal right to opportunities. Our community went around the entire basti to invite people to come and watch the play. Following the nukkad natak, was a session arranged for interaction with the community residents. They could raise questions or provide their opinion on the topic. For instance, an elderly man shared that he received the message of the play well, and would share his insights with his fellow community residents. He further added that the ones who do not want to bring about any change in the society, would not have inferred any positive message from the play.

On 21^st October 2016, Maitri organized for the screening of the movie ‘Dor’ in Sonia Vihar. The screening started at around 7 pm and ended by 9.45 pm. About 15 women, 10 youths and children joined us. Post the movie, a small session was arranged to record the particpants’ feedback. The women absolutely loved the movie for the simple reason that they could connect their lives with the characters from the movie. The discussion with the community women brought out to light how difficult life gets for a widow, and that the instances domestic violence and other societal barriers  can be dealt with in a better way if women collectively stand for the protection of their personal rights and space.