Women's empowerment through promotion of self help groups, linkages and livelihoods: From 1998 to 2005 GMVS promoted over 700 Self Help Groups (SHGs) with 7500 women members and facilitated credit support to over 4000 women through SHGS and linkages with Financial Institutions who have started small home based income generation enterprises. Over 500 women have started their sustainable livelihood activities who now stand at their own living their life with respect and dignity. Due to increased exposure and confidence women are joining new field and earning incomes. 50 SHG members received full time job as Anganwadi teachers and 83 work as ASHA worker under National Rural Health Mission.
Creating awareness about 73rd amendment to Indian Constitution in Deoni and Udgir blocks of Latur District GMVS mobilized number of women's development schemes through Gram Panchayats (local self-governing bodies), especially in the areas of approach roads to villages, special provisions for women's associations (Mahila Mandals), drinking water, sanitation and cemented roads to dalit hamlets. Over 350 women (SHG members) elected to Gram Panchayats who mobilized government schemes for community rural women in villages. There is significant increase in participation of women in PRI and Gram Sabhas (decision making bodies at village level) demanding village development programs and policies. GMVS worked closely with UNICEF Mumbai to introduce concept of Micro-planning and facilitating convergence of different government programs at village level.
GMVS supported above 500 women survivors of domestic violence through its Counselling Centre (Counselling Centre) established with support from Women’s Commission of Maharashtra and partially funded by SWISSAID. It provided counselling and other need-based support to women survivors and refereed cases to relevant service providers such as lawyers, police, and protection officer.
Awareness about health, education, personal hygiene, personality development and career guidance and laws and rights of women and girls. Over 1500 adolescent girls were given personality development and life skill training. Focus is now on providing them vocational training and promotion of their group and individual micro-enterprises.
One of the most important issues of Latur and parts of Marathwada region. There are number of cases of missing girls in the district and the boarder villages. GMVS has been working on these issues and is creating awareness amongst villagers, strengthening Gram Sabhas alerting them about cases of missing girls, sensitizing police administration, awareness in schools and colleges we work in association with state level NGO network like Save Our Sisters (SOS) and My Choices Foundation in Latur District on issues of trafficking of women and girls for sex trade. We wish to make our operational area free from human trafficking.
Alongside promoting the concept of natural or organic farming GMVS is also enhancing women's participation in agriculture as equal partners. It has trained 250 women and men in natural farming practices who are developing their lands and also have assured irrigation facilities. Farmers are given support and training in engendering agriculture, micro-planning and natural farming based sustainable livelihood practices. GMVS has also creates awareness on promotion of dairying activity by preserving local cow species.
Agriculture has been an important source of livelihood for the women and men in Latur district. Since women were actively engaged in agriculture practices and got directly affected too due to lack of resources, GMVS, with the support of AEI Luxembourg, took several measures as follows to increase the water resource that was crucial for both women, small farmers, and their livestock.
As a part of network of women's organization (SOS, Sangam, Marathwada Lokvikas Manch, Mahila Rajsatta Andolan, My Choices Foundation). GMVS, since its inception has been demanding progressive and gender just policies and programs and were on forefront of demanding Domestic Violence Act 2005, establishment of Family Courts, various legislations related to trafficking and combating violence against women and girl children, Child Abuse and Sexual Exploitation Act, human trafficking, women's participation in PRIs, etc.
With a view to enhancing women's role and voice in socio-economic development processes GMVS has been organizing women in Savitribai Phule Mahila Village Action Committees and strengthening them to help them handle their own development and empowerment issues.
We have selected 15 villages in Deoni block for sustainable development measures with women, youth and adolescent girls to address issues of drinking water, economic development, implementation of government schemes, build up confidence amongst adolescent girls through a process of training and capacity building with a view to holistic development of rural communities.
We have selected 15 villages in Deoni block for sustainable development measures with women, youth and adolescent girls to address issues of drinking water, economic development, implementation of government schemes, build up confidence amongst adolescent girls through a process of training and capacity building with a view to holistic development of rural communities.
We have selected 15 villages in Deoni block for sustainable development measures with women, youth and adolescent girls to address issues of drinking water, economic development, implementation of government schemes, build up confidence amongst adolescent girls through a process of training and capacity building with a view to holistic development of rural communities.
We have selected 15 villages in Deoni block for sustainable development measures with women, youth and adolescent girls to address issues of drinking water, economic development, implementation of government schemes, build up confidence amongst adolescent girls through a process of training and capacity building with a view to holistic development of rural communities.
With the support of SWISSAID, GMVS initiated and implementing project namely Nirdhar Samantecha - Addressing Gender Based Violence & Discrimination particularly Domestic Violence & Child Marriage in Marathwada Region (also referred to as Towards Gender Equality Project) across 20 villages of Deoni block. As part of the project, GMVS initially carried out a baseline to assess the gender attitudes and gender behaviour among men, boys, girls, and women as well as prevalence of domestic violence in the communities. So, in order to create awareness on gender equality and address the existing gender biased social norms, GMVS developed community level institutions/support systems with community animators, village level groups of Men, Women, Girls & Boys. To enhance the capacity of these community animators & village level groups, GMVS providing training on gender, gender-based discrimination and legal provisions of various laws such as Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005, The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act 2006 and The Dowry Prohibition Act.
