RURAL EDUCATION & ACTION
DEVELOPMENT
(READ)
- Women Awareness Camp -
From February 22 to 26, 1999, READ conducted a 5-day Women Awareness Camp at their building. This camp was sponsored by the Tamil Nadu Social Welfare Board, Madras (Chennai).
A total of 25 women, ranging in age between 18 and 35 and coming from 5 different villages, participated in this program.
The main theme of the camp was "Women are not subordinate creatures but they have their role in social development"
Based on this main theme, a number of topics were presented by a number of speakers and discussed with the participants. In addition, the participants were also divided into 5 small groups of 5 members each, to discuss the women's conditions and the problems. The following problems were identified during these discussions:
- Rural women are totally unaware and ignorant of happenings around them.
- The cultural, social and religious systems restrict women's education, economic independance, and political and social participation.
- Male dominance is very common.
Women are accustomed to subordination.
- Atrocities against women are very common, particularly sexual harrassment and assault.
- Education of girls is given little importance. Many girls are forced to drop out of school before they complete school education.
- Women are not organized.
- Women do not intend to get involved in economic and political activities.
- They seldomly use natural resources that are available in their village for their own development.
- They are unaware of governmental welfare programs that are designed for them.
- They are unaware of the concept of self-help programs.
To combat these problems in each of their villages, the participants have drawn an action plan to be implemented in the near future.
The Action Plan has the following principles:
- The women must get organized in their respective villages.
- The Self-help concept -Savings & Credit activity- has to be practised more intensively.
- Parents should be encouraged to allow their girls to study and at least complete school education.
- The girls who have already dropped out of school should be encouraged to complete their education through private studies.
- Villagers should meet frequently to discuss how to curb the unwanted cultural, social and religious restrictions on women's education.
- We should voice against atrocities towards women.
- Women should make use of government welfare programs, particulary those aimed at the development of micro-enterprises.
- Women should participate in all village development and political activities.
- Everybody should work together to abolish female subordination and male dominance.
- Marriages of young girls should be restricted.
The camp was concluded with the resolution that a follow-up camp will be organized during the month of April, to review the progress of the Action Plan in the respective villages of the participants.
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