Women Empowerment
Rationale & Straight Observation By Bal Basera
BAL BASERA SEVA SANSTHAN works with a large spectre of people living with HIV. Whether it is children, wives, mothers, husbands or fathers, everyone deserves to live a life free of stigma, discrimination and hardships due to this disease.
Our observation and field intervention in Jodhpur division in Rajasthan clearly shows that men are infected first and pass on the disease to their wives. Women are as much as eight times more likely to become infected with HIV as men. The women are then widowed, disowned by both families and being generally unskilled find themselves with no public or social support systems to seek out, this along with the burden of caring for children in the face of a hostile society. HIV positive Women are most vulnerable and need an access to support services for a normal, healthy life. But due to lack of resources it is only a dream of Women living with HIV. Women and children are the most affected population by this epidemic, Rajasthan and the condition in Jodhpur division is more tangible. aria like marwar, where the man dominant society persist; women engage in house works not in income generating activities, therefore the economic power and decision making power hold in the hands of man. After the death of her husband women living with HIV have to face health problems as well as social and economic problems during their widowhood. Social fabric changes drastically, women stigmatized and discriminate in many ways. The relatives likely to support her in the unfavorable time, but they keep their eyes on the entitlement of her property. With a limited educational background and skill on income generating activity, how she can feed her kids and send them in school and save herself also?
It is very common that women living with HIV are throwing out from their families as well as society. The women are always considered as the central axis of the family but the HIV infection results in single women without family and any social economical support from community. Further the health challenges also envisaged the psychological well being of women.
- Stigma & Discrimination
- Lot of stress and depression implied
- Limited access to health services, usually go for treatment very late
- Malnutrition
- Unhygienic Poor Sanitation
- Low education level
- Limited knowledge on income generating activities.
- Economically Dependence on other family members.
- Lack of information on health, HIV and OI's and somehow blaming on their selves.
- Sexual harassment
- Early marriages of their girl children
Need & Scope Of Such Initiative
Therefore BAL BASERA SEVA SANSTHAN in an endeavor to provide a continuum of care including rehabilitation of these positive women would provide temporary / short stay facilities Residential Skill Building and Resources that would enable these positive women to lead a dignified and meaningful life to the extent possible. Persons infected with HIV with a major push towards community and home based services. The issue of social stigma and HIV would be examined in partnership with People living with HIV and addressed by home visits. A woman of safe home will manage the physical, social and economic problems effectively, and staff of safe home will follow up the woman consistently.
Goal
Craft a visible sign of hope for HIV positive women in Jodhpur to reduce life threatening hardships and minimize the occurrence of new cases through community action.
Objective
To empower HIV positive women to lead a dignified life with generated skills and talents and motivate them to contribute the same for others.
- International Women’s Day Celebration
- Birthday Celebration
- New Year Celebration
- Dance Program
- Physiological Motivational counseling
- Encouragement
- Connection with government schemes
- Make women aware of their rights and laws
- Education for women and children
- Transportation facility
- Lunch & Tea
- First Aid
- Playing Area for their Children
- Safe Space and frankly environment for working women
- Home Visit
Overall Achievements
The establishment of the Women Empowerment Center has proved very useful in the lives of HIV infected women. This year, around 74 women were provided with vocational training and 20 of them have become financially independent. These women are supporting themselves as well as their families. These women take part in the training and learning with great enthusiasm at the Empowerment Center and always appear greatly encouraged and hopeful during their training. They have found a new hope in their lives and have made a firm resolution to live a better and respectable life.
