The Rural woman
Waiting at Manikpur Railway Station with bundles of Firewood
Begging for Food
She has no other work option but to clean the laterines of Mau Town
She lost her children out of Hunger and Poverty
The lost Childhood….
School dayS…… child labor
She is just 15 yrs, her son is 18 months old
They also suffer from…
Maternal Mortality
Women Trafficking
Malnutrition
Exploitative Practices
Child Marriage
Dowry
Gender Violence
Child Labor
Eve Teasing
Sexual Harassment
Family Abuse
& a lot more…
60 % of the Girls are married before the age of 16
Nearly 60% of the married girls bear children before
they are 18
125,000 women die from pregnancy and related
causes every year
Maternal mortality in India is the 2nd highest in the
world
Access to Sanitation
facilities is a special
problem for women and
girls
Public toilets for females
are few
It is well known that women and children work in huge numbers
in bidi-rolling, agarbatti-rolling, bangle making, weaving,
brassware, leather, crafts and other industries.
Yet, only 3 % of these women are recorded as laborers.
Poverty Levels are still 60 % plus, where in,
Extreme poverty figures maintain to be at 35% plus mark
Some Global Eye Openers
Some Global Eye Openers
Some Global Eye Openers
Some Global Eye Openers
China: Suicidal rates are higher in case of women
Status of Japanese working women in dilemma
The Deafening Silence: Asian American women in the
whirlpool of depression
Women’s life at risk because of acid attacks in Ethiopia
Some Global Eye Openers
37% women victims of domestic violence: NFH survey
Almost half of Indian women have not heard of AIDS
Married women, children most anaemic in India
Women are killed in China to become brides of dead men
6S Model for Women Empowerment
Shiksha= Education
Swasthya= Health
Swavlamban= Self Reliance
Samajik Nyay= Justice
Samvedana= Sensitivity
Samta= Equality
They are
strong at
Synergy
Cooperation
Physical Strength
Untapped Energy
Multi Tasking
Innovation
Closeness with Nature
Illiteracy
Fatal Orthodoxism
Wide
Gender Discretion
They are weak because…
Lack of Awareness
Less Exposure
Threats to them are many…
Natural Calamities
Malnutrition
Family Abuse
AIDS
Lack of
Resources
opportunities
opportunities
opportunities
Self Help Groups
Aangan Badi
Govt Schemes
Micro Finance
Self Employment
The
URBAN Woman
They are strong at…
Access to good education
Nutritious
& healthy FOOD
High self
FINANCIAL
STABILITY
Opportunity
to
Liberalize
They STruggle for…
Conjoint Efforts
Getting Recognition
Synergized Orientation
Maintaining Work Life Balance
Spending Quality time with family
Reaching Office…
They also
end up in
Stress
Tiredness
Bad Habits
Molestation
Disturbed Life
They have plenty of Opportunities
End less growth
Live to up their dreams
Knowledge Empowerment
& above all…
RURAL INDIA
Across Cultures and over Centuries it has been
Proven that Woman can change the world around..
remembering Some of Them Today…
Efforts in the fields of…
Shiksha
Swasthya
Swavlamban
Kasturba Gandhi (Ba)
 Kasturba often joined Gandhiji in political protests.
 She traveled to South Africa in 1897 to be with her husband.
 From 1904 to 1914, she was active in the Phoenix Settlement near Durban.
 During the 1913 protest against working conditions for Indians in South Africa,
Kasturba was arrested and sentenced to three months in a hard labor prison.
 Later, in India, she sometimes took her husband's place when he was under
arrest.
 In 1915, when Gandhi returned to India to support indigo planters, Kasturba
accompanied him. She taught hygiene, discipline, reading and writing to women
and children.
Mother Teresa
 Founded the Missionaries of Charity and won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979
for her humanitarian work.
 For over forty years she ministered to the poor, sick, orphaned, and dying in
Kolkata (Calcutta), India.
 By the 1970s she had become internationally famed as a humanitarian and
advocate for the poor and helpless
 Following her death she was beatified by Pope John Paul II and given the title
Blessed Teresa of Calcutta
Sindhu Tai
“God can not be everywhere, So he created Mother”
 “Mai” Sindhutai Sapakal Mother of Orphan children.
 She has devoted her life for the cause of orphan children. this is not a
change of a day or two, it came after tremendous struggle and up and down in
her life.
 In her journey of 32 years 'Mai' has groomed more than 1000 children, now
a step ahead she is proud to have 175 sun-in-laws and 36 daughter-in-laws
 She is also working continuously to achieve educational development of
women and girls.
 She is rewarded by more than 70 awards for her work by various well
known institutes
Sarojini Naidu
 Famously known as known as Bharatiya Kokila (The Nightingale of
India), was a child prodigy, freedom fighter, and poet.
 Naidu was the first Indian woman to become the President of the Indian National
Congress and the first woman to become the governor of a state in India.
 She joined the Indian independence movement, in the wake of the aftermath of
partition of Bengal in 1905.
 From 1915 to 1918 she lectured all over India on welfare of youth, dignity of
labour, women's emancipation and nationalism. After meeting Jawaharlal Nehru in
1916, she took up the cause of the indigo workers of Champaran.
 In 1925 she was elected as the President of the Congress, the first Indian
woman to hold the post
 In July 1919, Naidu became the Home Rule League's ambassador to England.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi
 Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 - October 31, 1984)
 Prime Minister of India for three consecutive terms from 1966 to 1977 and for a
fourth term from 1980 until her assassination in 1984. She was India's first and to
date only female prime minister
 Nationalized Banks in late 60s
 India won the 1971 war during her government
 Signed Shimla agreement with the then President of Pakistan Mr. Zulfikar Ali
bhutto
 1974- Successful conducted an underground Nuclear Test unofficially code
named as smiling Buddha, near the desert village of Pokhran in Rajasthan
 Rather than relying on food aid from the United States, the country became a
food exporter
Homai
Vyarawalla
India's first woman photo journalist, 92-year-old Homai Vyarawalla, has witnessed
many Vyarawalla
historic events
and changes
struggle
after.traces the birth
Homai
photographed
the lastduring
ofthe
thefreedom
Empire
and and
her work
The world saw
the optimism
and days
jubilation
ofBritish
a newly
liberated
country
through
and growth of a new nation.
her pictures.
Her vast portfolio, soon to be published in a book, has pictures of Mumbai in the
The
storypolitical
of Homai’s
life andfreedom
her work fighters,
spans anthe
entire
century
Indian
1930s,
leaders,
Nehru
eraofright
uphistory.
to the time of Indira
Gandhi.
Efforts in the field of
Samajik Nyaya
Kiran Bedi
She broke new ground by joining the élite Indian Police Service in 1972, the first
woman in India to do so.
 Her humane and fearless approach has contributed greatly to innumerable
innovative policing and prison reforms.
 Besides her professional contributions, two voluntary organizations founded and
supervised by her — Navjyoti, set up in 1988 and India Vision Foundation in 1994,
reach out to thousands of poor children daily for primary education; women for adult
literacy; provide vocational training and counseling services in the slums, rural areas
and inside the prison apart from treatment for drug addiction.
 She and her organizations today stand nationally and internationally recognized,
with the latest award being given by the United Nations — the Serge Sotiroff Memorial
Award for drug abuse prevention.
Elaben Bhatt
 Ela Bhatt was born in 1933 in Gujarat, India.
 After graduating with a Law degree in 1954, she joined the
Textile Labour Union (TLU) founded by Mahatma Gandhi in
1917.
 While working at TLU she observed the conditions of the
disorganised self-employed sector, primarily comprised of
women, and decided to help in 'unionising' them.
Self Employed Women's Association – SEWA, Gujarat
Founded in 1972
Focus
 Women, Rural Development, Microfinance, Labor Conditions,
Culture/Handicrafts, Communications/Media
The Innovation
 SEWA is the global standard bearer in efforts to provide comprehensive
support to poor, self-employed women in countries with large informal
economies.
 Its efforts over three decades to increase the bargaining power, economic
opportunities, health security, legal representation and organizational abilities of
Indian women have brought dramatic improvements to hundreds and thousands
of lives and influenced similar initiatives around the globe.
 SEWA’s 688,566 members include 535,674 women representing 53
unorganized trades within the state and additional 152,892 members in 4 other
states.
 SEWA is the largest union in India, offering its members a broad array of
financial, health, childcare, insurance, legal, vocational and education services.
 1974: Starts the SEWA bank and pioneers the micro-finance programmes in India.
 The bank grants women low-interest loans for entrepreneurial activity.
 Since 1985: Chair, Women's World Banking, New York.
 1990: Receives Women in Creation Award, Alliance de Femme, Paris.
 Since 1992: Member, executive committee, International Union of Food and Allied
Workers, Geneva.
 1994: Care Humanitarian Award, Washington, DC.
 1995 Hillary Clinton visits SEWA, Ahmedabad, to gain insight into its functioning
Efforts in the field of
Samata &
Samvedana
Medha
Patkar
 She did her M.A. in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS).
She left her position on the faculty of TISS as well as her unfinished Ph. D. when
she became involved in the tribal and peasant agitations in Maharashtra, Madhya
Pradesh and Gujarat, which eventually led to the organization of the Narmada
Bachao Andolan
Hunger strike
 On March 28,2006, she started a hunger-strike to protest against the decision
of the authorities to raise the height of the Narmada Dam. She ended her 20 day
fast on April 17, 2006, after the Supreme Court of India refused the Narmada
Bachao Andolan's appeal to stop the construction of the dam.
Arrested by Police in West Bengal
 She was held by the police at Singur on December 2, 2006 before as she
reached to protest against the acquisition of farmland.
Attack on Medha Patkar
 On November 8, 2007, her convoy was allegedly attacked by activists of
Communist Party of India-Marxist
Awards and Honours
 Medha Patkar is one of the recipients of
Right Livelihood Award for the year 1991.
 She received the 1999 M.A.Thomas
National Human Rights Award from Vigil
India Movement.
 She has also received numerous other
awards, including the Deena Nath
Mangeshkar Award, Mahatma Phule Award,
Goldman Environment Prize, Green Ribbon
Award for Best International Political
Campaigner by BBC, and the Human Rights
Defender's Award from Amnesty
International.
 She was also a Commissioner to the
World Commission on Dams.
Arundhati
Roy
 Roy has campaigned along with activist Medha Patkar against the
Narmada dam project, saying that the dam will displace half a million people,
with little or no compensation, and will not provide the projected irrigation,
drinking water and other benefits.
 Roy donated her Booker prize money as well as royalties from her books
on the project to the Narmada Bachao Andolan.
 Roy has strongly criticised the U.S. led invasion of Afghanistan in reaction
to the September 11 attacks, decrying its undermining of international law
and institutions, disputing U.S. claims of being a peaceful and freedom-loving
nation
Awards
 Arundhati Roy was awarded the 1997 Booker Prize for her fiction
The God of Small Things. The award carried a cash prize and a citation
that noted: 'The book keeps all the promises that it makes.‘
 In 2002, she won the Lannan Foundation's Cultural Freedom Award
for her work "about civil societies that are adversely affected by the
world’s most powerful governments and corporations" and "to celebrate
her life and her ongoing work in the struggle for freedom, justice and
cultural diversity."
 Roy was awarded the Sydney Peace Prize in May 2004 for her work
in social campaigns and her advocacy of non-violence.
 In January 2006 she was awarded the Sahitya Akademi award for
her collection of essays on contemporary issues, The Algebra of
Infinite Justice, but she declined to accept it
Aruna roy
 Aruna Roy (61) is an Indian political and social activist.
 She is best known for her campaigns to better the lives of the rural poor in
Rajasthan (north-western India) and her long campaigns were instrumental in the
passing of the Indian Right to Information law in 2005.
 She resigned from the prestigious bureaucratic service of the Indian central
government (the "IAS") in order to devote her time to campaigns, social work
and social reform.
 Roy joined the Social Work and Research Center in Tilonia, Rajasthan, which
had been set up by her husband Sanjit 'Bunker' Roy.
 She worked at the SWRC until 1983, then moved to Devdoongri, a village in
the Rajsamand district of Rajasthan in 1987 along with Shanker Singh and Nikhil
Dey.
 Together with many people from the area, the three of them helped set up the
Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (Workers-Farmers' Unity Union), which they
describe as a "non-party people's organisation" in 1990.
 In 2000, she was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay award for Community
Leadership.
 Aruna Roy then requested that the award be given to the Mazdoor Kisan Shakti
Sangathana, but was informed that it was only given to individuals.
 While accepting the award she urged the foundation to change its policy, and
now the award is open to organizations also.
 She put the award money into a trust to support the process of democratic
struggles.
Nafisa Ali
Nafisa Ali is a social activist from India.
 She has accomplishments in several fields. She was the national swimming
champion from 1972-1974. She won the Miss India title in 1976 and was runner-up
at the Miss International contest in 1977.
 She is associated with Action India, an organisation working to spread AIDS
awareness. She contested the 2004 Lok Sabha elections unsuccessfully from
South Kolkata.
 In September 2005, she was appointed the chairperson of the Children's Film
Society of India (CFSI).
They represent the Corporate Forum too….
Sudha Murty
 Sudha Murthy (born Sudha Kulkarni, in Karnataka, India in 1950) is an
Indian social worker and accomplished author.
 She is known for her philanthropic work through the Infosys Foundation.
 Among other things, she has initiated a move to provide all government
schools in Karnataka with computer and library facilities. She also teaches
computer science and writes fiction.
 Dollar Sose (Dollar daughter-in-law), a book originally she wrote in Kannada
and later translated to English as Dollar Bahu was adopted as a television
serial in 2001.
 She completed her M.Tech. in Computer Science in 1974 from the Indian
Institute of Science, Bangalore, stood first in her class and received a gold
medal from the Indian Institute of Engineers.
 She was also the first woman engineer to be selected in Telco (now Tata
Motors), Pune. She had written a postcard to JRD Tata complaining of the
gender bias in Tata Motors (Telco then had a men-only policy) and she was
invited for a special interview by Tata Motors.
 On November 19th 2004, the Raja-Lakshmi Award for the year 2004 was
presented to her "in recognition of her outstanding contribution to social
work" by Sri Raja-Lakshmi Foundation, Chennai
 In 2006, she was awarded the Padma Shri, a civilian award from the
Government of India and received an honorary doctorate from Sathyabama
University.
Lalita Gupte
 Mrs. Gupte was instrumental in transforming ICICI Bank from a
primarily term lending institution into a technology led diversified financial
services group with a strong presence in India's retail financial services
market.
 The Economic Times Awards for Corporate Excellence on "The Women
Behind ICICI" for "Business Woman of the Year 2004-2005".
 "The Woman of the Year Award" for 2002 presented by the
International Women's Association for her achievements in the corporate
world,
 "The 21st Century for Finance & Banking Award" by the Ladies' Wing of
the Indian Merchants' Chamber (1997) and "Women Achievers' Award"
from the Women Graduates Union (2001).
 Tina, in 2002, provided a platform for
`Aseema', an NGO engaged in the rehabilitation
and education of street children.
 30 street children displayed their talent
through innovative works of art and craft. The
proceeds from the show went towards helping
`Aseema'
 `Harmony' derived its name from the furnishings product division of the Ambaniowned Reliance Industries.
 It was an association of ideas, she says. "The Harmony range of furnishing
fabrics was also an attempt to evolve a harmony, between the aesthetics of
modern day living, fine art and the new generation technology.
 Since its inception in 1996, the show has not looked back. The number of
entries, the number of visitors, the quality of work and the fame of the show have
gone up. The exhibition has dealt with different themes — The Spirit of India,
Harmony, the Essence of Life, Art and Fashion.
 Two awards were instituted in 1998, the Harmony Excellence Award for the
Emerging Artist of the Year', a sum of Rs 1 lakh, and the `Harmony Heritage Award
for Lifetime Contribution to Art, Culture and Literature' worth Rs 2 lakh.
 The Harmony for Silvers Foundation, founded in 2004 by Tina Anil Ambani, is
a non-government organization working to enhance the quality of life of the
elderly in India.
 It envisages India’s elderly as ‘Silver Citizens’—glowing and proud.
Harmony’s mission is to create an environment where silvers, irrespective of
their cultural beliefs, can retain their dignity, self-respect, pride and selfconfidence
Over a period of time, the Harmony for Silvers Foundation intends to
promote sound and forward looking strategies and mechanisms to
enhance the abilities and participation of silver citizens in the overall
development of society.
 Naina Lal Kidwai (born 1957) was the first Indian woman to graduate from the
Harvard Business School. As of 2006, she is the Chief Executive Officer of The
Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation India branches.
 Fortune magazine listed Kidwai among the World's Top 50 Corporate Women
from 2000 to 2003. According to the Economic Times, she is the first woman to
head the operations of a foreign bank in India.
 Naina Lal Kidwai is currently the Group General Manager and Country Head of
HSBC India. She has been awarded with Padma Shri, one of the highest civilian
honours bestowed by the Government of India. The announcement was made by
Rashtrapati Bhawan on 26 Jan 2007
 Indra Krishnamurthy Nooyi (born October 28,
1955 in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India)
 Is the chairman and chief executive officer of
PepsiCo, the world's fourth-largest food and
beverage company.
 On August 14, 2006, Nooyi was named the
successor to Steve Reinemund as chief executive
officer of the company.
 She was effectively appointed as CEO by
PepsiCo's board of directors on October 1, 2006.
 According to the polls Forbes magazine
conducted, Nooyi ranks fifth on the 2007 list of The
World's 100 Most Powerful Women.
 Nooyi has been named the #1 Most Powerful
Woman in Business in 2006 and 2007 by Fortune
magazine.
 She received a Bachelor's degree in Chemistry from Madras Christian College in
1974, and immediately entered the PGDBA (Post-Graduate Diploma in Business
Administration) program at the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta.
 After graduating from IIM-C in 1976, she worked in India for several years (including
a stretch at Madura Coats).
 She was admitted to Yale School of Management in 1978 for a master's degree in
Management. Following her master's degree from Yale in 1980, Nooyi started at
 The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), from where she moved on to strategy
positions at Motorola and ABB.
 While at PepsiCo, Indra Nooyi has played a vital role in starting Tricon, which is
currently known as Yum! Brands Inc.
 Nooyi recommended spinning off Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut, arguing PepsiCo
couldn't bring enough value to the fast food industry. Nooyi also took the lead in the
acquisition of Tropicana in 1998, and merger with Quaker Oats Co.
 She is also noted for promoting the concept of "performance with purpose," aiming
to make PepsiCo a leader in offering healthy foods and hiring a diverse workforce.
 Dr. Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (born 23 March 1953 in
Bangalore) is an Indian entrepreneur. She is the Chairman &
Managing Director of Biocon Ltd. In 2004, she became
India’s richest woman.
 As Chairperson and Mission Leader of CII's National
Task Force on Biotechnology she has led several
delegations to USA, Canada, UK, etc. to propel India into
the global super league of biotech trailblazers.
 She chairs Karnataka's Vision Group on Biotechnology
and also served on the Board of Science Foundation,
Ireland.
Accolades
 ET Businesswoman of the Year
 Best Woman Entrepreneur,
Model Employer,
 Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur
of the Year Award for Life
Sciences & Healthcare,
 Leading Exporter,
 Outstanding Citizen,
 Technology Pioneer, etc.
 PADMASHRI (1989)
 PADMA BHUSHAN (2005)
Positions held
Kiran Mazumdar Shaw has held several honorary and advisory positions.
A partial list is as follows:
 Chairperson and Mission Leader of CII's (Confederation of Indian
industry) National Task Force on Biotechnology
 Member, The Prime Minister’s Council on Trade & Industry in India.
 Board member, BVGH (Bio-Ventures for Global Health)
 Member, Board of Science Foundation, Ireland
 Member, Board of Governors, IIM Bangalore
 Chairperson, Karnataka's Vision Group on Biotechnology Member, *
Advisory Council of the Government’s Department of Biotechnology
 Vice-President, Association of Women Entrepreneurs of Karnataka
(AWAKE)
Shabana Azmi
 Shabana Azmi is a film actress as well as a social activist, and her
performances in films in a variety of genres have generally earned her praises
and awards.
Social activism
 Shabana Azmi has been a committed social activist, active in fighting AIDS
and injustice in real life.
 She has voiced her opinion on a variety of issues.
 Among the neglected social groups whose causes she has advocated are
slum dwellers, displaced Kashmiri migrants and victims of the earthquake at
Latur (Maharashtra, India).
 After the September 11 2001 attacks, she opposed the advice of an important
religious leader calling upon the Muslims of India to join the people of
Afghanistan in their fight by retorting that the leader go there alone.
 2006: Gandhi International Peace Prize,
awarded by Gandhi Foundation, London.
 She was conferred with an Honorary
Doctorate in Art by Chancellor of the
University Brandan Foster by the Leeds
Metropolitan University in Yorkshire
 Since 1989, she is a member of the
National Integration Council headed by the
Prime Minister of India; a member of
National AIDS Commission (of India); and
was nominated (in 1997) as a member of
the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the
Indian parliament.
 UNFPA had appointed her as its
goodwill Ambassador for India, and the
Michigan University conferred (in 2002) on
her the Martin Luther King Professorship
award in recognition of her contribution to
arts, culture and society.
and There are a loT more…
Saluja Motwani
Barkha Dutt
Maharani Gayatri Devi
Sushmita Sen
Brinda Karat
Nandita Das
Kalpana Chawla
Sunita Williams
Menaka Gandhi
Lata Mangeshkar
efforTS by gayaTri Pariwar….
Anti-Dowry Marriages
Over 1 lac
Inter-caste marriages
Education, Yog and Health camps
Nasha & Vyasan Mukti camps
Self Reliance camps
Efforts for Social Justice
Encouraging women Empowerment
Emphasizing Human Welfare
Dev Sanskriti VishwaVidhyalaya
Shiksha= Education
Swasthya= Health
Swavlamban= Self Reliance
Samajik Nyay= Justice
Samvedana= Sensitivity
Samta= Equality
Alone we are strong
Together we are
Unstoppable!!!
Let’s join hands
for the bigger cause
leT’S Take Them ouT of The darkneSS of life
Individual efforts are appreciable,
But not sufficient
leT’S build a beTTer india