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Unique Programs of HEAL Movement

Women Empowerment

Background

Since 1986, HEAL Movement engaged its volunteers to work in villages located in the Rajakkamangalam and Kurunthancode blocks of Kanyakumari district. The Director convened regular meetings with volunteers to assess and evaluate the progress made in these villages. These meetings highlighted the importance of bringing rural women together to improve their overall well-being and that of the rural masses.

We realized that women were resilient and capable of addressing civic issues, saving money, accessing credit, developing financial literacy, and investing in income-generating activities. Consequently, we concluded that women empowerment programs were urgently needed to promote capacity building, self-esteem, access to information and resources, and community action, enabling women to position themselves as confident decision-makers and leaders in their homes and communities. However, we faced financial constraints in carrying out our activities.

Community Mobilization and Organization of Women

In 1987, we partnered with the Swiss Catholic Lenten Fund (SCLF) to continue our community organization activities among women in 40 villages in the Rajakkamangalam and Kurunthancode blocks. We focused on villages where people from the Scheduled Caste (SC) community lived exclusively. This intervention, supported by SCLF, motivated HEAL Movement to redefine its role and focus on involving the community in a participatory development process.

Our interventions, starting in 1986, led to the formation of 28 Women's Associations, 9 Youth Associations, and 6 Agricultural Labourers' Associations in the target villages. These Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) addressed and resolved numerous social and economic issues, including civic problems, family disputes, and low wages. These experiences underscored the importance of forming an umbrella organization at the apex level to ensure coordination and effective follow-up actions.

In 1992, HEAL Movement facilitated the formation of a Federation called the Women's Development Movement (WDM), involving 920 women. The federation consisted of village-level women’s groups and addressed issues such as title rights over agricultural lands, house sites, access to burial grounds, streetlights, drinking water, sanitation facilities, and government schemes reserved for SCs. These efforts included submitting petitions, approaching officials from relevant departments, engaging in litigation, and organizing protests.

By 1995, WDM had gained the capacity to support itself and advocate for its causes more effectively. To access government benefits for Self-Help Groups (SHGs), WDM restructured its women sangams into smaller units comprising 60 SHGs.

Meanwhile, in 1996, HEAL Movement encountered the severe social and economic discrimination faced by SC communities in Tirunelveli district, which was far worse than the conditions in Kanyakumari district. As a result, we started working in 16 exclusive SC villages and 24 other villages dominated by Palmyra climbers. The selection criteria focused on addressing caste disparities between these two socially and economically oppressed sections.

Our interventions in Tirunelveli district resulted in the formation of 58 women SHGs. In 2000, we facilitated the creation of the Awakening of Rural Women Development Movement (ARWDM) Federation in Radhapuram taluk, similar to the WDM in Kanyakumari district.

HEAL Movement organized Dalit women from 16 villages into Women's Associations. We provided training focused on raising awareness of their fundamental rights as enshrined in the Indian Constitution and improving their livelihood options. Additionally, we promoted savings, credit, and bank linkages at the micro level.

Key Interventions

Our key interventions included:

  • Formation of Women's Groups
  • Formation of 92 SHGs
  • Capacity-Building Training
  • Income Generation Activities
  • Skill Development for alternative livelihood opportunities
  • Promotion of Micro Credit
  • Strengthening CBOs
  • Campaigns, Networking, and Roundtable Dialogues

Uniqueness of this Project

This project stands out for its transformative impact on women and the wider community. By fostering the realization and assertion of their fundamental rights and equipping women with the necessary knowledge and skills, HEAL Movement has established a sustainable model of empowerment. Women's groups formed under this initiative are not only empowered but are also instrumental in driving community-level change. They demonstrate a remarkable capacity for self-reliance, civic engagement, and leadership.

However, while these groups have achieved significant milestones, further efforts are required to strengthen their foundation and ensure the long-term sustainability of this success model. With continued support, these women’s associations can serve as a replicable framework for empowering marginalized communities across similar contexts.