“I really enjoyed working on women empowerment throung Shake Hands - International Volunteer Program at Jaipur location. The women of the village were fantastic and gave me a taste of real India”
Karen, England
Women Empowerment Project
Due to prevailing male dominating attitude in Indian Hindu families irrespective of all caste, creed and clans the lives of female counterparts are often unfairly overburdened, filled with social obstacles and blatant discrimination. Of the most discriminatory practices, refusal of a woman’s education is one. Parents’ expectations of their daughters, in terms of education and employment, are generally much lower than of their sons. As a result, young girls are often denied enrollment into school or taken out early, forced to care for their young siblings and assist with domestic responsibilities. The impacts of gender inequality cause women to feeling submissive and accept extremely low self-esteem. The unequal gender roles can be witnessed in all areas of life, from education, to the work place.
The activities you’ll be doing
The concept of women empowerment lies in gross development of a women physically, mentally and literarily. In any male dominating society the females are kept at margin and forced to lead confined lives behind house walls. When girls are habitually absent from school, volunteers make individual visits to parents, encouraging them to send their daughters back to school. Volunteers organize special workshops for adolescent girls and adult women, teaching conversational English, a vital asset to their educational and professional prospects. Computer classes are also organized by volunteers, building women’s confidence, supporting talents, and promoting a professional background. Volunteers ought to develop meaningful relationships with the young girls and adult women, sustaining their motivation to grow into independent and knowledgeable women. Gradually but steadily, volunteers help to redress gender inequality by empowering one young girl or adult women at a time with education, skills, and self-confidence.
A day in the life of a volunteer
On working days, volunteers usually get up and have breakfast before leaving for their Volunteer Placements. Our staff will provide transportation to and from your Volunteer Placement if required. You will probably spend about four hours at your Volunteer Placement. Evenings will be filled with opportunities to learn about the local culture and customs, field trips to places of local interest, discussions with experts on local issues and others. Evening meal-times provide another exciting chance to enjoy authentic food provided by host family/our staff cooks. The food is delicious and healthy and takes full advantage of local cooking traditions. The evenings and weekends are free time, to relax or explore the local area. Volunteers often travel to other parts of the country at weekends, and the staff who are all from the local area themselves, are always happy to make recommendations.
