Mahila Samakhya Society Chhattisgarh
Mahila Samakhya, a programme devoted to improve the social status
of women through education, was launched by the Ministry of Human Resource
Development, Government of India in 1989. It aims to educate and empower women
in rural areas, particularly of women from socially and economically
marginalised groups. Although the state has been slow at start yet it is
progressing steadily and picking up fast. Initiation of the programme in
Chhattisgarh is a blessing where almost 42 percent of the population belongs to
scheduled caste and scheduled tribe and still a large share of people belong to
other backward castes. It has the potential to transform the society.
Within a brief span of time since its inception we have been able
to involve a large number of community members who feel committed to the causes
of poor and marginalised women. The lessons learnt from our exposure visits to
Uttar Pradesh and Bihar will be instrumental in developing the contour of the
programme in Chhattisgarh. The warm response extended to the workshops on gender
equality is an encouragement for us to further continue with such workshops in
different provinces of the State. The expectation of the community in the
outreach areas is a great motivation for all of our Sahayoginis and office
members. The support extended by the National Resource Group ensures that we
would always have deft guides to wade through every kind of difficulty. We are
determined to cover major portion of this tribal dominated state within a short
span of time, to realise the tribal dream of a welfare state, respectful of
gender and cultural differences, committed to social upliftment.