Ashankur: Our Successes in 22 Villages around Bhokar

Our Successes

Since 2005, 5500 women are connected to Ashankur, through our work in 22 villages around Bhokar.

Because our groups are based on economic homogeneity and not on caste/religion structures, the members of the group come from across the religious community. This has enhanced communal harmony. The literacy classes helped to bridge caste-based misconceptions among women.
Women themselves have realized that due to literacy and information there is much more respect for them in the family.
In many families, the relationship between mothers and daughters-in-law have improved and there is more mutual support.
Families are now getting used to women going for overnight training sessions.
Wife beating is decreasing in some villages.
Awareness of the need for the education of girls is stressed.
Groups are beginning to think about the dowry system, and related problems are now brought up for discussion
Women are now accustomed to visiting Gram panchayat or government offices and are able to demand their rights.
Men have started commenting that because of the women's organizations in their villages, Panchayat Samitee (Local self-government) has begun to link their programs with the villages, and the quality of life in the villages is improving.
The overall community attitude towards women is changing positively.

We worked in 22 villages of building awareness among women of their basic human rights
16 new SHGs were initiated
300 women continued their income generation activity with our support
Another 160 women have taken up various income generation activities
At the main centre, 87 young girls completed their residential vocational training in Nurses Aid, Computer literacy, Dress designing, and Electronics.
22 NGOs from Maharashtra and Gujarat were supported by the capacity building program under the EC project
1250 school drop-out women/youth were trained for various skills training, through partner NGOs. Ongoing coping-skill sessions and seminars on personality development were part of this program.
56 widows, who do not own any land or fit into the Government pension scheme, were given a goat each to provide support.

Ashankur Rural Women's Center
Village Bhokar
Tal. Shrirampur
Dist. Ahmednagar
Maharashtra India 413 739