Movement to make rural women self reliant

With an aim to unite women in villages across Maharashtra and make them selfemployed and provide prestige to their hard- work, ashwantrao Chawan Pratishthan, Mumbai started the ' ashaswini Samajik Abhiyaan' from 3 January 2008, on the occasion of birth anniversary of Savitribai Phule. It is a wholly non- profit and non- political venture of ashwantrao Chavan Prathistan.

The main objectives are to undertake and promote economic, educational, cultural and social activities for the underprivileged group and to enhance their prospects by promoting small scale businesses by developing a market in India and abroad for the supply of goods manufactured and produced by the SHGs. The idea behind this movement is both to augment household income as well as give the women a sense of economic independence.

" Our motive is not just providing employment but to bring these women in main stream and inculcate professional sense within them, develop their skills and improve their standard of living, so that they can live with pride," said Vishwas Thakur, Director of ashaswini Abhiyan, Nashik. The programme is the brain child of Vishwas Thakur and he has designed the programmes to be conducted under ashaswini Abhiyaan. Its a mission, a Self Help Group ( SHG) movement to make women economically strong.

Today several thousands of women are directly or indirectly involved in the movement through their respective SHGs. ashaswini Samajik Abhiyaan has recognized the calibre of women in rural Maharashtra.

Most of the SHGs make traditional products ranging from pickles to spices to soaps and shampoos. But the camps inspired them to think beyond and manufacture the products in a novel way. A camp in Mumbai gave direction to the SHGs which have come up with great difficulties. It also helped them to know about management skills and various government schemes.