Equity and Empowerment - Women at TNK

Jai Mehtab Singh

Equity, social justice integration of women into the mainstream of economy these are all the need of the day.  Women have been he consumers of social services until now.  A time has come when a shift is needed in this position so that they become producers.  There is need to provide them with support services, training and credit, and to help them make their role in society more remunerative.  To achieve this aim it is essential to mobilise their task force and give a proper direction for future planning.  The role of NGO’s as links in the mobilisation process is crucial for women’s development.  The challenge for NGO’s lies in taking a lead from the national policy on women by developing women’s institutions at the grassroots level.  NGOs can start innovative programmes for enlisting maximum participation of women in developmental programmes which are of vital concern to them and which can help in reducing the drudgery of daily household chores. 

Development Alternatives is one such organisation which has felt concerned for the rural poor women and their related issues such as equity, social justice and integration of women in the mainstream of economy.  It has been in our efforts to realise this equity and social justice, we, at Development Alternatives have been trying to create better employment opportunities for women with a view to strengthening and improving their work in different fields of activity.  We need to enlist the participation of women if they are to have access to the benefits of development. 

Two significant programmes are already in progress in which women are involved in a big way.  One is the Handloom Weaving Centre in Village Mayan (near Rewari District in Haryana), where 20-25 women are engaged in the handloom weaving activity.  Another breakthrough - the handmade paper factory - at TNK (TARA NIRMAN KENDRA), has 30 women involved in all the operations - right from sorting out cotton waste, through paper making, to cutting and converting the paper into various items of stationery.  Some of the operations need hard physical labour also, but the desire to add the family incomes for upgrading their economic and social status is a big motivating force which prompts them to carry on working determinedly. 

The reasons for taking up such work are manifold and could be enumerated as under:

It is not that all these women have the same and all these problems, but these are there generally.  Prior to their work in TNK, most of them were working as casual daily labour at construction sites. 

TNK has provided them training for 6 months and now some of these women have become skilled workers.  Beginning with salaries of Rs. 450/- p.m., two years ago, many of them are now drawing Rs. 500-825 & 925/- pm.  Besides cash incomes, they can even avail other facilities such as free health check-ups, medicines, health safety measures and refreshments once a day.  They come from the nearby villages of Sultanpur and Ghittorni.  They are in the age group of 20-35 yrs. 

How TNK has changed their quality of life can be judged from the following conclusions and the case studies presented later.

Case Study I

Maya W/o Ram Badan - resident of village Itia (Distt Gonda - U.P. State).  Her father Baba Din has a small provision store only.  She has studied upto primary school i.e. 5th standard.  She got married/sold by her aunt and uncle at the age of 9 years to a man of 23 years.  She was too young to remember or to understand the arrangement.  She had the first daughter at the age of 15 years.  She now has three daughters.  Her husband was a drug addict and had taken to alcoholism.  He used to borrow money to indulge in these acts.  He sold the house and ultimately left home 6/7 years ago.  She was left to fend for herself and the family. She worked in the labour force at construction sites and later came to village Sultanpur visiting some relatives. 

Today she has become self-reliant through her earnings from TNK.  She was able to get work in TNK for Rs. 450/- p.m.  When the factory had just started operations and is now getting Rs. 200/- p.m. as rent for the room where she and her daughters are living.  With the remaining amount she clears part of the debt taken for her eldest daughter’s marriage and provider for the daily needs of the family. 

Case Study II

Baby Verma - D/o Maya (Case Study I).  Her education is upto 8th standard.  She got married in April 1992 at the age of 15 years.  Her husband became ill 4 months after the marriage.  The girl’s grand father was told to take her back.  Now her-in-laws want her to give a statement that she wants to leave her husband, failing which they will take her back and burn her alive.  The grand father wishes the girl to go back and reconcile. 

Baby Verma has been employed in TNK for Rs. 500/- p.m. since October, 1992.  She is young, sober and beautiful.  She can study further and receive some on-the-job semi-skilled training, thereby improving her prospects.  She can get remarried later if she so desires.  The mother is not very supportive and also agrees with the grandfather - the girl must to back to her husband. 

Maya, Baby Verma, Renu, Malati..... The list goes on.  As each day passes, TNK provides training and employment to more and more women.... empowering them and improving their social plus financial status.  But as each day passes, more and more women become widowed, financially insecure and destitute.  The opportunities provided at the paper unit are at best a drop in the ocean.... but a drop nevertheless!  q

Ms Jai Mehtab Singh Works on
income generation and empowerment
projects for rural women,
Development Alternatives 

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