|
Introduction Trust often opens closed doors and paves way for forward movement. On the other hand, aspiration is not something static. It evolves and its very dynamic nature makes it essential to be pivoted on the flow of ideas both ways. During its developmental work in remote regions of India, Development Alternatives realised that for many women aspiration-led manoeuvring is difficult. Continued subjugation to a defined role for ages has led to limited opportunities for these women, both within and outside their homes. Limited resources coupled with continued dehumanisation have created a wedge between calibrated response and emergency response. Thus Development Alternatives attempted to unleash those latent aspirations in this section through consistent dialogues by ensuring that these women come into being in the spectrum. To make the initiative a success, Development Alternatives has been continuing with the dialogue and building consistent efforts with these women. Transformations at Grassroots Level
At that very moment, Development Alternatives’ initiatives become critical wherein ideas are brought from outside and the local women are invited to share their views on them. Analysing opportunities and gaps becomes a continued task that eventually leads to the women participating in the discussion. Such has been the process of discovering livelihood opportunities with a women’s group in Lalitpur. The reasons for stitching being a lucrative livelihood option were analysed. Women shared that it involved light investment with ready demand in the area. Moreover, the job was convenient for them as they could do it at their own time and pace with minimal trips to the market. Based on the feedback, Development Alternatives concluded that the women’s needs in the area had to be assessed. For instance in Lalitpur, women were dealing with skin and hair problems and needed topical solutions for them. After scrutinising different solutions, Development Alternatives finally narrowed it down to handcrafted organic soap to be a solution. This led to the initiation of setting up a handcrafted organic soap enterprise. Technical know-how, financial assistance and market linkage followed and working together with the local women, Development Alternatives was able to deliver and respond to a local need with a local solution. This is also how the idea of grassroots journalism emerged. During one of the dialogues, the women opened up about their livelihood issues and shared the problems they faced because of a lack of sanitation at the village level. One of the participants even expressed the interest to report the issue to the local authorities and get action from them. Right then a need was realised where women could use their mobile phones as a remedy. Soon enough interested women received training to become grassroots journalists and today these women are using their smartphones to advocate for issues that matter. Another example is from Jhajjar, Haryana, where Development Alternatives implemented the WE LEAD project. The project is an initiative to connect women to livelihoods and increase their access to digital opportunities. During the focused discussions with these women, Development Alternatives was able to get a lot of local issues highlighted. It was understood that grassroots innovations were needed as existing systems and practices failed to address people’s needs. In response, a business competition, similar to Development Alternatives' systemic prototype Kaun Banega Business Leader, was introduced to address socio-economic challenges existing in the Jhajjar district. The competition was launched to unleash the entrepreneurial energies of women and young girls, and nurture them in a conducive ecosystem. It was hoped that the business competition will help the women and youth come up with business solutions and set up future-forward enterprises at the local level. Conclusion
In rural geographies, entrepreneurship
innovation is limited in nature, leading to ‘necessity’ over
entrepreneurship of ‘choice’. But with little guidance and training, the
entrepreneurs can not only deliver basic needs and generate sustainable
livelihoods but also be co-creative in nature. The aspirations of the
youth can be tapped in particular. By focussing on developing
entrepreneurial skills in women and other marginalised communities, they
can be empowered and live in security, with a dignified job and an
assured income.
Tejashwani |
Presently, Development Alternatives is
implementing the Women's Empowerment project in two culturally varied
geographies of Lalitpur, Uttar Pradesh and Jhajjar, Haryana. From the
perspective of aspirations, women in the two regions struggle with the
notion of work and participation in the workforce, unlike their male
counterparts. They do not have ready access to finding resources to make
their dream of being economically independent true. Discussions around
work are either limited to tailoring or some other form of work that
involves being deployed as labourers for an external aggregator at a
very nominal rate. Though women in the two areas get the opportunity to
work from home, more often than not they are just reduced to labourers
who work for hours, which involve little or no creativity of their own.
As the work they do is mostly to fulfil external orders, trying to
engage with them in a conversation on what their goals are is often met
with a roadblock as they did not have many ideas to share.