GIRLPOWER – CAPACITATING CSO’S & EMPOWERING WOMEN AND GIRLS THROUGH SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP- Ranchi, Gumla, Hazaribagh, Jharkhand. The program executed by the ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT (AIILSG), funded by the EUROPEAN UNION

Date- 14^th– 16^th December, 2023

Visual Documentation & Report by Taniya Sarkar

A region’s capacity for sustainable development is contingent upon the accomplishment of gender equality within the community and the empowerment of women, as acknowledged by scholars and international leaders. Due to various forms of discrimination against women, Jharkhand, one of the poorest states in India, faces numerous obstacles to gender equality. Women and girls in the state are illiterate at a high rate, making it difficult for them to take initiative and forge their path toward development and progress. As one of the main initiatives to improve women’s status and encourage their entrepreneurial spirit with the help of CSOs, the government has made skill development a priority. It is necessary to develop CSO support and capacity through creative models.

Since 2020, AIILSG has been working with 5002 beneficiaries of 10 districts and 20 blocks in Jharkhand with the help of the EU under the project called GIRLPOWER. The project intends to “…fully address the global objective to strengthen the ability of Indian civil society and its organizations to perform their role as independent agents of change, implementing actions that bring transformative change into the lives of women and girls.” The documentation mainly focused on the challenges women generally face in this highly patriarchal society as well as talk about why these projects’ continuation is still necessary to work on gender workshops, community service, literacy initiatives, child development, awareness campaigns, and safe spaces where women can advance their status through mutual support. A vivid discussion of women trafficking took place in the interview. Many Jharkhand districts, especially Gumla and Giridi, suffer from this problem. An entrepreneurial environment can encourage women to work and avoid leaving their communities for better opportunities down the road, which would ultimately lead to their exploitation.