Mashal’s focus is to empower the women and girls of the marginalized communities through its various programmes such as strengthening of community-based organizations of women, residential and non-residential training, awareness campaigns, advocacy, and networking. Through these programmes, Mashal enables the people on the margins to access their entitlements regarding their health, education, political participation, livelihood, food security and social security to live a better and dignified life.
Over the years Mashal had been working with the rural Dalit communities of Bihar especially with women and girls. It was able to mobilize about 10, 000 women into 900 SHGs and has instilled the basic concept and dynamics of SHG. Through various projects and interventions there had been marked improvement in the socio-economic living conditions of the people and the social status of women too. Still Mashal is working with SHGs in 386 villages/tola of 86 Panchayats of 14 blocks, 9 districts of 2 States.
The overall Goal
Promoting women leadership to realize their dignity and rights by capacitating 5000 women of 500 Community Based Organizations leading towards the realization of MDG3: Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women (The MDG is replaced by the Sustainable Development Goals and under this Gender equality is mentioned as the 5th Goal.)
Objectives
Formation of Federations and Strengthening of lobbying activities of women individually, as group, as Federation in order to get better access to government programmes
Strengthening of women fighting against sexual abuse and violence
Strengthening of women for stronger participation at local level politics (Gram Panchayat)
Out Come:
- 9 Federations were formed under the seven units and 65 women were trained for managing the federation.
- 75 Clusters were working properly at the Panchayat level
- 714 CBOs (Community based organization) are functioning in a systematic way and saving and lending money in the group
- 1500 Leaders from CBO were sensitized on the Gender and and work for gender justice and encouraged to demand gender equality.
- Out of 5000 CBO women, 107 CBO women were nominated in the Panchayat elections. Out of the 107 CBO women, 60 women were elected.
- 180 Cases were taken up by the CBO members and tried to reduce violence against women.
- 832 girls were admitted and readmitted in the schools.
- 11 thousand parents were made aware on RTE through tola meeting.
- 80% CBO women participated in Gram Sabha.
- 5000 women were linked with government schemes.