Visit to the Field Centres of Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra (SSK)

Dr Rajesh Tandon and Martha Farrell visited the field centres of Sahbhagi Shikshan Kendra (SSK) to gain insights into the programmes being conducted by SSK in the field with a special focus on empowerment of young Muslim girls. PRIA aimed to provide programmatic advice and guidance to help move the programme ahead.

During the visit, Dr Tandon and Ms Farrell interacted with adolescent Muslim girls, weavers and their families, community animators and facilitators, and SSK field and programme staff to understand how changing markets and lifestyles have affected livelihoods, particularly of Muslim weavers. The discussions highlighted:

• Barriers that girls face in acquiring higher education
• Gender biases that exist in choice of careers for women
• Social constructs that constrain women from joining the mainstream
• Reproductive health issues that need to be addressed
• Exposure and grooming of young girls and their families in order that they are agents of change in their families and communities, both in their parental homes as well as their marital homes, thereby ensuring that the process of change never stops
• Options to livelihoods beyond traditional occupations
• Migration and its impact
• Change in market and its systems that have affected the income of traditional occupational and skills of weavers and their families

They also interacted with a group of girl students who had been awarded Vidya Gyan Scholarships e under which girls get vocational training as beauticians, zardozi emboridery, tailoring, computer courses, etc. Interface meeting was also held with members of the kishori group/network. The group has been formed to develop adolescent girls as community promoters to take up social action through active interventions in preventing early marriage, dowry, discrimination, and accessing basic services related with education, health and nutrition. The group organizes events, campaigns and rallies, and helps fill applications at government offices that promote development, create or improve physical facilities for their community.

This field visit reinforced the lesson that there are so many enthusiastic, bright and talented young women who are yearning to be educated, to make something of their lives. They are willing to take risks, have a more liberal approach to issues of discrimination and bias of caste, religion, sexuality, etc. If these young people are not groomed now, they will find themselves in situations from which they are unable to break free, leave alone being agents of change.

Adolescent girls interacting on social issues	Meeting with SSK Team Members
Weavers discussing their issues	Martha Farrell with women weavers at Cholapur Panchayat
Greeting members of the Kishori Network at Dhaurhara Panchayat	Visit to a weaver’s house