In the worldwide movement towards women empowerment, India's eastern state of Tripura has received little attention. In the remote villages of this largely tribal and conservative region, the women and girls face many challenges to the basic freedoms and resources that we have come to appreciate in most of the world. Basic levels of education and health are often difficult to access. Domestic violence and other women's' rights violations occur frequently. Legal access for the poor and marginalized is wrought with further abuse and corruption.
Women’s leadership at the village level is indispensable for rural transformation, however many girl children are still aborted or neglected every year. Dowry has been outlawed in India since 1961, but “dowry torture” and "bride burning" still occur throughout the state. Women are often victims of physical, sexual, emotional and financial abuse.
Widows, single-mothers, and sexually abused women are often ostracized. As a result, Tripura has a high rate of female suicide due to the social pressures women and girls face. Low self-worth and deep depres¬sion are common.
Community health centers in rural villages lack medical expertise and sophisticated testing. Childbirth complications, OB-GYN emergencies and malnutrition among women are commonplace. Unnecessary fatalities due to poverty are frequent.
Ganadoot Social Welfare Centre offers a place of refuge and support at their center in Agartala, the medical and legal hub of Tripura. We offer counseling, opportunities and resources to those who need a helping hand.
• Empower youth to express themselves and be involved
• Promote individual creativity, self-governance, and self-sufficiency
• Create access to family planning, health, nutrition, safe water, and sanitation
• Link rural needs with urban resources