CSR: A Message Loud And Clear

CSR in Rajasthan: One integral aspect of this initiative is the formation of Self-Help Groups, providing the women with leadership training and teaching them vital accounting modules.

Kotri Village, Jaisalmer District, Rajasthan (India CSR): Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited – one of India’s oldest and largest Environmental Commodity Management firms is also known for designing and spearheading social interventions in the vicinity of clean energy projects or nature-based solutions developed by its clients across India.

The Intervention at Kotri Village, in Jaisalmer District of Rajasthan ‘UNNATI KI SHAKTI’ is aimed at empowering the girls and women by sensitising them about their Rights as enshrined in the Constitution. Girls and women are also apprised about the social welfare schemes rolled out by Central and State Governments.

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Empowering Women and Children Through Holistic Support

The Intervention does not stop at this. It is also ensured that women and girls who are not receiving their due benefits are linked to the relevant schemes and start receiving the benefits in a time-bound manner. While women are also being organised for livelihood enhancement opportunities and financial empowerment, children are benefitting tremendously from assistive education classes and skill building workshops. 

Driving Impact through Leadership Training and Accounting Skills

Women within the Self-Help Groups are also benefiting from Leadership Training and Accounting modules that are conducted at regular intervals. Over 80 girls and 50 women have already benefitted from the intervention up till 31^st March 2023.  This intervention is being financially supported by Viviid Renewables Private Limited and is being rolled out in alliance with ARCH Development Foundation.

Empowering Through Self-Defense: Confidence and Safety for Village Girls

A very innovative and important touch point of the Intervention has been to impart self-defence training to the girls of the village. Above anything this has enhanced the confidence level of the girls. The response has been exhilarating with over 80 adolescent girls enrolled for the self-defence workshops.

The techniques that have been covered are Hand Release, Neck Release, Punching and Shoulder Release. An important element of the self-defence classes is to prepare the girls for an appropriate response mechanism in the face of any threat of gender-based violence. Girls who have been undergoing these self-defence classes have unequivocally expressed how safe and confident they feel particularly while walking on the roads after sunset.

Women had been observing these girls attending self-defence classes all of last year. These girls are either their daughters, sisters or sisters-in-law. Seeing that exuberant spark in their confidence levels, the women as a cohort reached out to the Implementation Staff stationed at Kotri Village with a request for enrolling themselves for similar self-defence training.

Also Read: CSR: Where their Mind is Without Fear

Addressing Domestic Violence: Sonkee Shah on Empowering Women through Self-Defense Training

Elaborating on this request Sonkee Shah, Founder & CEO, ARCH Development Foundation said, “We have been working in this village for a long time now and our survey also revealed that Domestic Violence is rampant across the village. At least 76% of the respondents to our questionnaire under the condition of anonymity had confided in us that they had been beaten up by male member/s of the household at least once in the last three months. Most common complaint was domestic violence as a result of reckless consumption of alcohol by the males of the family. I am happy to state that women formed groups and reached out to us to get enrolled for self-defense classes.”

“Several women who were even apprehensive of stepping out of their houses mustered courage for enrolment. Some women confided that they saw a sea change in the attitude of boys and men towards the girls who were learning self-defence. These women wanted to make the most of this opportunity now that the Intervention is already underway at their village. More than anything else, they want to send a message loud and clear to the menfolk that physical abuse and domestic violence will not be tolerated hereafter. Women also confided that they may not be able to stop their husbands from consuming alcohol, but they did affirm that they will certainly not take domestic violence lying down any further. The women are very hopeful that the social posturing that they shall derive from learning self-defence will be very helpful in nipping domestic violence.”, she added

Talking further about the progressive steps to be taken at Kotri Village in the times to come, Sonkee Shah said, “We believe in taking all stakeholders together. We are also working with the menfolk for sensitising them about women’s rights. Additionally, services like counselling for de-addiction to bring down incidences of domestic violence are also on the cards. A straight-line formula hardly works in social endeavours hence various touch points have been provisioned for in the Intervention Plan to achieve the overall objective of women empowerment and gender-based equity.”

Also Read: CSR: Accelerating Mother & Child Health & Nutrition with Millets

Embracing Change: Women of Kotri Village Rise Against Violence

Expressing delight over women stepping forward to learn self-defence in Kotri village, Puneet Katyal, Chief Executive Officer at Viviid Emissions Reductions Universal Private Limited, “This is the change that we had been wanting to see in the attitude of women of the village. This is no small feat. Dismantling age-old stereotypes, the women of the village are now gearing up to stop any and every hand that rises to attack them. There’s a reason why women and girls comprise Aadhi Aabaadi (Half Populace) in society.”

“Nature has struck this fine equilibrium. When Nature does not differentiate, how can humans supersede Nature’s diktat. Our Intervention is progressing well to achieve the objective with which it was designed. Working towards Climate Change Mitigation gives us immense gratification which is further augmented by the bold and smiling faces of our sisters and daughters in Kotri Village.”, he added.

In fact, Women’s Empowerment is the theme on which we are working in Gadag and Kolar Districts of Karnataka as well and are seeing similar enthusiasm by the women to learn about their rights and most importantly to put their foot down against something that is wrong. Nothing can justify a wrong. With a humbling sense of gratitude, I can say that we are doing all that we can and that too with all our might to take people and planet together.”, further added.

(India CSR)