WHAT WE ARE?

The women who live in rural and urban slum areas in poor families have mostly no means for the
survival of their families and children. They live in a patriarchal family where women have no voice
or decision-making power. These unfortunate women are deprived of their rights and employment
opportunities to earn their livelihood. It is with this aim that Women Empowerment. Life Institute
Centre’ introduced a Skill Development Program for BPL women and widows to make these women
economically self-reliant and thereby socially respectable.

THE PRE-TRAINING PHASE

We do a survey of BPL widows and women as per the list procured from the local social government
department. After counselling of identified women for their holistic empowerment and to become
self-reliant economically and socially, we also explain the importance of their role in the family and
society. Inspirational and encouraging statements made by the trained beneficiary women will help
to spread the message in society, which will help us to work efficiently.

THE CAPACITY BUILDING PHASE

The women are enrolling by organizing for vocational training considering their interest in a
particular trade. The training is provided systematically through respective expert-qualified trainers,
covering all the aspects of the trade in detail. We conduct four training sessions during the year. Each
session consists of around 200 selected women from various counties. The practical and theoretical
training courses are designed by expert faculties for a duration of 12 weeks.

Vocational skill-based Training

THE FOLLOWING TRAININGS ARE PROVIDED FOR HOLISTIC
EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

1. Self-defense: For personal safety, it is important for every woman to develop mental and physical
   health, which leads to boosted self-confidence. Considering the same self-defense training is
   provided to women by Life Institute Centre trainer, women are practically trained step-by-step
   to protect themselves through various techniques of self-defense.
2. Gender Equality: Gender equality is a key factor for empowering women. With the objective of
   creating awareness among women that they have equal rights and opportunities as men in the
   family, society, and nation, we are organizing regular workshops attended by national and
   international faculties and experts to explain the importance and rights of women. The parents
   and family members of women are also involved in participating in such a workshop.
3. Banking, Budgeting & Finance: Training is provided by scheduled bank/financial institute officials
   to create awareness regarding the importance of small savings among women. The women are
   given guidance and instructions on how to operate bank accounts, prepare a budget for their
   family, and how the bank will extend financial assistance for starting their micro units.
4. Self-Help Groups: Trained women to form such groups to help each other to become self-reliant
   and also encourage other women.
5. Micro Finance: supplementing livelihood projects with micro-finance for starting their own micro
   units.

TRAINING COMPLETION PHASE

Following the training, a formal ceremony is held, and certificates are distributed to the trainee
participants. The certificate distribution process is not just ceremonial. It recognizes the trainee
woman’s efforts to overcome all odds in order to be trained. This certificate becomes a sort of
passport for the trained women to get up on their feet, hold their heads high, and make a
respectable living. The sharing experience of the women from earlier batches helps to bring more
and more women into the new batch.

HAND-HOLDING PHASE

• Kit Distribution:
On successful completion of training, WEC provides quality equipment and kits to the trained women
to earn their livelihood and become self-reliant. The kit is distributed mainly through the donor, who
sponsors destitute women and empowers them to start their own micro units. The widows and BPL
women attending computer application courses are facilitated with subsidized computer loans.
• Market Linkage:
The skilled women are linked to the various vendors/retailers/wholesalers/companies which are
selected by our Market Linkage Department. WEC has also introduced two models of self-help group
for market linkage, under which one group of the women prepare various food items and another
group does sewing and embroidery work, sells their products in the market, and shares the profit
among them. Similarly, a Self-Help Group is formed by women to get finance or loans from banks to
start their own micro unit. WEC has also started to provide micro-finance to the women in order to
support them in earning their livelihood.
• Impact assessment:
With dedicated efforts and passion, we have been striving to uplift the underprivileged and
downtrodden women from poverty, empowering them in the real sense and enabling them to
survive their families, educate their children, live with dignity and status, thereby empowering the
nation. However, we regularly conduct an impact assessment of the project by collecting, analysing,
and compiling various key information and data on women.
We engage a qualified third-party institution/examiner to make a detailed evaluation of the project
through impact assessment. An exhaustive report of impact assessment touching all aspects of the
project has been submitted to us.
We systematically review and analyse every suggestion included in the report and take the necessary
actions for further improvement of the project, and accordingly we communicate to our valuable
sponsors. A brief progress report of the women sponsored by the donors, consisting of their progress
right from training to equipment distribution to the current status on making them self-reliant, is
sent regularly to assure and satisfy the actual utilization of their donation for the noble cause.
Women can better survive their families and educate children which improves socio economic status
of the society and help GDP growth of the country.