THE POWER OF WOMEN

“As a child, I never went to school. Being a poor woman, I was shy and scared to go out of my house. I did not know anything about the outside world. I thought that people might laugh at me or tease me if I go out. I did not know my rights, nor my role in the society. This was my life.”

These words come from Sita Lakshmi. She grew up in the village of Guggila in South-East India. In Guggila, women have little possibilities for personal growth and achievements.

Would you believe Sitha Lakshmi got elected in January 2019 as village mayor?

Here is her story:

15 years ago, Sita Lakshmi joined SOPAR’s Women Program. She recalls:

“I started to attend monthly group meetings and to do small savings. I participated in all the planned activities and skills trainings. With SOPAR’s adult literacy summer classes, I even learned how to read and write. Slowly but surely, I started to feel the change within me. I became brave. I started opening to others. I felt the desire to share my opinions on different subjects. I wanted to improve our living conditions”.

“Some years ago, women members motivated me to become the leader of our women’s group. I accepted the challenge. Then, they encouraged me to run for village council member. To my surprise, I got elected. This experience gave me good knowledge about the village council. And so, I stood for our mayor elections in January 2019 with the encouragement of my family and friends. During the campaign, many people in the village talked negatively about me. How can I even think I could win this election- they laughed and asked? They tried to make me feel as I was worthless. In those moments, I remembered SOPAR’s teachings. To think positively and to know my rights. That women can achieve many great things in life and give service to others in need. I stood strong. I tried not to be influenced by the negative words and… I got elected.”

At SOPAR, we aim to empower rural poor, illiterate and marginalized women like Sita Lakshmi. This requires bringing changes not only in women’s minds and hearts. It also requires changes at the root of unjust systems. It is a very ambitious goal by no means, but we have been pursuing it for more than 40 years now.

Empowering women takes time and commitment, but it works! A total of 147 members of our women program got elected in the 2019 election either as village leader, village leader assistant or council member. These women will continue transforming their village and the Indian society.

Our work is made possible because of the continued and generous support of many donors including the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada. Together, we make this world a better place for all. On behalf of Sitha Lakshmi, thank you Sisters!

 - Janice Aubry, Program Manager

Paying It Forward

This is Sunitha Gabbeta showing affection to an orphan. Sunitha lives in Garnepalli, a remote village in south-east India. She is illiterate and earns less than a 1$/day. She has two children.

She is a member of SOPAR’s Women Development Program in India– a program that emphasizes the formation of self-help groups in order to bring rural, poor and marginalized Indian women together, build their capacities and encourage their active participation in different activities geared towards empowerment and community development. 

Becoming a Women Program member changed Sunitha’s life. Before joining the program, she lived a secluded life, was shy and felt uneasy to come out of her home. With the help of SOPAR and with time, she has developed self-confidence, gained knowledge and improved her family’s economic conditions but that is not all…

Sunitha never thought of helping others. She talks to us about her new life:

“I have just enough money to feed my children but I know that some others in my village have harder situations than me. I want to help them. I want to support abandoned orphans and neglected old age people. I can’t give them much but I can show them affection and from time to time, give them a meal. Every year, I forego my daily wage to participate in the collective birthday celebrations of orphans organized by SOPAR and to listen to the orphans talk about their joys and sorrows. I also donate a small amount to help with their education. SOPAR made me understand that I too can help others even though I am poor. I know now it is the right thing to do. I explain all these things to my children and encourage them to help others. By helping others, I feel I am helping myself.”      

SOPAR’s trainings include talks on basic human values and get women to think of others in need. The trainings bring true attitude change: these rural poor uneducated women become partners in bettering their community and many become donors to support those who are less privileged than themselves. SOPAR’s work transforms beneficiaries into partners, and ultimately into donors:  last year 48 260 poor rural women members contributed an impressive $95 000 towards orphan education!

Sunitha’s actions are a strong example of the gift of self and force us to recognize that we can all do a little something to make a difference in other people’s lives.

Let’s ask ourselves the following question: what gesture or action can we do today to positively change the world around us?

200 000 women like Sunitha participate in our Women Program, a program supported by the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada and many other Canadians donors.

Janice Aubry, Program Officer

Taking a Stand for Justice

Seetha, a rural poor and illiterate woman standing up for widows rights

Allow me to introduce Seetha Mahalakshmi: her name might not be familiar but what she represents is priceless – social justice for widows in India. Seetha is part of a network of 200 000 women in rural south-east India supported by SOPAR (www.sopar-balavikasa.org/ - a Canadian international development organization helped by many generous Canadian donors including the Sisters of St. Joseph in Canada.

The misery of Seetha’s daughter and millions of other widows in India - Seetha’s daughter was treated as a bad omen the day she became a widow. Considered to be the cause of her husband’s death, villagers wished to exclude her of all religious and community gatherings. Villagers who would see her face first thing in the morning said it would bring bad luck upon them for the day. People were trying to persuade her not to wear good clothes or jewellery like other women. Many widows, like Seetha’s daughter, feel totally excluded and either commit suicide or seriously think about it. 

Derogatory beliefs, superstitions and taboos around widows persist in rural Indian communities. A change in attitude is essential in order to bring about change.  

Seetha takes the floor:

“The awareness sessions made me realize that we treat widows unfairly. When my daughter became a widow at the age of 22, I refused that she be excluded. She came to live with us and I told all my neighbours that we did not care about their superstitious beliefs and that my daughter would continue her life like other women. I encouraged her to remarry in spite of resistance from villagers in my community. Six months ago, I became a widow. I will not let people put me aside and impose their way of thinking on me. I have become a strong woman and will continue to be even though my husband has passed away and I will encourage other widows to be strong as well”.

SOPAR is bringing attitude change in the society regarding widows- SOPAR’s sister organization in India named Bala Vikasa, is acting as a leader to address the many injustices faced by Indian widows. Bala Vikasa developed its Justice for Widows Program in 2006 in order to alleviate widows’ suffering and social exclusion. The program strengthens widows’ capacities and leadership so that they regain dignity confidence and autonomy. It creates opportunity so that they can meet their own needs and those of their children. It also brings awareness to the whole society on superstitious beliefs related to widows.

70000+ women like Seetha have participated in SOPAR’s awareness sessions to stop superstitious beliefs related to widows and 10 000 are part of the Widows Program.  The actions of these women are creating ripple effects in rural Indian communities. People are starting to question traditional beliefs and to fight for justice for widows.

This year on International Widows day - June 23 – Seetha along with 1000 widows joined in a rally organized by Bala Vikasa in the main streets of Warangal (southern India) standing together for widows’ rights and for a better world.  

Guest Blogger: Janice Aubry, Program Officer