Women Empowerment

Sri sri rural development program - india

EMPOWERING WOMEN SOCIALLY AND ECONOMICALLY

The Art of Living Foundation’s programmes provide a solid foundation that nurtures the inner strength, creativity and self-esteem of women from all walks of life.
With this base established well, women are able to go out into the world, prepared to handle any challenge with skills, confidence and grace. They come to the forefront, where they become agents of peace and positive social change for themselves, their families, other women and their society.

How we work:

Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has inspired numerous initiatives to uplift and create opportunities for women, especially in rural areas. He has initiated mass campaigns against female foeticide. With female literacy rates abysmally low in some parts of the world, the Art of Living rural schools encourage parents to send girl children to school. At one such school on the outskirts of Bangalore city, 46% of the children are girls, with the numbers rising every year.
Women are given vocational training to reduce economic dependencies, and are given free homes registered in their names. Health education for women covers nutrition, hygiene and disease prevention, while self-development courses help to instil inner confidence.

The Art of Living has expressed its commitment to women’s empowerment on three levels: first-generation education of girls in deprived rural communities and counteracting prejudices against girls and their education; providing vocational training for women in poverty-stricken regions, enabling them to become economically independent; organising a series of International Women’s Conferences (IWC) to inspire women leaders and raise awareness of women’s issues.

Supporting the girl-child

The Art of Living is working in collaboration with the United Nations Population Fund to educate people against the heinous practice of sex selection and female foeticide in India. This resulted in a conference ‘Faith in Action Against Sex Selection - India’s Missing Daughters’ in New Delhi, India in November 2005 to address the issue of female foeticide and the alarming imbalance in India’s sex ratio. Over 36 religious and spiritual leaders, representatives from the government, civil society and the media participated in this event. As a follow-up to a resolve taken at this conference, volunteers have been organising marches to create awareness about the issue in the affected states. One recent march covered 17 stations in six districts of Punjab, one of worst affected states in the country with a heavily skewed sex ratio of 798 girls per 1,000 boys.

The Euro a Day program (click here to donate http://euro-a-day.de/), also supports specifically girls’ education in rural areas.

Vocational Training

One landmark initiative that has empowered hundreds of rural women is the VISTA India (Value Integrated Services to All) project. Started in 1985 near Bangalore, India, to empower illiterate, emotionally abused and sick women, it provides vocational training in sewing and embroidery to over 200 women at a time. In addition, they are also taught basic literacy skills and aspects of health and hygiene. After training, many take up employment with the local garment industry while others work from their homes to augment income for the house. More than 2,000 women from 30 different villages have been trained trough this programme.

Videos

Testimonials

Mawahib Al Shaibani
WEP Coordinator
“Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is my inspiration. Watching him work selflessly, tirelessly, enthusiastically, joyously - working towards making life a celebration on this planet - that is what inspires me to take on the challenges.”

Shabari

Shabari The beautiful villages in the North-East of India have been ravaged by many challenges, due to lack of infrastructure, callous development, and militancy. Shabari created a revolution in education in the Northeast, and presently takes care of 46 tribal schools, most of which teach first-generation learners. She has gone door to-door, encouraging parents to send their children to school. Shabari’s dedication to a progressive Northeast has helped galvanize development and create a better future for the residents there. “The inherent qualities like love, care and compassion were already there in me like other women. Gurudev’s vision has empowered my vision. The boundaries of my family have spread until the horizon. By Guruji’s grace, courage and confidence got reflected in me for spreading his knowledge and sharing love and compassion with people living in places where even a gutsy man would be afraid to go.”

Mawahibal shaibani

Mawahibal shaibani The Art of Living began its work in Iraq in 2003 with a focus to bringing some relief and peace to its people. Several teachers from around the world were sent to Iraq in the face of ongoing bombings to conduct trauma care workshops, provide relief materials where possible and create opportunities for rehabiltiation. Mawahib Al Shaibani is an international faculty member for The Art of Living Foundation and Program Coordinator in Iraq. Realizing that her life’s work lay in humanitarian service, she became a teacher for the Foundation and began acting as aliason for its community projects in the Middle East. She works with other NGO’s government agencies and ministries, and communities on programs for social and humanitarian causes. She has facilitated numerous workshops in schools, corporations and other institutions and co-ordiantes the Women Empowerment Projects including vocational training of Iraqui women in Baghdad and Karbala. It is remarkable to note that in land where women’s rights is an active issue and women in leading responsible roles are few, the coordinator for all this relief work is a woman. “Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is my inspiration. Watching him work selflessly, tirelessly, enthusiastically, joyously - working towards making life a celebration on this planet - that is what inspires me to take on the challenges.”

Deepali Patel

Deepali Patel started the first Art of Living programs in the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Burkina Faso, and Senegal, The Youth Leadership Training Programs and the 5H programs she has taught have helped build inroads towards sustainable development and harmony between communities. “For me it is an honour and a privilege to be an Art of Living teacher. The last 10 years have been the most fulfilling years of my life. The Art of Living touches the very core of human beings and you instantly become a part of them, of their world, their lives. The more I give the more I receive. It has opened up my heart in dimensions I never knew possible. Before, my life was limited to my family. Now also, it is limited to my family, just that my family has grown so big, spanning continents. I never thought that would be possible for me. Sometimes I marvel at all the love that I have in my life.”

Katrien

Katrein has dedicated her time to teaching inmates around the world. The techniques taught on the Prison Program have transformed the lives of many bringing new hope and new life. She shares:“In my first Prison Program in Belgium, now more than one year ago, I met a man named Macro. He practices sadhana since he has done the course. Among other things, he wants to travel to testify about the change in his life and the value of Art of Living practices and knowledge. I have personally been touched by his humanness in an inhumane system and by his sincere longing for goodness, non-violence and love. - Katrien, Prison Program teacher, who taught Marco. “I wish what you wish for: inner peace, inner strength, inner love, understanding and a future. I live in the present. All I care about now is love, life, and Art of Living and the possibility to have a second chance maybe one day. -Marco, a transformed inmate