Campaign Story
About the project
Azad Foundation has been at the forefront of ensuring “livelihoods with dignity” for resource-poor women in 80 slums across Kolkata and North 24 Parganas districts, West Bengal. The organization provides women with the knowledge and skills required to access jobs and markets that are traditionally closed to them. Azad’s flagship “Women on Wheels” (“WoW”) program enables vulnerable and marginalized women to train and become employed as chauffeurs. By empowering women to earn a decent income in safe working conditions, Azad has been changing lives. Additionally, Azad uses evidence-based advocacy and communications to build knowledge and impact policies pertaining to unpaid care work, gender-just skill education frameworks, and the creation of gender-sensitive markets.
This Project is fully funded by the Oak foundation.
Making a difference
Azad Foundation works in partnership with two organizations – Talash and Development Action Society (DAS) who act as Azad’s mobilization partners at the community level. DAS and Talash raise public awareness of the Women on Wheels program and engage with the community on women’s opportunities, and how families can support women who wish to join the workforce. Azad’s for-profit associate Sakha Consulting Wings Pvt. Ltd., employs the women who receive permanent driver’s licenses through “WoW”. Driver training incorporates non-technical content aimed at making participants aware of topics such as sex and gender, patriarchy, legal rights, self-defense, sexual and reproductive health, spoken English, map reading, first aid, work readiness and communication. Complementing “WoW”, Azad’s Feminist Leadership Program (“Parvaz”) prepares women leaders to engage with their communities about gender inequalities, responding to violence against women, unpaid care work, opportunities through “WoW”, and engaging with urban governance. Azad is also working with the government in West Bengal to open more opportunities for women drivers, especially through the government’s Gatidhara (vehicle subsidy) scheme.
The Way Forward
● Reach 45,000 residents with information about “Women on Wheels (WoW)”, women and non-traditional livelihoods, prevention of gender-based violence
● Enroll 160 women in WoW
● Organize project training for 25 feminist leaders
● Enable 15 Azad Kishori leaders complete their higher secondary education
● Employ 128 women with permanent license
● Transfer 90 women to Azad’s consulting wing, Sakha, for job opportunities
The way forward
● Identifying vulnerable children and bringing them to children collectives
● Regular child participation and life skill session with adolescent groups
● Ensuring the progress of community action plan developed based on interface of children collective/adolescent girls group with community
● Meeting with parents of children groups on life skills and child protection issues
● Regular interface with the community to create space for children and community leaders for exchanging and sharing their ideas and experience related to child marriage
Project Impact
218
Women enrolled in “Women on Wheels” program
18
Feminist leadership alumni established and completed all 4 phases of training.
834
Women assisted in procuring citizenship documents in order to access public social security programs
171
Trainees received permanent driving licenses
81
Trainees got employment
29
Women trainees selected for skill development to undergo a 90 hrs bridge course for employment opportunities
Current Year’s Approved Grant – $100,000
