Campaign Story
About the project
IAWS strives to promote gender-just development in Jharkhand by engaging with and strengthening networks of feminist scholars, activists in universities, and civil society organizations. The organization works through the Centre for Women’s Studies at the University of Ranchi to produce high-quality literature, discourse and social actions. The repository of gender-sensitive, critical and interdisciplinary knowledge and resources that IAWS aims to consolidate will be available to students, NGOs, practitioners, teachers, and researchers.
This Project is fully funded by the Oak foundation.
Making a difference
IAWS recognizes that steering policy conversations toward a more woman-centric tone is a vital complement to the work of NGOs that provide direct beneficiary services. Through the Women’s Studies Centre (WSC), IAWS facilitated a number of public programs and lectures on women’s rights and gender equality. Programs included commemoration of International Women’s Day, regular interaction with research scholars, and a lecture series marking the birth anniversary of 19th-century women’s rights campaigner Savitribai Phule. The WSC coordinating team established the center’s library, compiled statistics and data on government policies, and created a catalog of videos, short films, documentaries, and narratives available on digital media. IAWS launched an internship program in 2021 targeting youth from diverse social backgrounds, and made inroads with a variety of NGOs that work on women’s issues, participating in workshops, training programs, rehabilitation and assistance work.
The Way Forward
● Organize 6 orientation workshops on gender in 3 universities in Jharkhand, Chaibasa and Ranchi
● Organize 4 gender sensitization workshops for school teachers in collaboration with Ranchi and Dumka administration
● Organize 3 competitions for students on the occasion of International Women’s Day 2024
● Organize 10 mentoring sessions for the participants of young scholars’ workshop
● Organize 1 workshop on research writing and 1 workshop on research methodology for students
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
23
Research associates from Jharkhand’s Women’s Studies Project joined the national conference, inspiring Jharkhand natives pursuing careers
25
Students from 2 universities became youth leaders and engaged in projects on sex and gender education, menstrual hygiene etc
3
Day training program for 12 change champions to equip them with vital skills and knowledge on collective action, the women’s movement, and constitutional changes.
4
Gender orientation workshops organized at various colleges and universities
40
Emerging scholars and 20 senior academicians formed Regional Knowledge Alliance to resolve women’s issues
Current Year’s Approved Grant: $71,370
