Centre for the Study of Social Change

Department of Women’s Development and Empowerment- Women of India Network (WIN)

The basic objective and tenet of this department is that every woman should attempt to become “Healthy”,” Free” and “Full” woman during her lifetime. The initial project was termed as “WIN”( Women of India Network) with the assistance of IFPD ( International Foundation for Population Development, )Laussane,Switzerland. IFPD organized women’s groups invarious European cities in a manner that a group would collect funds from individual women members for sponsoring one Centre in one slum pocket of about 200 to 500 households named after that group.Initially CSSC had started these WIN Clinic -cum-centres in 20 areas. At present there are 12 such clinics which are functioning. Each WIN Centre/Clinic in Modular format served basically as Project using “integrated primary health service-at-doorstep” as an Entry Point for further expansion into holistic woman empowerment and development in Slums. Nearly 20,000 families and a population of about 100000 is in direct contact with the CSSC through the WIN project at any given time. WIN services integrated Health and Non-Health provide following inputs: (a) Health related inputs: a1. Women’s General & Reproductive Healthincluding Family Planning a2. Child Survival,Health &Growth, Water &Sanitation, a3. (NFE) Non-Formal Education for better health care and prevention of disease in women and children, and (b) Empowerment related inputs : b1.Skill Development Programmes for self – betterment, b2. Training for Income Generation for various vocations for individual women and b3.Formation of Self-Help Groups ,both aided and unaided by Mumbai Municipal corporation .Ultimate aim of CSSC is to ensure sustainability through community’s own financial and managerial participation. In addition to General practice type services to slum women,CSSC has programmes for needy persons irrespective of gender identity. They are as follows :

Sachal-Walk Over Project (Mobile Domiciliary Rehabilitation Project)

This project provides Physical Therapy to needy patients from nearby area at fairly low rates. Services for disabled patients from WIN areas are given at this project. Physical Therapist is treating the patients everyday (except Sundays) from 9 AM to 2.30 PM .The services provided are Exercise Therapy, Electrotherapy, evaluation, prescription & distribution of aids for physical disabled who come to centre and referral to outside.Since 1st Aug 2012, this project is included under WIN Expert Polyclinic..

Mega Win Clinic

It was felt that daily running WIN clinics were not feasible and not adequate for the needy population and so from 20th march 2017 CSSC has started a daily Mega WIN and Dental clinic at Nehru nagar, Golibar road, Santacruz east to provide primary health care along with specialist consultation at subsidised rates.Following services are providedcurrently : • General practitioner services (G.P Clinic) Monday to Saturday 10am to 1 pm and 6pm to 9pm • Pathology (Blood Collection) 9am to 10am • X-ray • Gynaec consultation • Orthopaedic consultation • Skin consultation .

Skill Development Programmes for self – betterment :

On every Wednesday afternoon, lectures related to Stress/ Anger managemnt ,healthy life style tips ,motivation of public relations and management films, home budgeting documentaries, other programmes of training and retraining are done for all health workers of CSSC. This has helped them to live a better healthy, free and full life.

Vocational Training

CSSC conducts various vocational training courses under WIN project for women and girls in the field as well as at CSSC campus. The course fees are highly subsidised so that the women from lower socio-economic background can benefit. Out of 6 courses 3 courses are of three monthsduration. At the end of the course, examination is conducted and the successful participants were given Certificates. The deserving girls and women from nearby areas from lower socio-economic background are benefited by these courses. were affordable. WIN volunteers working in area and do the publicity of vocational courses. The various courses are: (TO BE ADDED)

Self Help Groups (SHGs) under WIN project

Under the scheme of “Swarnajayanti Shahari Rojgar Yojana” (self-employment scheme for urban poor by MCGM , Self Help Groups (HSGs) were formed in our field areas. These groups are formed by women from more or less similar socio economic background with the main purpose of supporting group members during financial needs. Many of these groups are aided by Municipal Corporation Greater Mumbai financially albeit partially ). CSSC health volunteers have participated in many self-help groups in the communities where CSSC works through the clinics. WIN has formed 65 SHGs in clinic areas. The SHG members do collective savings regularly. Most of the SHGs have started internal lending to members and 15 SHG’s started Utpadan Gats (Production Groups) who do small businesses to enhance their income. Many of the group members have taken loans from their groups for various purposes ranging from family needs to improving the economic status of the Self-help groups are an important component of WIN. They reflect the unity of women from the community and they come together for their own development and are motivated to improve the economic condition of the family and take up social development activities. SHG’s also represent important pressure groups in the community and if guided properly they can contribute positively in creating awareness about immunization, child marriage, violence against women, Alcoholism, environmental cleanliness, etc. The SHG’s encourage women leadership and improve political participation of women at grassroots levels..They opt for taking up income generation activities. It enhances the status of women in family as well as in the Community. They play an important role in improving the economic status of women. It is observed that any programme, which has the participation from local women, is likely to succeed. So formation, capacity building and strengthening of SHG’s is important for women’s empowerment and community empowerment. Thus formation, capacity building and strengthening of SHGs is important for women’s empowerment and community empowerment.

Helping Hands Project

The Helping Hands Project was started in February 2010, with the objective of providing economic support to needy women in distress; we give loan up to Rs. 10,000/- for this purpose. We are receiving loan application for education of children or repayment of debt from outsider at heavy interest or repairing of house and giving medical support to the family or to start a small business. We have changed our Helping Hand criteria (both regarding loan amount and reason for loan ) since April 2012 owing to constant requests from the loan applicants to increase the loan amount from Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 20,000/-. During the period from April 2016 to March 2017, we were able to provide short term loans worth of Rs.3, 70,000/- to 19 women and 1 man

Non Formal Education

The Community Health Volunteers conduct two Non-formal Education (NFE) sessions every month in each clinic area. The topics covered in NFE can be divided into four broad categories. These categories are Reproductive Health and Family Planning, Child Health ,General Health and fourth is Social and developmental issues. During the reporting period, the WIN Community Health Volunteers conducted 353 NFE sessions in 15 slum areas. The total number of women attending these sessions is 6420. The average attendance per session is 18 women. The purpose of conducting NFE sessions with women is 1. To provide information about Neonatal Health 2. To motivate or encourage women to participate actively in economic and social life. 3. To provide correct information about Health h issues to women so that they can work towards prevention of health problems or otherwise respond to problems in early stages. 4. To empower women with knowledge so that they are better equipped to look after themselves and their families. 5. To acquaint women with information regarding facilities provided by the government and their rights and duties for example water and sanitation facilities,SHG ‘s formation. 6. To provide information about ill effects of dirty toilets.