AAINA
Bhubaneswar, India

Aaina was founded in 1998 by a group of like minded women who wanted to focus on the development of women and childrens issues, especially as they relate to disability. Their mission is to see a world of identity, dignity and rightful provisioning for the underprivileged people, especially women, children and persons with disability. Targeting women and children who are distressed, disabled, or trafficked, Aaina has instituted several programs to offer relief. Some of these include counseling for distressed women through Art therapy, responding to natural disasters in terms of relief and rehabilitation, Community Based Rehabilitation for children and adults with disability, and special schools for children with disability that include the participation of the mothers through income generating projects.

AANCHAL
Mumbai, India

Aanchal is a help line and support group that reaches out to lesbian and bisexual women in Mumbai, India. This population was chosen because sexual minorities, especially lesbians are seen as invisible in India. Lesbians, in particular, are often viewed as sick or suffering a mental illness that needs to be cured. One of the main issues facing lesbian and bisexual women in India is the discrimination, resulting from the lack of awareness about homosexuality in a traditional heterosexual society. Aanchal is committed to creating a safe and confidential place for women, regardless of their age, class, caste, religion and race, who are dealing with issues that related to their sexual orientation. Aanchal has created many support groups for women which meet on a regular basis to discuss issues related to sexuality. In addition, the organization has joined with other LGBT groups, supportive women's groups and HIV /AIDS groups to fight discrimination by challenging current legal statutes.

AID INDIA
SATANKULAM, India

Aid India was originally founded in 1992 by a group of men and women with the goal of helping disabled people. Since 1992, Aid India has expanded to include focus on the welfare of dalit women and widows. Its board has also expanded to include five women, and only two men. As stated by the organization, Aid India stands for "Empowering the women and disabled people in rural areas where they have no access to economy and education." In the past, Aid India has worked toward this goal by implementing programs for awareness raising, free medical camps, adult literacy for the rural illiterate women, and educational assistance for the poor. Aid India now also runs a micro-credit program namely Grama Vasantham for disadvantaged women and disabled of all categories, a vocational training program for young dhalit girls, and a computer center for them as well.

Akshara - A Women's Resource Center
Mumbai, India

Akshara was established in 1995 by two activists of the Indian Women's Movement. In the beginning it was primarily a resource center that sought to reach women in poor or marginalized areas with the necessary information to allow them to assert their rights and realize their full potential. Their mission is to enable women to continue with education, to develop critical thinking skills in regards to gender and development, and to promote self-awareness. Akshara presently works with young women in schools, slums, and institutions through training groups, discussions, and workshops, as well as by issuing scholarships for education. The organization continues to have a women's resource center, and is in the process of putting together a detailed reference of women's studies.

Anubhooti
Patna, India

Founded in 1994, Anubhooti works in underprivileged areas of Bihar State to improve the lives of women. The organization focuses on the limited awareness of women's legal and human rights. It is also working to stop violence and crime against women in India. Anubhooti offers training and support to the creation and maintenance of women's savings and investment groups. They have constructed and maintain a sanitation center and hope to replicate these centers in other districts throughout Bihar. Anubhooti is also training their members to be active players in local governing bodies.

Anveshi Dalit Women's Trust
Tiruvalla, India

Anveshi Dalit Women's Trust is an organization that was founded in 1993 by a group of Dalit women. Anveshi's main goal is to empower Dalit women and the Dalit community, as a whole for social change. Sadly, today Dalit women are still not able to participate in religious activities, mainstream political parties or societies. Anveshi wants women to recognize the daily exploitations that they face in order to challenge the existing social structure. The organization therefore encourages women to develop and demonstrate those capabilities which are often suppressed due to their marginalized status in society. This is accomplished by promoting women to use their culture and folklore as a form of resistance. Anveshi provides centers where women are able to research their culture and discuss issues of oppression.

ARPAN
Himatnagar, India

Advancement of Rural People And Nature (ARPAN) was established in 1992. The group was founded to help women of North Gujarat India who suffer due to the prevailing social values. ARPAN works in more than 120 villages offering programs to raise awareness about women's conditions. These programs primarily focus on rural tribal women in North India who are deprived of their right to common property resources such as land, forest and water. Thus they loose access to fodder, fuel and water. In addition, ARPAN has established 150 self-help groups for these tribal women to help them overcome poverty and to create a sense of empowerment. ARPAN's programs and self-help groups focus on pressing matters such as economic dependence, participation in decision making, age of marriage, unwanted pregnancy, discrimination of female children, illiteracy, atrocities against women and economical issues. Furthermore, they work with tribal sex workers on HIV/AIDS issues.

Association for Bottom Strata (ABS)
Pudukkottai, India

ABS is an organization that aims to uplift the Narikkuravar Gypsys, Kuravan community, dalit women and children through exclusive programs constructed for the development of the poor people living in rural areas of Pudukkottai District of Tamilnadu, India. The organization's goal is to uplift these communities by providing training, skill development, awareness and healthcare programs, schools for children, research projects, and HIV/AIDS prevention programs. ABS has been active in a variety of programs including environmental awareness, welfare associations, child labor elimination, and women awareness. Presently ABS is working on forming self-help groups, providing income generating programs, health programs, counseling, and vocational training.

BLOSSOM
Virudhunagar, India

BLOSSOM was founded June 7, 1993 in order to assist in the "blossoming of power in every individual, particularly women and children." BLOSSOM's mission is to "facilitate a process where marginalized groups, particularly women and children, have an improved quality of life, by working in partnership with other development actors." The organization's current goals are to give a voice to women infected with HIV/AIDS and to build the capacity of their women members, while focusing on women laborers and those affected by violence. BLOSSOM has 25 staff members, 10 volunteers, and 8500 female members. The organization's activities include self-help groups, support for women and orphans affected by HIV/AIDS, family counseling, vocational training, a music and dance school, and an entrepreneurship development program.

Centre for Women's Development and Research
Chennai, India

The Centre for Women's Development and Research (CWDR) is an organization that was founded in 1993 by a group of female activists who wanted to address problems faced by women in the southeast end of Chennai, India in a region called Thiruvanmiyur. CWDR's mission includes creating awareness about gender issues, increasing the income of women, and eliminating violence against women. CWDR primarily works with slum women and female children who are employed as domestic workers. They have initiated local women's organizations with more than 3,000 women in 75 slums. In the area there are over 5,000 women engaged in all household activities from kitchen duties to childcare. The wages they receive are insufficient to cover the basic amenities needed for survival, and usually these women are the primary breadwinners for their families. Sadly in this type of work the women are not able to learn any new skills that may eventually help them to succeed in other fields. Furthermore, their work is seen as non–productive, non-economic, not real work, but rather more as charity cases. CWDR is trying to focus on giving the women vocational training and providing them with loans to possibly start their own small businesses.

Council for Tribal and Rural Development (CTRD)
Bhubaneswar, India

Council for Tribal and Rural Development (CTRD) was founded to promote the leadership of rural women, to address their health issues, and to strengthen women's self-help groups through capacity-building and linkage with international donors. They aim to alleviate rural poverty by promoting self-employment among women and involving women in micro-enterprise activities and community-level food security initiatives. In addition, CTRD supports community-based environment management programs initiated by local women groups. The organization has 15 elected members, 22 staff, and 20 volunteers. They have mobilized a savings program investing in a handicrafts center for income generation through as many as 100 women's self-help groups. They have also provided wells and livestock to a number of these groups. Among other micro-enterprise initiatives, they are at present working with 50 groups in 7 coastal villages to develop a community plant nursery and a riverbank plantation.

Dalit Women Forum
Secunderabad, India

Dalit Women Forum (DWF) was formed in India in 1993 by a group of women development workers to empower vulnerable groups such as women, pavement dwellers and street children facing problems including violence, discrimination, unequal wages and the institutions of dowry and bigamy. DWF does not solely target Dalit women but includes all poor and oppressed women irrespective of their caste or religious background. The mission of Dalit Women Forum is "to enhance their bargaining skills in order to increase their living levels in the fields of economic, social, political, cultural". DWF’s three-person staff aims to empower women by raising awareness on various issues, fighting for the rights of the oppressed and organizing women’s and self-help groups.

Deepak Charitable Trust
Vadodara, India

Deepak Charitable Trust was founded in 1982 to improve the health, education and socio-economic status of the entire Nandesari community in Western India, with a particular emphasis on providing women with a better quality of life. Some of the issues that the women face are lack of education, early marriage, diseases, and unemployment. The area of Nandesari where Deepak works is primarily a Hindu Rajput community. These kinds of communities are often very conventional resulting in many restrictions on women. These include limitations on their freedom to interact with the outside world, limited development of women's self esteem and limited expression of their sexuality. Deepak's vision is for women to have expanded horizons of autonomous decision making, as well as control over their own bodies and resources. Most importantly, Deepak wants women to have equal rights to men. In able to reach their goal, they provide reproductive health care for women and mental and physical health care for children. In addition, the organization provides facilities to make basic needs such as making drinking water, fuel and fodder more accessible to the community.

Foundation for Low Income Group & Social Health (FLASH)
Pondicherry, India

The Foundation for Low Income Group and Social Health (FLASH) was formed in India in 1996 to help very poor rural Dalit women and downtrodden people suffering from social exploitation, denial of basic human rights, and fear of sexual exploitation. With an overall mission of "women's holistic development", FLASH's current goals are women's education, awareness building, and skill training for income generation. FLASH currently provides formal and informal education and skill training to Dalit girls. Six of the seven members of FLASH's governing board are women.

Guidance Society for Labour Orphans and Women (GLOW)
Tamil Nadu, India

GLOW (Guidance Society for Labor Orphans and Women) is a non-profit, social service organization that has been assisting the poor, marginalized and vulnerable Dalit women of Taminadu, India since 1996. GLOW operates in five districts within Taminadu, servicing 168 villages and hamlets. GLOW's development activities have benefited nearly 40% of the population in these districts. The mission of GLOW is to "raise the socio-economic condition of the poor and the marginalized and to empower them politically using Micro-Credit small savings and credits as its main strategy." GLOW works toward breaking the cycle of poverty through integrating micro finance schemes and gender programs. Currently, GLOW is involved in ten major programs including STD/HIV awareness, micro-credit loans, scavenger's rehabitation program, and gender development to name a few.

Guild of Women Achievers (GOWA)
Bangalore, India

The mission of Guild of Women Achievers (GOWA) is to help women maximize their potential by networking and helping each other to grow personally and professionally. Their current goals are to build a strong membership base of women from different walks of life and also to motivate them to reach out to women from marginalized sections by volunteering their ideas, time, talent, services, experience and expertise. GOWA was designed to boost women's self esteem by perceiving them as an achievers, therefore stepping out of the 'victim' mold and into the one of 'victor'. GOWA serves women from both urban and rural areas, catering to each groups specific needs. Activities/projects include income generating activities, free health services and counseling, annual "Best mother, grandmother and husband" awards, conferences for businesses concerning employment of women, lectures in schools concerning interpersonal relations, craft workshops, product marketing workshops, product exhibitions, and more. Since it's introduction in 1996, GOWA now has 650 members and is still growing. "Be a friend to another woman" is the basic thrust of GOWA.

Indira Social Welfare Organization ISWO
Dhenkanal, India

Indira Social Welfare Organization (ISWO) was started in 1985 by a group of enthusiastic female teenagers mainly from Thenkanal district in the state of Orissa. This group of girls had been attending tailoring classes and after identifying the need for skills training in their own town, they formed ISWO. The organization aims to empower the slum dwelling women, who are mostly Dalit and tribal women, to enable them to rise above the poverty line. Most of this population is illiterate and experiences wage exploitation, health hazards and violence. Past services provided by ISWO include community organization, health, education, and infrastructural development plus environmental and agricultural improvement. IWSO has recently started a human rights project which provides legal counseling and legal aid to women in the district. In addition they operate a girls school and run awareness programs.

Integrated Women Development Institute (IWDI)
Chennai, India

The Integrated Women Development Institute was founded in 1989 by Celinal Paul Daniel, a woman inspired by the ideology of Gandhian thoughts and Christianity, who wanted to implement programs and rural development works that would benefit the people living in Gummidipoondi and Ponneri taluks of the Thiruvallur District. IWDI fulfills its mission to uplift women and girl children from the devastating situations they encounter by setting up income generating programs for deserving women to become self-employed. The IWDI targets homeless women, low income bonded labourers, the destitute, the deserted aged, and nutrition lacking girl children and provides them with better water facilities, proper sanitation, hygiene education, and savings micro credit programs. Under the rehabilitation of manual scavengers programs, IWDI has formed four sanitary Mart Groups in the Ambattur and Kattivakkan municipalities (slum areas). IWDI also would like to educate and motivate women through Leadership Training Camps with a view to utilise their potential for creation of a new society which is free from exploitation.

JEETA (Joint Endeavour for Emancipation, Training and Action for Women)
Cuttack, India

The Joint Endeavor for Emancipation, Training and Action for Women (JEETA) was founded in 1994 by a group of women from varying backgrounds. Their primary interest is to help women in the State of Orissa by initiating a sustained human rights campaign. JEETA works to inform and organize poor and disadvantaged women in rural and urban areas who are distressed and vulnerable. Some of the problems that the women face are violence, low wages, trafficking and drug abuse. The organization promotes empowerment by focusing on issues such as socio-economic development and access to government organizations. Through newspapers, magazines, anti-drug and anti-liquor movements it creates awareness and education throughout the local community. JEETA has also participated in unionizing daily wage and domestic workers and through participation in the Right to Information movement they aim to promote an open, responsive and transparent government.

MAHILA MANDAL BARMER AGOR (MMBA)
BARMER, India

MMBA, founded by Ms. Mumtaz Ben as a result of her struggle to improve the quality of life at Indira Colony, has been working in the Barmer and Jaisalmer districts of India since 1985. It is a grass roots organization that concentrates on education, health, gender discrimination, and serves primarily widowed women known as dalits. Ms. Mumtaz Ben received the "Women Excellency Award" in 1997 from the National Women Commission for her work through MMBA. The vision of MMBA is to "establish a society with equal rights for men and women." The organization aims to inform villagers, especially women, of their fundamental rights and to promote their upliftment through education and participation in organizational activities. Mahila Mandal Barmer Agor is currently involved with non-formal educational camps for girls, non-formal educational schools, a community based project working with the visually impaired, and rural development projects .

Mahila Sankshem Sangh (MASS)
Hyderabad, India

The Mahila Sankshem Sangh (MASS or Women Development Organization) was founded in 1994 by a group of women activists who aimed to form self sustainable programs for women and to educate women on reproductive health and legal rights. MASS currently has five staff members and 1,000 organizational members. The organization has created self managed women's groups which build the capacity of women to create "socially and economically self sustained women with equal participation in decision making of their respective families." Currently MASS is engaged in a number of programs, such as Girl Child Education, Leadership Development Camps, Health Awareness Camps, Thrift and Credit Activities, Income Generation Activities, and Skill Development Activities, which provide socially and economically disadvantaged women, single women, and illiterate women with numerous resources to improve their standard of living.

Nari-O-Sishu Kalyan Kendra (NSKK)
Howrah, India

Nari-O-Sishu Kalyan Kendra (NSKK) was registered in 1979. It was originally founded by a man named Md. Mainuddin, who believed in empowering women. His initial goal was to empower women living in seven Muslim dominated villages who due to their faith were unable to receive an education. In these communities, women courageous enough to seek an education were socially and economically punished. His strategy was to encourage women to share their hardships as a way of silently mobilizing a form of resistance. This strategy was so successful, that today NSSK is run by women who work for women. The organization serves all ages of women because they believe that at each stage of life women face different problems. For example, female children face child labor, adolescents face early marriage and adult women face victimization within the home and in society. NSSK focuses its services on three age groups of women: up to 12; 12-18; and 18-45. Some of the current activities and programs include: counseling services; consist of mobilization of local resources; and credit access for skill development and self employment opportunities.

Nirnaya
Secunderabad, India

Nirnaya is a non-profit women's trust that was founded in 1998 by Indira Jena and Uma Maheehwan. The organization's main mission is to work towards gender justice by increasing women's decision making capabilities. Their mission is accomplished by financially supporting both rural and urban grassroots women's groups. The organization focuses it's works on Dalit tribal women and girls because they are the ones who are most vulnerable to poverty and violence in Indian society. Nirnaya supports and promotes the formation of grassroots women's groups, in urban slums as well as in rural areas. The organization also conducts and sponsors skill training for adolescent girls. With their fundraising activities they have established a legal aid and counseling center for the women.

OLAKH - A Space For Women. A Feminist Documentation Resource & Counseling Centre.
Vadodara, India

OLAKH, A Space for Women, is a feminist documentation, resource and counseling center founded in 1993. This organization stresses the need to have an alternative space for women to share their own frustrations and to gain education and skills to empower themselves. By gaining a feminist perspective, the existing discriminatory structures such as patriarchy, gender, class, and caste can be recognized and challenged. The organization's ultimate vision is to create a society based on justice and dignity for all. OLAKH strives to attain this goal by reaching women through the use of various forms of mass media and other interactive processes at micro and macro levels. They are able to implement these things by having a safe, confidential and non-judgmental space for women and girls to discuss issues such as violence, sexuality, emotional, mental and reproductive health. The Documentation and Resource Center runs a library, study circle, film screenings along with training workshops and seminars. In addition, OLAKH has a counseling center which offers a telephone help line, face to face dialogue, interventions, and mutual support groups.

Organization for Women Liberation (OWL)
Nilgris District, India

OWL was founded in 1984 in response to the felt needs of women in the Nilgiris District under the auspices of the Rural Development Organization. Poverty and the lack of resources are major problems facing these communities which lead to domestic issues, bonded labor, illiteracy and lack of education. OWL identifies economic independence and education as major ingredients for the liberation of women living in very poor conditions. OWL's ongoing work with the Nilgiri District aims to 1) equip women with the necessary skills to be viable employees in the workplace, 2) start supportive services for women and 3) open small scale industries to generate income for the needy women. OWL has been instrumental in establishing a Tea estate for women and their families at Koundankolli and Allavayal-Gudalur and implementing a tailoring and typewriting institution in Gudalur.

PROJECT SWARAJYA
CUTTACK, India

Project Swarajya was founded in 1988 in Cuttack, Orissa by a group of progressive women and men. They had a vision to “prevent atrocities against women, prevent drug abuse and alcoholism, to promote policy planning for women, to increase the role of women in eco-development, and to empower the women weavers and fisher women.” Since 1988, Project Swarajya has grown to be governed mostly by women. Today, its mission is to “ensure human rights, ... to provide employment opportunities to women... to ensure the participation of women in all spheres of socio-economic-cultural development.” Project Swarajya also campaigns against the trafficking of women, and works for gender justice. These efforts are aimed primarily toward the rural poor and downtrodden dalit women of India. With a staff of 40 and more than 50 volunteers, some of their most current projects include efforts toward scavenger liberation, eradication of child labor, conservation of coastal ecology, governance reform and public interest litigations for the cleaning of rivers.

Qaiser Foundation
Patna, Bihar, India

Qaiser Foundation is an organization that was created in 1994 through the mother group Mahila Samooh. Qaiser began it's work by launching an awareness campaign among the deprived section of the society regarding health, education, and development. Their main goal is community development and women empowerment through education and health awareness, family welfare and primary health care. Qaiser plans to install education centers, health centers, low cost latrines and develop self help groups by collaborating with different governmental programs. Furthermore, they hope to improve the handling of land disputes and dowry cases.

Rural Educational Awareness Development Society (READS)
Sathankulam, India

Founded in Tamil Nadu in 1998, Rural Educational Awareness Development Society (READS) organizes women in order to raise their social and economic status. In Tamil Nadu, dowry torture is still prevalent, most women have little or no education due to pressure from their parents to stay home and help with house work, and married women have no voice in decision making. READS goals include forming female self help groups in local villages, gathering young female drop-outs and providing them with an education, and creating vocational training for women and girls. Recently READS has formed 115 female self help groups, and through grants, they have created a female operated dairy farm. They offer training and programs on topics such as savings habits, women's rights, clean environment, and child health. In the future the organization will work on initiating micro credit programs, setting up elderly homes, daycare centers, and implementing income generation programs for women.

Rural Health and Environment Development Trust (RHEDT)
Coimbatore, India

Rural Health and Environment Development Trust was established in Tamil Nadu in 1990 by a group of male and female social workers. RHEDT serves the Irula Tribal women of the Nilgiri Hills because these women are denied access to the forest, are forced to live in restrited areas, do not have basic health and educational supplies, are not considered for government welfare, and are deprived of their basic tribal and human rights. The mission of RHEDT is to organize the Tribal women into self-help groups and equip them with knowledge, awareness, analytical skills etc. It also works to help the women take responsibility for their own development initiatives and to enable them to become economically independent. The organization is concerned with environmental awareness, AIDS prevention, mother and child healthcare, as well as human rights. They have established an early childhood education program for the tribal children in order to provide a safe and positive learning environment while their parents work. In the future they are planning to organize and run a school for the children of women who are commercial sex workers. In addition to the board of directors, and general membership, RHEDT currently has a staff of 13 ans over 20 volunteers serving the needs of tribal women.

Saraswathi Meenava Magalir Sangam (Society for Fisher Women)
Tamil Nadu, India

Saraswathi was founded by Danida Adult Education Project for Marine Fisher Folk in January 1994. It was formed to retain the impact of this adult education program among fisher women. Furthermore, they wanted to organize the women for collective action and to create holistic development for the entire marine fisher community who live in the Bay of Bengal coastal villages of Tamil Nadu. The organization's goal is to empower marine fisher women residing in 30 coastal hamlets so they can ultimately provide alternative and supplementary income for themselves. Since the fishing industry is primarily patriarchal, the women are forced to face many more problems then men. Some of the issues they face include lack of education, health care, and employment. Saraswathi has nine project centers that provide awareness programs, education, employment and various other support such as counseling and first aid. The organization now has 64 volunteers and 6 board members.

Shaishav
Bhavnagar, India

Shaishav was founded in 1992 in the city of Bhavnagar, located in the western peninsula of Gujarat. The organization mainly focuses on improving issues such as child labor, uneducated children and slum children, especially girls. Their primary goal is to improve the general society by beginning with empowering children to take charge and initiate change. Shaishav's philosophy is that a healthy child leads to a healthy adult, which ultimately makes a healthy society. They execute their goals by working towards abolishing child labor in Bhavnagar, protecting children's basic rights and involving parents in activities for their children. They have a multi-pronged strategy to address these complex issues. This strategy includes rehabilitation, prevention, alternative, networking and support. Shaishav strongly believes that people should be helped to empower themselves. Therefore the organization does not play a role as the "problem solver" but rather as a catalyst.

STREE ATYACHAR VIRODHI PARISHAD (Social Organization agitating For Socio-Legal Justice to Women and Girl Children)
NAGPUR, India

On March 8, 1980, a silent march of women took place in order to bring awareness to the community of the issues women faced, such as rape and other atrocities. The women who organized the march had come together to work on a case which involved a girl who was raped in the police station by the police. This case led Dr. Seema Sakhare to establish Stree (Social Organization Agitating for Socio-Legal Justice to Women and Girl Children) in an attempt to advocate socio-legal justice for women. Today the organization serves 10 districts in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra. It aims to bring awareness, awakening and information to women about their constitutional rights, laws and judicial procedures. It also works to create equality, liberty and social justice for women in the society. Although the organization serves all groups of women, they focus on the uneducated poor rural women of Vidarbha Division of Maharashtra State. Because these rural areas are very patriarchal, women do most of the work, with little respect or recognition, and they tend to lack self confidence. Stree's goal is for these women to be self sufficient when it comes to solving their own problems. The organization's main activities included mobilizing groups of women to meet, so that they are able to give each other emotional support and create a community atmosphere, which ultimately enables them to be self sufficient. Stree also has implemented a number of support programs and activities to improve the many atrocities that adolescent and adult women face.

Vikalp (Women’s Group)
Baroda, India

Viklap (Women's Group) was formed by a group of women who felt the need to create a grassroots organization to address women's issues in rural tribal areas. This group of women representing diverse fields such as education, media, government and private sectors, shared a common political understanding and feminist perspective. Vikalp was formally registered in 1996 and is currently working in 70 villages of Chotaudepur and Kavant blocks of Vadodara district in Gujarat state. Vikalp believes that "an aware woman is a revolutionary being who can initiate changes in her surroundings, and in gender relations through collective and individual power." As a means to change, the organization focuses on strengthening women's health, education and rights. Vikalp strongly feels that all three spheres are highly interrelated, therefore, change needs to take place simultaneously. The organization has a strong community base, involving the local village women and representatives of the panchayats (local government bodies) who work together in implementing programs. Most programs aim to develop leadership skills and to encourage decision-making within as well as outside the household. Some of the activities that the organization has initiated include health education and awareness, rapport building, and development of a resource and counseling center.

Wake Up India Women's Wing
Bangalore, India

The organization was founded by Mrs. Ellen John in 1995, with a burden to help the poor in India. Working primarily with rural village women, Wake Up aims to help poor and underserved village women. Their primary programs include: a primary school for rural children; a prison ministry providing counseling and medical care to women in the Bangalore central jail; tailoring, typing and computer training courses.

Women Development Resource Centre (WDRC)
Madurai, India

The Women Development Resource Centre (WDRC), was started in 1991 to create a space for women to come together to sit and discuss the development of women, the injustice on them, and to bring conditional and positional changes to the lives of women. The mission of WDRC is to help promote a strong grassroots women's movement. The organization also addresses the livelihood needs of women, works on actions against violence on women and encourages the political participation of women in local governmental systems. While working in the southern part of Tamil Nadu, WDRC has promoted 162 community level women's organizations among Tribal and Dalit women who are the culturally, economically, socially, culturally, and politically vulnerable. WDRC helps women to promote savings groups for their economical empowerment through promotion of the Women Laborers Bank, which is involved in micro income generation programs which increase the level of income and create local employment opportunities such as organic manure production.

Women's Emancipation and Development Trust (WED)
Tamilnadu, India

Women's Emancipation and Development Trust (WED) was founded in 1992 with the aim of "building a gender-just society with self-sustained, economically independent, politically empowered women." The organization's mission is to "empower women and children in all spheres of life through education, training and intervention programs along with networking of peoples' movement for campaigning and lobbying." WED consists of a five-member board of trustees, six permanent full-time staff, ten part-time staff, and five volunteers. Their activities include programs aimed at awareness education to prevent violence against women (especially female infanticide and feticide), self-help groups and micro-finance for women's income generation, as well as family counseling and legal aid. In addition, WED campaigns against child labor and coordinates activities with other regional organizations.

Women's Organization for Rural Development (WORD)
Tamil Nadu, India

Women's Organization for Rural Development (WORD) was founded in 1991 by Ms. Sivakamavalli who envisioned "promoting rights of the oppressed, discriminated and marginalized women" in India. Their goals include eradicating gender disparity through the attainment of social, economic, health, cultural, and environmental development. Focusing on serving primarily rural poor women, the organization works to improve the status of women by promoting women and children in livestock rearing and bio-diversity conservation. Through training and awareness they also work to improve women's health rights. The organization is grounded by a general body of 21 women who elect an executive committee of 7 women, which in turn takes care of the overall function of the organization with support from the staff (composed of 25 women and 2 men). While decisions are collective, the general body has the final word. Some of the organization's recent activities include: "Women Empowerment Through Social Awareness and Economic Development," a program involved in the formation of self-help groups and income generating programs; "Micro-credit of Income Generation Activities," a program offering training in savings and credit management, bookkeeping, and accounts management. This organization is actively involved in several ongoing and widespread programs reaching out to local women through training and education, these vital tools allow them to attain their ambitious aims throughout society.

Women's Political Watch (WPW)
New Delhi, India

Women's Political Watch (WPW) was founded in 1991 by Ms. Veena Nayyar. The organization works to promote development and democracy for women who live below the poverty line in slums and tenements. To encourage development, WPW works to enhance the social and economic status of women by bringing centrality to women's needs. Furthermore, they advocate and implement economic and social programs in the hopes of maximizing women's capacities, resources, and opportunities. By bringing women's political and developmental needs to the mainstream, WPW is encouraging democracy for women. They often help by electing and appointing women in sufficient numbers to local governing bodies. Most importantly, the organization empowers women by creating access to literacy, vocational skills, micro-credit and more. At any time WPW has around 600 women and children spread over 40 centers attending classes.