Women’s empowerment points to approaches regarding other trivialized genders in a particular political or social context. We at BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY, act towards empowering women, mostly in rural setups, which goes a long way in building confidence and generating skilled human resources. Such programs also act as a security shield for the women victims.

UJJAWALA Home
Trafficking in Women & Children, especially young girls, is happening, and cases of their plight are reported in most media. This exclusively man-made and organized crime is occasionally traced, and a few narratives of the most heinous crimes against humanity get a bit exposed to the knowledge of our government administration and society. Confinement and physical torture, sexual exploitation, and even trading in body organs being the key motives behind this covert crime, it warrants rigid and instant action.

The police, the state, the human rights organs, and the voluntary social service agencies try to put in their efforts to counter this with action components like rescue, safe custody, care, and rehabilitation. And in this field, BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY acts in collaboration with the Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India. The program runs at Dhenkanal with key components of prevention of trafficking, rescue, care, and rehabilitation of young women, children, and girls who are victims or likely victims of trafficking. By now, over the past 11 years, about 780 women and young girls have been cared for and rehabilitated through the UJJAWALA Home at Dhenkanal in central WB.

The UJJAWALA Protective & Rehabilitative Home has an intake capacity of 25 trafficked women and children who have been rescued and referred by the police, Child Welfare Committee, Community Vigilance Groups, and others. The Home is functioning as per the guidelines of the Ministry with due facilities and services such as short stay, nutritious food, clothing, health and medical checkups with free treatment, counseling, legal aid, vocational training, and free education to the children. The program is monitored at different levels of the government/district administration and DIC team headed by the District Judge.

Advocacy on Women Empowerment and Child Rights
While taking measures for women empowerment, women must be largely associated with the programs, and BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY, in its attempts to empower women and ensure the rights of children, looks towards women collectives. It advocates and champions the cause of equity and social justice for women in every sphere, striving to see every child having equal opportunities to grow with their rights. It organizes seminars and conferences to identify issues, means, and modalities to address them.

Capacity Building of Minority Community Women
Women in India, in general, continue to suffer discrimination, harassment, and violence. Women belonging to minority communities suffer additional disadvantage owing to their traditional status and lack of proper representation. This is more so with Muslim women who are besieged with poverty, patriarchy, and religious restrictions affecting their socio-economic status. They are often discouraged from taking up secular education and gainful employment in contemporary society.

BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY is supported by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to build the capacities of women belonging to minority communities in Dhenkanal and Sambalpur districts. BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY also holds camps to educate women on various developmental aspects that include governmental policies, schemes, and procedures, and on the accessible opportunities towards personal growth and wider participation in socio-economic matters. The program has so far benefitted 1800 women from the minority communities, and their access to mainstreaming opportunities is encouraging. BAHIRKANCHALI SRISTI EDUCATIONAL SOCIETY carries on this exercise with or without external support.