Empowering women empowers whole communities.

In the rural communities of Northern India, women suffer from shocking illiteracy (66%) and poverty (70%). The results are catastrophic - intimidation, domestic violence, early marriage, dowry violence, marital rape, severe relationship inequality, ignorance of rights and near total dependence on men to merely survive.

Being illiterate and essentially ‘voiceless’ perpetuates their insignificant status, abject poverty and lack of. unity. Not only do they experience huge difficulty in providing adequate food and healthcare for their children, they are often victims of social injustice, harassment and trafficking.

The path to empowerment for these women is not easy, but HOI has proudly funded Women’s Empowerment Groups for more than a decade, providing them with a genuine sense of sovereignty. Over time, these groups have themselves become fund generators for their local communities, earning them considerable respect.

Over the past 10 years, they’ve raised nearly AUD$140 000 which has been used to purchase livestock, sewing machines, fund micro-agricultural programs and assist small businesses to get up and running.

Support for these women has allowed their children to attend school rather than being thrown into child labour. It also enables the families to build financial independence and to form community support networks to help access healthcare and to combat domestic violence.