Women Empowerment Program (WEP) is a program that deals with women issues:
Women in rural areas have fewer opportunities and suffer from exponentially more rights violations simply because they are female. In rural areas, women are the legal property of their husbands, are unable to receive inheritance, cannot borrow money, and do not have rights. It is common for women to not receive an education, be allowed to make decisions on how to care for their children or decide when and how to be touched.
With these restrictions, women must depend entirely on their husbands for survival. Without a husband, women have little to support them. To reverse the situation, ISRCD managed to integrate gender equity solutions that are culturally sensitive and benefit the entire community.
With close partnership with local organizations and grassroots leaders ISRCD provides opportunity for women in a variety of tested methods.
These include vocational skills and microenterprise development training; microfinance opportunities; self-help groups; community workshops on rights, reproductive health, gender sensitivity, leadership, life skills, literacy, empowerment, etc.; legal and psychological counseling for victims of abuse; advocacy campaigns; and much more.
In response ISRCD through WEP joins efforts with several women’s empowerment organizations to support local programs and initiatives that:
- Provide training and sensitization for women’s groups on management, financing, and enterprise development to increase independence and allow mothers to better support their families.
- Create educational training materials on topics such as reproductive health, alternatives to high-risk behaviors, counseling, vocational skills, and self-esteem building.
- Develop savings and microcredit opportunities to support the economic empowerment of women and discourage them from high-risk behaviors.
- Organize media, theatre, and performing arts activities that promote the importance of good decision-making.
- Offer free medical treatment to marginalized women and their families via field visits and rural clinics.
- Provide resources for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) centers. These centers are critical to limiting the spread of HIV and educating community members about preventative health practices.
ISRCD through WEP strives to improve the living standards of rural women by empowering them economically and financially. The ultimate goal of Women Empowerment Programme (WEP) is the establishment of Women Enterprise Development Fund (WEDF) that is providing financially support to women enterprises and encourage them to become competitive and vibrant entrepreneurs while carrying out generating income activities. Only women organizations or companies are eligible to the programme.