SPPD advances gender equality initiatives and socio-economic empowerment for rural women through:
- Rights awareness campaigns (e.g., legal aid, and domestic violence prevention).
- Capacity-building programs in vocational skills, microenterprise management, and financial literacy.
- Financial inclusion initiatives via bank linkages, microcredit access, and insurance plans.
Challenges Faced by Rural Women
Women in Tamil Nadu’s villages face systemic barriers:
- Economic dependency due to limited access to credit and income opportunities.
- Social inequities exacerbated by alcoholism and patriarchal norms.
- Lack of agency in decision-making and resource control.
SPPD’s interventions empower women to:
- Shape confident futures for themselves and their adolescent daughters.
- Escape exploitative money-lending cycles through self-help groups (SHGs).
SPPD’s Women Empowerment Strategies
1.Self-Help Group (SHG) Formation
- 52,000+ women organized into 4,100+ SHGs across Tamil Nadu.
- Monthly savings (₹100–₹200 per member) pooled into group accounts.
- Fortnightly meetings with SPPD coordinators to discuss:
- Financial management and microenterprise scaling.
- Health issues (STI prevention, nutrition, maternal care).
- Legal rights and domestic violence redressal.
2.Microfinance & Economic Empowerment
- Bank linkages for agricultural loans and small business funding.
- Microcredit programs to launch income-generating activities (e.g., value-addition, tailoring, and handicrafts).
- Insurance plans covering health, crops, and livestock.
3.Skill Development & Entrepreneurship
- Vocational training in high-demand fields (e.g., STEM education, hospitality).
- Microenterprise workshops on product marketing, loan repayment, and profit tracking.
4.Our Partners in Development
- ICICI Bank, HDFC Bank supported SPPD’s microcredit program.
- SPPD worked with Tamil Nadu Women Development Corporation, Chennai, strengthening SHG movements in our target villages.
