| Adithi is an umbrella organisation working with over 60,000
women and girls, mainly in the rural areas of Bihar and Jharkhand
(formerly South Bihar).
Adithi aims to empower women economically, socially and politically.
They combine a broad range of livelihood work with programmes
on literacy, education, health and credit. Through the mapping
programme, Adithi has focused on homebased work as an important
livelihood strategy for thousands of rural women and girls.
In Bihar, it is possible to grow three crops. Around 12%
of women do some kind of homebased work. In Jharkhand, there
has been a long drought and over 90% of the women depend on
homebased work.
In Jharkhand, surveys were carried out of women making leafplates
and in Bihar of those doing a traditional form of embroidery
called sujini. Other homebased occupations include: making
rope, spinning and weaving jute, making mats from date palm,
bamboo work, tasaar silk spinning and weaving, making muri
(puffed rice) and bidi (cigarettes).
Adithi has lobbied the state governments of Bihar and Jharkhand
for a social security fund. A federation of homebased workers
in Bihar and Jharkhand has been set up.
"Women should have access to their rights and to resources.
Women should be self-sufficient and independent."
Homebased worker organiser, Jharkhand
" We were never able to eat all we wanted. We were only
able to eat a handful of rice. We have to form an organisation
to get rid of poverty from the world and we should think of
others not only ourselves."
Cooperative leader, Jharkhand
|
