Navyoti – For the Empowerment of Women in New Delhi

By Milena Rampoldi and Denise Nanni, ProMosaik. Our last interview of today is with  Chandni of the foundation Navjyoti in India. We talked to about women empowerment, and about the main problems of women in New Delhi. The organisation empowers women by including their whole communities.
 
How was the Navjyoti India Foundation born?
Navjyoti India Foundation was started by 16 police officers of Delhi Police in 1987. The idea was conceived by Dr. Kiran Bedi, the first woman IPS Officer of India and currently Lieutenant Governor of Puducherry as crime prevention through welfare policing.
The organization was formally registered on January 5, 1988. It was found that there was a strong nexus between crime and drugs. Youth, women and children were involved in crime due to lack of skills, unemployment, poverty, lack of education and disintegrated families. Hence Navjyoti India foundation was born to enable the vulnerable sections of the society towards the goal of self-reliance. Today, we have moved beyond welfare policing to community empowerment.
 
 
 
 
In which areas do you primarily work?
After 29 years of relentless service, we work under three broad programs, Child Education, Skill Upgradation and Community Development including women empowerment and environment.
 
What are the main gender issues in New Delhi?
The main gender issues in New Delhi are primarily related to health, education, discrimination in property rights, safety and security, dowry and domestic violence. However, India has made significant efforts in addressing gender inequalities through legal reforms, government schemes and awareness programs.
 
Can you tell me more about your program Women Empowerment?
The organization has reached out to more than 1500 women by organizing them into Self Help Groups, a microcredit program aimed at socio-economic empowerment of women. The women especially in rural areas were confined to homes, financially dependent in patriarchal society, many victims of domestic abuse, women empowerment program has enabled for such women-mobility, financial stability and social empowerment. These women today are amazing success stories in the form of entrepreneurship, community leadership and social coalitions, all made possible through right opportunities easily accessible to them.
Our women empowerment program also provides family counseling and legal awareness to address varied issues like domestic violence, marital maladjustment, dowry harassment, pre-marital relationships, property disputes, etc and promotes harmony and resolution. The project has benefitted more than 6000 families since inception.
 
 
 
 
Do you cooperate with local authorities and institutions? If yes, how?
Navjyoti India Foundation believes in collaboration, cooperation and taking collective responsibility to prevent crime against women. Our founder, Dr Kiran Bedi has developed six Ps plan of action for all contributing parts of society. Six Ps include People (parents and principals), police, politicians, prosecution, pictures (media, films, advertisings) and prisons. We work in tandem with all of them by generating awareness and workshops with people, linkages with police, empowering local self-governance in villages called Panchayat through training on gender-based issues, provide exposure visit to women to courts and legal awareness, sensitizing community through media and work on prison reforms through rehabilitation programs.

 

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