GEOGRAPHIC REGION
Asia
PARTNER
Our partner in India is Cathedral Relief Service, located in Kolkata.
India, with its population of 1.31 billion people, is located in south Asia, with Sri Lanka off its southern shores and Pakistan, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar ringing the country’s northern borders. More than 55 percent of India’s people are living in poverty. It is ranked 131 on the UN’s Human Development Index out of 187 countries. Minorities and marginalised groups – including people from the lower castes, tribal and rural populations, and women and girls – face huge hurdles. The UN’s Gender Inequality Index ranks India at 135 out of 187 countries. Only 35.3 percent of women aged 25 and above have some level of secondary education, and only 26.8 percent of women aged 15 and over are employed. A study in New Delhi found that 92 percent of women reported having experienced some form of sexual violence in public spaces in their lifetime, and trafficking of women and girls for sex work and forced labour is a huge problem.
We support the Women’s Empowerment project in India.
The Women’s Empowerment project, run by Cathedral Relief Service (CRS) provides skills training for more than 300 women in slum communities so they can set up their own small businesses and provide for themselves and their families, along with education about their health and rights.
CRS aim to equip marginalised people with the skills needed to take control of their own lives and futures.
Funding: This project is funded by donations from the Australian public.
If you would like to donate to our work in India, click on the ‘Please Donate’ button (choose ‘India – CRS Women’s Skills Training’ from the ‘Donation’ drop-down menu):
