Taking names for granted!

We take it for granted, all of us do; what’s so great about being called by ones name, we might ask?

Confined within the walls of their house after marriage women in parts of UP and India for that matter, seldom get out of the house, seldom meet any one and are seldom called by their names. Some don't even know what they have been named.

The opportunity to meet friends and acquaintances and talk to them is something most of us have grown up with. But a visit to some remote villages in the state teaches us that for many, this is but a luxury that are able to afford.

The meetings that SHGs organize on a weekly basis do more than just spread awareness and encourage women to create savings. Giving the women a platform to talk to one another at these meetings gives the women an identity and helps them gain self-confidence and self-respect. When we ask them what difference the program has made to their lives, the women proudly tell us that the SHGs have given them a platform to speak and that the meetings have taught them how to talk. Some women have also confessed that because of the SHGs they have now learnt their names!

Many of us dismiss the very basic needs of our fellow citizens and fail to realize the impact and importance that merely speaking and meeting people can make on the lives of those who have little else but hope. The meetings that RGMVP organizes with visitors from different parts of the country helps the women develop a greater sense of self-pride. It gives them the confidence and encouragement to carry forward the work of the Pariyojana and empower more and more women.