Christmas, for me, symbolizes a season of new beginnings, inviting us, to be hope to those who have lost hope and to restore dignity to those who are marginalised at every front.
My Great Desire
It has always been my great desire to do something for women’s empowerment. God placed me in Gujarat through my congregation to work with the most underprivileged Adivasi women. Since 1999, I have been involved in making efforts for empowering Adivasi women through skill education, leadership training and wider outreach to the village communities.
WEST – For the Underprivileged
I was happy, during this academic year, to collaborate with a Jesuit centre in Rajpipla, Gujarat in developing a programme called Women’s Empowerment for Social Transformation (WEST). It is a training programme for young women from the marginalised sections of the society, especially Adivasi women, to become lawyers and social workers. It is a five-year programme and in the first year, language and computer skills are given along with the training for transformation based on Paulo Freire’s pedagogy of education – self and social transformation. Our outdated education systems have not contributed to the socio-economic development of Adivasi women. And so, the WEST programme envisages a paradigm shift from the traditional education system in creating situational changes. Through this programme young women are trained to develop an ideology of change and value formation so that they are equipped to work for the transformation of their own society, to assert their rights and gain a rightful place in the society. As trained women in their respective professions, they will be the decision makers. This will provide them with space and expertise and thus they will break traditions and taboos in a non-threatening manner. It will become a naturally nurtured and accepted women leadership in the community. It will promote gender equality.
My Contribution
I taught life skills to these young women to develop their confidence and be focused. I could notice a positive change in their attitude and perspective after conducting a series of sessions with them. The common notion is that Adivasi women are not ambitious and are not motivated to persevere in their career. It was an uphill task for me in the beginning to motivate them and get them on track. I was happy that I could help them to persevere in their studies.
Sr Magy Allessu DHM
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