Women Empowerment

Women`s empowerment points to approaches regarding other trivialized genders in a particular political or social context. We at AIRA, act towards empowering women, mostly in the rural set ups which goes a long way in building confidence and generating skilled human resources. Such programme also act as security shield for the women victims.

UJJAWALA Home

Trafficking in Women & Children especially young girls are happening; and cases of their plight are reported in most medias. This exclusively man made and organized crime is occasionally traced and I few narratives of the most heinous crime against humanity gets a bit exposed to the knowledge of our government administration and society. Confinement and physical torture, sexual exploitation and even trading in body organs being the key motive behind this covert crime, it warrants rigid and instant action.
The police, the state, the human rights organs, the voluntary social service agencies try to put in their efforts to counter this with action components like rescue, safe custody, care & rehabilitation. And in this field AIRA acts in collaboration with Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India. The Program runs at Dhenkanal with key components of prevention of trafficking, rescue, care and rehabilitation of young women, children and girls who are victims or likely victims of trafficking. By now, over the past 11 years about 780 women and young girls have been cared for and rehabilitated through the UJJAWALA Home at Dhenkanal in central Odisha.
The UJJAWALA Protective & Rehabilitative Home has an in-take capacity of 25 trafficked women and children those have been rescued and referred by the police, Child Welfare Committee, Community Vigilance Groups and others. The Home is functioning as per the guidelines of the Ministry with due facilities and services such as short stay, nutritious food, clothing, health and medical checkup with free treatment, counseling, legal aid, vocational training and free education to the children. The program is monitored at different levels of the govt./ district administration and DIC team headed by the District Judge.

Advocacy on Women Empowerment and Child Rights

While taking measures for women empowerment, women must be largely associated with the programs and AIRA in its attempts to empower women and ensures rights of the children looks towards women collectives. It advocates and champions the cause of equity, social justice for women in every sphere, thrives to see every children having equal opportunities to grow with their rights. It organizes seminars, conferences to identify issues, means and modalities to address them.

Capacity building of Minority Community Women

Women in India, in general, continue to suffer discrimination, harassment and violence. Women belonging to minority community suffer additional disadvantage owing to their traditional status and lack of proper representation. This is more so with Muslim women who are besieged with poverty, patriarchy and religious restrictions affecting their socio-economic status. They are often discouraged from taking up secular education and gainful employment in the contemporary society.
AIRA is supported by the Ministry of Minority Affairs to build capacities of the women belonging to minority communities in Dhenkanal and Sambalpur districts. AIRA also holds camps to educate the women on various developmental aspects that include governmental policies, schemes and procedures and on the accessible opportunities towards personal growth and wider participation in socio-economic matters. The programme has so far benefitted 1800 women from the minority communities and their access to mainstreaming opportunities is encouraging. AIRA carries on this exercise with or without external support.