Center for Women’s Development and Research
Project Title: Center for Women’s Development and Research

Location: India

Grant Amount: $4,560

Grantee Website: www.cwdr.org

Areas of Impact: Health

Mission of Center for Women’s Development and Research
To facilitate a women's movement to achieve human rights for women.

Summary
The Center for Women's Development and Research (CWDR) is an organization run by women in Tamil Nadu, India who work with human rights issues that specifically affect women in India. Recently, they've worked with women affected by the December 26, 2004 Tsunami. Their Tsunami Rehabilitation Work project was designed to create alternative livelihood sources for women affected by the Tsunami and to provide psychosocial counseling for children, adolescent girls and women. The project creates livelihood opportunities for women through vocational training and business loans. They also provide health and nutrition. DFW is designating donations specifically to the alternative vocational skills training for adolescent girls and income generating program for women.

Why We Love This
CWDR deserves our support because they can see the problems women in India face and are successfully fixing them. Women are more vulnerable to disasters through their social constructed roles because they have less access to resources and are victims of general divisions of labor, while being primary caregivers to children, elderly and disabled. Recognizing the important roles that gender plays in disaster management and relief, it is alarming that gender concerns get pushed to the background in the relief and rehabilitation work after natural disasters. CWDR’s tsunami rehabilitation work identifies skills and local level income generation activities, such as soap making, screen printing, and production of palm tree products. CWDR has trained 250 women and 150 girls in these skills, and they are expanding their programs to reach even more women and girls.


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