Confronting gender, poverty and powerlessness: an orientation programme for and by rural change agents.

Abstract

This article describes the effort of a group of rural women belonging to the untouchable "Paraiya" caste in South India to initiate and build an organization of their own to stand up for their rights and to challenge their oppression. The description covers the evolution from literacy to health action; the orientation workshop (which included building confidence through sharing experiences, participatory training techniques, reflecting on women's position in society, creating new attitudes of self value, identifying oppressive attitudes and structures in society, and the socioeconomic and political causes of disease); and the role of animators. Rural Women's Social Education Center (RUWSEC) in Chingleput, South India, was initiated in 1981 by 10 women who belonged to the villages of Chingleput and the author. The women had come together because of involvement in a nationwide literacy campaign in which the 10 village women worked as literacy teachers in their respective villages. Through their work, the women realized their own worth and potential and felt committed to working with other women in their communities to change their exploited situation. RUWSEC has focused on activities and issues related to women and health. 10 women "animators" began working in their villages carrying out health care, health education, and working towards building a women's organization in those villages. The animators' approach was to help women understand their own and/or communities' health problems and participate in their own healing. As a result of the efforts of RUWSEC, there were requests from several villages in the neighborhood for the creation of women's centers, and the animators decided to extend their work to 5 more villages. They visited the 5 villages and asked the community to nominate their own animators. The animators chosen were introduced to the work and philosophy of RUWSEC through a 6-day orientation program organized by the senior animators. The animators of RUWSEC, after 2 years of training in administration, accounting and management, and in conducting training programs, now are in charge of all their own activities. They have ventured also to further build and expand their organization.