Uttarakhand State Women Commission has launched a three-month training programme to impart to the single women basic skill-based knowledge so as to enable them to be self-reliant and also be in a position to help others who need assistance for living. This is the first of its kind training programme for the single women, claimed the organisers, adding that it is part of the women empowerment programme being launched under the aegis of the State women commission.
Giving details of the programme, Prem Baukhandi, one of the organisers, said, “There is a big unmentioned figure of single women living in the State. If we talk about figures it is mostly about the elderly. Even as the figure of the uncared for elderly is growing we are in a fix on how to ensure they are rightly taken care of. This is how the idea of training women in self-reliance and Geriatric care took shape.”
The programme currently has 28 women learning on a regular basis. They are not just being provided with theory-based knowledge but practical exposure. Speaking further on the objective of the training programme, Baukhandi said, “The programme was started on May 1. The training not only focuses on making them efficient in domestic work but also providing them with common nursing training.
They are more than a domestic worker and lesser than a nurse after the training is over. We designed the programme in such a way that they are capable of opening their own firms.”
“When I first met these women they were in a miserable state, inclined to cry over their misfortune. Now, they are changing, confidence flooding them. Their gait has seen drastic changes. They are now quite capable of do something good for themselves as well as for others,” she said.
Sharing her journey and experiences, Suchita Uniyal, one of those undergoing training, said, “It is a wonderful experience. We are getting both theoretical as well as practical knowledge. The programme is helpful as it is helping us to regain confidence which we lost to the hard battle of life.”
Ramindri Mandrwal, Member Secretary of Uttarakhand State Women Commission, said, “It is an excellent step towards empowering women economically. However, the programme does not end there. It is meant to make them capable of helping others living in distress. More such programmes would be held in future".