Tata Steel’s Urban Services department facilitates a host of community-based initiatives for vocational training of women enabling them to realise their full potential. Women from its operational basti areas (urban settlements) constitute significant size of the population and are very often in the situation of extreme economic dependence.
Given the harsh realities of intra-household and social discrimination, the vocational programs aim to specifically address the needs of such women. Key programmes aiming to build the capacity of basti (urban settlement) women comprise skill-building vocational trainings on sewing and design, embroidery, mehendi rachna, zari work, fabric painting, personal grooming etc. The aforesaid vocational trainings open a new pathway to economic self-reliance arming the women with a new found skill to earn.
Through such interventions, Urban Services helps in making much needed resources available to the basti (urban settlement) women, thus, adding considerably to their economic empowerment.
Annual Convocation Function of various ‘Women Empowerment’ programmes was organised by Urban Services at Baridih Centre. Sunita Pathak, eminent community social worker, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest. She appreciated the initiatives of the Urban Services Department under the Corporate Relations Division of Tata Steel and also suggested that such programmes should encourage larger segment of women from bastis. She said that these initiatives empower the women to become self-dependent. 90 certificates were distributed to successful students. The programme concluded with the cultural programme by the students.