Even today in the 21st century, women are considered the property of their fathers in many regions of India and owe him absolute obedience. Girls are seen as a burden, particularly in poor families because in contrast to their brothers, they are not expected to contribute to the family income. Often, women and girls do not have adequate nutrition and only receive the food leftover by the men. Education and training are inaccessible to many of these girls. This stands in contrast to the need for these women to provide for their families.

 

The Kamalini Vocational Training Center,  has set itself the goal of providing job-oriented education for women from poor backgrounds. In 2007, this local partner of the Limmat Stiftung rented modest rooms in the south of the New Delhi metropolis to serve this purpose. The facility offered women and girls a chance to acquire basic schooling and professional qualifications in textile processing, beauty care, IT application and food production. These courses are supplemented by language courses in English, labor market training and personal formation.

 

The premises in Delhi soon became too small. In 2013, Kamalini planned the construction of its own center. At the end of 2016, the building was completed and furnished. The Limmat Stiftung has helped finance the cost of equipping the workshops. It also co-finances a three-year training program for 600 women. 

 

In this rural area, the pool of potential students is even more strongly influenced by patriarchal ideas than in an urban environment. For example, women are only allowed to enroll in a training program if their father or husband agrees. Mistrust and fears of dangers that may lurk beyond the reach of male relatives and their supervision made many young women hesitate to start their education. 

 

At the beginning of 2018, the project manager of the Limmat Foundation visited the new Kamalini Campus in order to address these challenges with the school management. It was agreed that:

• it is necessary to work more closely with families and local authorities to reduce prejudice,

• a school bus guarantees safety on the way to and from school, 

• the enrollment threshold should be dropped for pupils with a low level of education, 

• educational deficits are to be remediated with appropriate programs, and

• cooperation with local companies should make the labor market opportunities for female graduates more concrete. 

There are also plans to integrate female graduates into cooperatives. Kamalini will train qualified women in entrepreneurial strategies. 

 

By the end of the year, Kamalini was already able to report an increase in the number of women enrolled. Demand is particularly strong for courses in fashion design, handicrafts and sewing.