Hyderabad: NGOs train 22 women for self-employment

Moghalpura: The Shaheen Women's Resource and Welfare Association in collaboration with Action Aid helped 22 women become professional drivers and also conducted an awareness programme on 'My Body My Right' amongst girls and women in Moghalpura on Friday.

According to organisers, Shaheen along with Action Aid has decided to help women achieve self-sustenance, get self-employment and become financially independent and, hence, they started providing training to 22 women and transformed them into professional drivers. With this these women may be able to earn a living by driving cabs or use their skills to generate income. On occasion of 'National Girl Child Day' they have handed over driving license and certificate of training among the 22 women. D Venkatesh, Senior Civil Judge Service Authority who was the chief guest in the programme distributed.

Speaking to The Hans India, Jameela Nishat, the founder and director of Shaheen, said that the 22 women were part of the first phase, who were given training by a professional trainer. She said that they would expand this scheme to cover most of the areas in the city, so that a maximum number of women can learn driving and become professional drivers, she added.

She also said that on this occasion 'Women on Wheels' has joined their hand with Shaheen and said that they will help the women drivers for proving them a SHE Cab and SHE Auto.

Jameela Nishat said that on the 'National Girl Child Day' they have also organized an awareness programme and also conducted a discussion on 'sexual harassment at workplace' with a message 'My Body My Right' and make the women and girl aware of the harassment a workplace. "In a survey conducted by Shaheen to 100 women in marketplace, they found that 88 per cent of girls and women face sexual harassment at workplace and 40 per cent said that they also face even on roads," she informed.

She said that this report was placed before the legal authorities present on the occasion and they decided to bring about awareness among girls and women to stay alert in markets places in Old City.