ASSIST believes that community development is incomplete without the inclusion of women’s voices and participation. Our efforts to empower women consist of two major steps. First, we encourage women to organize themselves in People’s Organization’s like Self-Help Groups and build confidence to raise their voices and fight for their rights.
Our next step is to increase their skills, capacities and knowledge of women’s legal rights in order to increase their participation in community decision-making. Secondly, ASSIST gives special attention to the promotion of building up savings and credit as an instrument of socio-economic change among women.
Taking the lead in family finances provides women with an independent, viable and visible role, building confidence in engagements with their families and community. Once the Socio-Educational phase is complete, Each Village Development Society (VDS) is officially registered as legal organisation. This means that through the VDS, village communities can apply for government schemes and take out loans, which is essential for the next two phases.
