Educating and empowering rural Indian girls and women
The Veerni Project
In Hindi, Veerni means heroine or woman of strength. The Veerni Project is guided by the core belief that when girls and women are educated and healthy, they will have the strength to create positive changes in their lives as well as in their communities and gain economic independence.
Why Veerni is Needed
Around 15 million people live in western Rajasthan. 79% of these inhabitants live in small rural villages which are extremely underdeveloped. Many villages lack electricity, clean water, proper roads, schools and medical care. Agriculture and stock breeding are the principal activities but are monsoon dependent. Droughts manifest in the form of crop failure, un-replenished ground and surface water and a scarcity of fodder, resulting in a loss of livestock. Malnutrition is still widespread, and it is estimated that 46 % of Indian children are malnourished. While child marriages have been illegal for many years, they still take place on a regular basis. In India, and especially in rural Rajasthan, there is still a profound bias against girls, which has led to one of the world's lowest women to men ratio: 914 for every 1000 men.
Child Brides
In the next 10 years, an estimated 100 million girls will be married before they turn 18. On Friday, October 12,
2008, in an hour-long special broadcast, NOW took an unprecedented inside look at a global custom that
devastates girls' lives and holds back communities.
Click here to watch the documentary
However very gradually change can be seen, as reported in the Times of India of November 19, 2009; 'Young girls are raising voices loud enough to be heard beyond the courtyard.' Perhaps not able to change their own lives, girls are determined that their daughters will not be married off at a young age.
To read the article click here
Homepage
About Veerni
Founder's Story
How Veerni Works
Results
India Facts
We Need Your Help
Sponsors
Partners
Photo Gallery
Contact Us
Useful Links
Downloads
News Archive
News
Mary Anne Schwalbe Literary Prize awarded
In memory of Mary Anne Schwalbe, a wonderful Veerni supporter, a writing competition was organized for class 11 and 12 to encourage creative writing. Poetry, prose or a play could be written, based on the theme Friendship. Many well-written entries were received, and Mary Anne's son Will Schwalbe kindly judged the works.
Sunita Chouhan's play won first prize. "It is very clever and creatively approached, she really has something to say." A party took place to celebrate with over 100 people present.
THOUGHT OF THE MONTH
Women's empowerment
A girl child in India is religiously given the place of a Goddess. Why has it become essential to launch a social or political drive against the women foeticide? Why is the gap in the men-women ratio widening year after year? Obviously, consummation, tradition, modern machines for diagnosis, governmental inaction, women's dependence, educational backwardness etc. have aggravated this problem.
Veerni Institute video