“What is the role of academics and researchers in evaluating the programs of a civil society organization? In this study, we positioned this question as not merely a preliminary inquiry but as the fundamental basis for our chosen methodology. Historically positioned as external observers to the nature and approaches of Azad Foundation’s initiatives, we embarked on this endeavor to comprehend the shifts and evolutions within its programs and to gauge the influence on the lives of the women and men engaged in these endeavors. Undertaking this impact assessment study facilitated a closer convergence between theoretical frameworks and practical applications.
As a University, established by the Government of NCT of Delhi (Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University Delhi) and an organization that collaborates and receives support from the Government of Delhi (Azad Foundation), this impact assessment study serves as a means to unite the two entities in their shared commitment to contribute to the welfare of the city and its inhabitants. The impetus for this study stems from the inspiring endeavors of women who have courageously ventured into uncharted territories, exemplified by their choice to pursue taxi driving as a means of livelihood.
As responsible citizens committed to societal welfare, it is imperative for us to actively participate in endeavors that have a significant social impact. Through this assessment, we aim to closely examine the lived experiences of women who have attained skill-based livelihood and have been empowered through the efforts of Azad Foundation. Furthermore, we endeavor to provide recommendations for the advancement of a sustainable and dignified life, founded upon principles of social justice, for these women who have undergone training and skill development under the auspices of Azad Foundation…”
Read ‘Impact Assessment of Azad Foundation Programs: Report of the Consultancy Project’
Through the testimony of participant women workers, many of whom are domestic violence survivors, the study investigates the notion that women’s employment and workforce participation reduce the prevalence of violence in their lives, particularly in the domestic sphere, as a result of gaining empowerment and agency.
On probing, this linear positive correlation between women’s employment and reduced risk of violence did not hold up, revealing that often women’s choice to seek and retain employment becomes an occasion for renewed and vicious attacks against them, especially in the domestic sphere. Women who enter the workforce by rupturing the cycle of structural denial are in turn faced with a more difficult-to-grasp resentment and violence in the personal sphere that plays out due to their newfound independence and choice to exercise agency. The violence in such instances functions both as a deterrent for women’s workforce participation as well as diminishing the sense of accomplishment and identity women gain when they choose employment and financial self-sustenance. Such abuse, hostility, and violence are motivated by a need to restore the patriarchal status quo within families and communities when faced with the social rearrangement taking place as a result of women becoming gainfully employed and independent. Social scientists who have studied this aspect of women’s work anticipate that this kind of patriarchal backlash could dissipate or reorganize with time, as either the woman who faces violence will walk out of the abusive relationship as she now has the financial means to do so or the families and communities will move the needle on their norms and adjust to revised gender relations.
The study reveals the need for network and support spaces to address this under-articulated aspect of women’s work, so that women and also families and communities can better negotiate such social transitions, with the aim of aiding more women to choose employment without having to put themselves through retaliatory abuse and violence.
Read “Exploring the Complex Interrelationship between Gender Based Violence and Women’s Work” Research Report
This work aims to answer the following question: What is the impact upon women and their surroundings when women engage in non-traditional livelihoods, and to what extent does their negotiation with and the disruption of patriarchal structures constitute a transformation in these structures? In this thesis, I focus on women from resource-poor urban communities who are engaging in non-traditional careers such as car driving, careers that have been traditionally reserved for men in the Indian context. This research aims to understand what the issues facing these women are as they engage in non-traditional work and what strategies they have employed to negotiate with or disrupt systemic gender norms through their engagement with a livelihood that historically has been performed by men. In order to do so effectively, I explore how work is defined as male work and female work in relation to social structures and gender regimes. This thesis aims to take a holistic view of these women’s lives and their agency to understand how or if they have negotiated or challenged systemic constructions of gender, work, femininity, and mobility as a consequence of their chosen livelihood. This thesis is explicitly feminist and locates itself within the gender studies discourse around work, but also in relation to feminist inquiries in relation to social norms, marriage, and the body.
The narratives reveal a transformation on an individual level as illustrated by the ability that my respondents have had to negotiate with and challenge their habitus. They are using their agency, which they have derived from their career in driving in order to drive change within their own lives and they are serving as role models to others. Additionally, they are, through their actions and resistance, breaking down the binaries that organise society. In conclusion, it has been revealed that in order to disrupt social structures it is imperative that the tools used in this disruption are not merely manifestations of existing social structures; the tools in and of themselves must be disruptive in order to effectuate transformative change.
Read “The Case for Women in Non-Traditional Livelihoods” Research Report
The International Conference (15-18 January, 2019) began with an inaugural dinner on 15th January 2019. Kamla Bhasin, renowned poet activist and feminist gave the inaugural speech where she introduced about Azad and Sakha and set the context of the International Conference as an initiative for creating synergies, building networks to work towards promotion of non-traditional livelihoods. On the cold January evening of the inaugural dinner, Kamla Bhasin’s vivacious greetings spread cheer and warmth as she addressed the gathering saying “This is what a global international gathering of people who love Equality, Justice, Sustainable Livelihoods, Peace and Love, should look like. This is what Feminist Solidarity looks like. This is what hope for a better world looks like.”
Talking about Azad and Sakha she congratulated them on the completion of 10 years of their journey and shared that “Friends I wish to congratulate Azad and Sakha. For a 10-year-old organization, their growth has been phenomenal. Their growth is impressive because their team is impressive. Their team is impressive because their vision and strategies are impressive. Friends, I know Azad quite well. Azad and Sakha have been walking on two strong legs of Action and Theory; action and reflection. They strive through their day to day mundane activities; and they do exciting campaigns as well. They work alone and they work with networks.” She mentioned how working on Non-Traditional Livelihoods was the need of the hour as gaps in skills are leading to gaps in employment, ultimately resulting in gaps in wages. Hence, she raised a collective slogan asking everyone gathered to join and commit how they will work towards changing mindsets, changing practices that promote gaps in gender parity saying, No more gaps now! Do you agree? Then please say ‘no more’ loudly and with conviction and the gathering cheered in response.
“Gender gaps – no more no more
Gaps in skills, gaps in wages – no more no more
Women in least skilled jobs – no more no more
Women in least paid jobs – no more no more
Women last to be hired – no more no more
Women first to be fired – no more no more
So again, Unfair gender division of roles – no more no more!”
Read the Report on the International Conference
“In 2008, the first female taxi service in New Delhi was founded by a social enterprise with the slogan “For women, by women.” Organized in a hybrid structure consisting of a non-profit division (Azad Foundation) and a business division (Sakha Consulting Wings Ltd), the initiative offers women living in extreme urban poverty an opportunity to become professional drivers through their flagship program, “Women on Wheels.” While similar initiatives exist in other parts of India, this program is unique in the capital, where gendered crime rates are highest.
Azad & Sakha’s mission extends beyond safe transport; it aims to address multiple societal challenges. They train women from the poorest segments of society, living in squatter settlements (jhuggi jhopri clusters), who face extreme marginalization and oppression. By training women to become drivers, the organization challenges traditional gender norms and addresses the prevalent violence against women in public spaces and transport. This approach is considered remarkably untraditional and controversial in a city where professional driving by women, especially from poor backgrounds, is uncommon…”
Read Negotiating Spaces of Everyday Politics
Azad Foundation (Azad) was registered as a Trust in 2008 with the aim of giving resource-poor women access to non-traditional livelihoods. This involves breaking patriarchal norms regarding women and work and challenging the gender stereotyping of work as feminine and masculine, so as to create opportunities that will enable women to earn remunerative livelihoods with dignity. Azad started its core programme, Women on Wheels (WoW), for training and empowering resource poor women to become professional drivers. The programme also served the twin objective of providing safe transport solutions to women in cities. A decade of implementation has not only led to the achievement of these twin objectives but also established Azad internationally as an organization in the forefront of the campaign to eliminate discrimination against women in the work sphere. Azad has maintained a detailed record of its activities and resource use and has continually reviewed its performance to modify and improve it on the basis of the results. The present paper after providing an overview of the rationale and details of Azad’s work over the past decade, analyses this extensive database to quantitatively review this unique journey.
Read ‘Breaking New Ground: Quantitative evaluation of the women on wheels programme for resource poor women’
Azad Foundation, in partnership with The Asia South Pacific Association for Basic and Adult Education (ASPBAE), has undertaken the India Country Study on Financing Options for Skills for Work of Marginalised Women as part of a multi-country research. Within the ambit of the broad framework set out by ASPBAE for the regional and country level research, the India Study strings together issues of education/literacy and skills development, gender equality and decent work. The India Study also highlights, defines and identifies non-traditional livelihoods (NTL) for women by looking into ongoing initiatives in NTL for women in the country, underscoring sectors/industries where women may be (newly) skilled and productively engaged.
The research output will support ongoing work by Azad Foundation and its advocacy efforts for relevant policies, budgets, and infrastructures to be made available by the government, the private sector, philanthropies, and funding agencies towards women’s adult literacy and skills development, especially in areas of engagement not traditionally open to women.
Read “Financing Options for Skills for Work of Marginalised Women” Report
The Asia Pacific Regional Workshop on Gender, Education, Skills, and Work, co-organized by Asia South Pacific Association For Basic And Adult Education (ASPBAE) and Azad Foundation in Delhi from 26 to 29 October 2015, provided a comprehensive analysis of these issues through a gender perspective. Over four days, more than 50 delegates from ASPBAE member organizations and policy-making bodies engaged in discussions about policies, global development agendas, and field experiences. The workshop aimed to equip civil society organizations with the knowledge needed to influence government plans and programs, particularly in light of the new Education Agenda 2030 and ASEAN 2015 plans.
The first day addressed the global and regional contexts of gender, education, and work, highlighting the barriers women face in accessing education and the labor market. Discussions revealed that cultural, economic, and systemic factors significantly impact women’s educational attainment and work opportunities. The second day focused on the work realities of women across Asia Pacific, including case studies from China, Hong Kong, and India, emphasizing the need for gender-sensitive approaches to address barriers and create job opportunities.
The third day showcased innovative organizations working to empower women, such as Azad Foundation, PEKKA, FRIEND, and Dhaka Ahsania Mission. The discussions covered issues such as illiteracy, financing for education, and the commercialization of education and skill development. The final day reflected on the progress of MDGs and EFA and examined the role of ASPBAE and UNGEI in shaping future agendas, emphasizing the importance of civil society involvement in setting SDG indicators.
Read the Workshop Report
Urban poverty and unemployment among young women pose significant challenges for both government and civil society. Despite economic growth offering new options, many women continue to choose traditional livelihoods due to various economic, societal, and personal factors. Azad Foundation’s experience shows that resource-poor women are increasingly seeking new occupations but face barriers such as lack of skill development, poor working conditions, and gender discrimination. There is a notable absence of efforts to create an enabling environment for these women to pursue their aspirations with dignity.
Against this backdrop, Azad Foundation initiated a study to explore the livelihood aspirations of young, resource-poor women in Delhi’s slum clusters. The study aims to map the factors influencing these aspirations and use the findings to:
- Inform Azad Foundation’s strategies for communication, mobilization, and training.
- Engage with government and civil society on women’s livelihood issues more effectively.
Read “Young Women’s Livelihood Aspirations and Opportunities” Research Report
With the fragmented neo-liberal industrial production, the employment sector is offering opportunities to women which involve piecemeal work, home-based tasks, and low-paying insecure industrial jobs which do not help women to find ‘decent’ work. While there are several organizations across India working on issues of women and livelihood, they are largely based on existing and accepted roles of women as workers. They center on the SHG model of credit and thrift or home-based small-scale industry or collective/association model for common modes of production like incense, food items (pickles, jams), clothes, or piecemeal contribution. Domesticity, secondary income, and ‘feminine’ roles are the domains in which civil society, philanthropic organizations, government programs, and projects under Corporate Social Responsibility largely operate. However, many organizations have tried to challenge these traditional frameworks by creating new roles for women as paid workers, by training them in skills which are not necessarily ‘soft’ or mirroring domesticity, and by introducing new sectors and avenues to the women’s workforce. These efforts not only aim to enhance the skills and income of working women but also question the public and private patriarchy, which limit women’s prospects of acquiring higher skills, higher income, and actual career growth.
This directory is developed primarily to map organizations that have worked on non-traditional livelihoods for women in India. It tells us when these organizations were formed, what they do, how they reach out, and what have been some of their achievements, challenges, and results. The organizational details provided herewith are the ones that are not just training women in non-traditional occupations but are actually helping them to make a living from non-traditional livelihood sources. We have been very selective in this mapping exercise as we wanted to look at organizations that address women’s livelihood with a combination of skills and access to employment. Organizations that focus on training alone or that look at employment and increased income as a ‘possible’ outcome and not a planned expected output have also been featured as some of their efforts too are innovative and provide opportunities to learn.
The purpose of developing this directory is to make the information readily available for prospective organizations aspiring to work in non-traditional domains for livelihood and women as well as an attempt to bring existing organizations together for future collaborations for learning and advocacy.
Read the Directory of Organizations
Though much has been written about women’s access to public transport, there has been relatively little research done to address barriers to women’s employment in public transport. Organized-labour conferences and the European Union’s Social Dialogue have both conducted cursory investigations and published reports on the experiences of female employees in the public transport sector. Both in terms of statistics and appearances, these studies reveal that the field is still considered to be male-dominated or, put in other terms, a non-traditional occupation for women. As with other non-traditional occupations, women face a litany of barriers to entry that include lack of knowledge regarding opportunities, discriminatory qualifications and hiring practices, and on-the-job harassment. Though these factors pose substantial challenges, integrating women into the public transport sector—and indeed, several other non-traditional occupations—opens up a wide range of opportunities for fair remuneration and government benefits. This is particularly true because sectors that have an overrepresentation of females—predominantly within economics of care—are paid considerably less and have weaker benefits than those that are predominantly male. Though proper valuation of care work must be advocated for, integrating women into non-traditional occupations is also a successful strategy. To this end, addressing constraints and locating opportunities for women in the transport sector could play a hand in facilitating social mobility for women.
This report will assess opportunities and constraints to integrating more women into the Delhi public transport system as employees, with a particular emphasis on urban resource-poor women. Though a myriad of opportunities exist for employment, I will focus on opportunities and constraints related to women’s employment as public bus drivers and conductors within the Delhi Transportation Corporation, a state company that manages bus fleets within the city.
Read “Integrating Women as Employees in the Public Transport Sector of Delhi” Research Report
