A case study on status of tailoring trained women in sherkhan garden slum at kodambakkam through outreach loyola college chennai

The socio- economic status of Shrekhan Garden slum women has remained very low due to stagnation their development. Women are working as maids at rich people apartments, doing daily chores like sweeping, wiping floors, washing clothes and utensils, cooking, running on errands etc. for this work, they get Rs.3000/- per month. Some women sell flowers, vegetables, fruits etc from which they earn Rs.100 – 150 per day, provided their ‘goods’ are fully sold. Most of the women borrow money from local money lenders for their family needs, repair their houses, celebrate the some festivals, functions etc. Due to this, they are always in debt. Hence it is a daily struggle for survival. Women are not respected and often looked upon by other men in the slum as potential target for extra-marital sex. Because of such trouble in their lives, women suffer not only economically but also psychologically. Socially they do not possess any rights whatsoever. As most of the women married at the earlier, their health is at the declined status. Such status of their health also led their children decline in health. Life of women in the sub-standard settlement s (slums) is a daily struggle against poverty, disempowerment, illness and suffering, but they are caring on hoping, every day, for a better tomorrow. Every year, with the help of students, we take a survey about women and their living conditions. We have identified more number of women were unemployed in the slums. Therefore, Loyola Outreach to assess their need and empower them with the kind of students and well-wishers. Two times in odd and even semesters, meeting for the women is convened .Generally this meeting takes place in the beginning of academic year, before Christmas, women’s day celebration and at the end of the academic year. This helps outreach students and Loyola college to work in and through for their empowerment. Outreach shares not only good ideas, but also provide them welfare activities like giving entrepreneurial activities for their economic development like, mushroom cultivation, leather business, candle making and simple chemical making, embroidering and tailoring by networking with Jana Shiksa Education, Anew, SIFE. Skill building is the regular activities which take place based on their interest and need.