Socio-cultural aspects
Education

• Zero prevalence of child labour in the families of these ---- women members.

• Girl children are allowed to continue to study even after their attain puberty; hitherto, they were not allowed.

• Close monitoring and helping the children in studies.

• Gained confidence to approach school and government authorities to get certificates and other documents needed

• Enrolling other street and working children in the village/neighborhood in schools.

• Providing uniforms, text and notebooks for the children enrolled from group funds.

Health

• Giving importance to immunization measures.

• Organize health camps in the villages

• Accompany sick people to hospitals; provide monetary assistance from the group

• Stress on health and hygiene

• Health education: family planning and sex education; awareness campaign on AIDS.

Watch dog tasks

• Intervention in family disputes and counseling (Husband and wife; in-laws and daughter-in-law, etc.).

• Prevention of early marriage and child marriage of girls.

• Campaigns/representation on civic and other problems (street lights, proper roads, transport facility, water problem, drainage problem, housing, acquisition of land deeds for landless people, old age pension, pension for widows, etc.)

• Restoring status of widows; they are considered unlucky, not allowed to wear colored sari or to use flowers, etc.

• Disaster relief: during floods and tsunami, visited the affected and provided relief.

• Demonstrations: whenever need arises, groups show their might by demonstrating to project their demands.

Economic sphere

• The members undergo various training programmes in entrepreneurship and start enterprises.

• Salient feature: The members are conscious of the need for co-operative ventures since it is the group which enables their empowerment. Therefore, a few enterprises in merchandise (rice, groceries, textiles, etc.) have been successfully run by them as co-operatives.

• Small manufacturing units on co-operative basis are also existing (Ready made spices, chilly powder, coriander, pickles, ready to mix/eat food preparations, etc.).

• Alternate banking system: The members undergo training in accounts, book keeping, and budgeting and finance management. A powerful alternative banking system has thus emerged.

• Savings scheme in the groups has grown into a very large sum. Loans are given to members in times of need. The groups also avail loans from public sector banks for their enterprises and other needs.

• Ordinary women who have no educational background have become economically empowered and they manage their own finances. This gives them strength and self-confidence.

• Total savings of all the groups as on 1st January 2007

• 1101 individual members have started small and medium enterprises. Eateries, Textile business, fruit vending, fish vending, mushroom farming, bangle shop, fancy stores, detergent making, phenyl and other sanitation products, grocery stores and brass vessel making are some of the key enterprises.

Political arena

• The whole process of participation and involvement in the activities of the groups enables them to acquire political formation.

• Representative actions, rallies, demonstrations, group meetings, public meetings, mass gatherings, Women’s Day celebrations, working in liaison with members of legislature, Panchayat / local body representatives, democratic process of election and conduct of group proceedings and other such means act as motivating points for them to gain political education.

• In the year 2000, two women members from the groups contested for Ward Membership in their Panchayats ( local government ) as independent candidates and successfully won the election with a huge margin defeating even political party candidates ( Ms. Shanthi in Pammadukulam and Ms. Amulu from Nallur Panchayats in Thiruvallur district

Sum up
The achievements and ongoing formative actions and activities manifest the empowerment of women. These empowered women now demand proper representation for women in Parliament and other legislative bodies in India. At present, there is no reservation for women. Jeeva Jyothi wants 50% of seats to be reserved for women in Parliament and all statutory bodies of the government