All India Women's Conference

The All India Women's Conference (AIWC) is a non-governmetal organisation (NGO) based in Delhi. It was founded in 1927 by Margaret Cousins,[1] "as an organisation dedicated to upliftment and betterment of women and children". As well as continuing its original mission, the AIWC has since diversified into various social and economic activities involving women. Today there are more than 100,000 members[2] in over 500 branches. AIWC is recognised worldwide as a premier organisation working for women's development and empowerment.[3]

Mission

AIWC was registered in 1930 under the Societies Registration Act, XXI of 1860. (No. 558 of 1930) with the following main objectives:

International level

AIWC has

Activities and programmes

One of the initial main objectives of the AIWC was education of women, and it remains a primary concern today. The organisation's literacy campaign was intensified in 1996 by initiating non-formal education programmes for school drop outs and literacy programmes for adult woman with craft training through its branches.[9][10] [11]

AIWC has started programmes for capacity building and skill development by providing financial support for entrepreneurial endeavours including goods processing and solar drying.

Microcredit schemes are operated to eradicate poverty among woman in rural areas. Self-help groups have been identified for the encouragement of saving among woman, management of credit, and encouragement for small business enterprises.

AIWC is actively involved in organising health camps, awareness programmes, antenatal care and immunisation programmes though its branches all over the country. AIWC has conducted “Training of trainers” programmes for prevention of and protection from sexually transmitted diseases, HIV/AIDS among woman in low-risk groups for members of its branches. The outreach awareness programme has become an important part of the overall AIWC health programme.[12]

AIWC was identified as a Nodal Agency by the Ministry of non conventional energy resources in 1989 to implement the Improved Chullah program and biogas development program. AIWC conducts programmes on renewable energy among woman at the grassroots level and demonstrates how use these technologies to achieve economic self-sufficiency.

AIWC has been represented on committees set up for legal reforms and amendments framed for women's welfare. The Legal Cell helps women who are victims of social and domestic violence. Free legal advice is provided as well as counselling for women in distress. AIWC acts as a consultant to the National Commission for Women for legal issues.

A socio economic project run by AIWC began in 1976 to train and provide employment for woman and girls from the lower socio-economic sectors. This program has also been extended to some branches.

AIWC started its computer training centre in 1996 as a vocational course for capacity building among women. Students were prepared for the one year “O” level diploma course recognised by DoEACC while the centre has also been accepted by Indira Gandhi National Open University (IGNOU) as their centre for degree courses. At present there are over 350 students attending different computer classes. AIWC branches also run computer training programmes with a 90% success rate in placement of students in jobs.[13]

This is a research and reference library for women's studies that contains numerous books on topics of contemporary interest such as environmental education and literacy programmes, microcredit and microfinance training, manuals for training on adolescent life skill development, HIV/ AIDs prevention and protection training, Panchayati raj, adult leadership programs, microcredit for poverty reduction, health programs along with many others. More than 11000 books — including fiction, non fiction, history, biography, woman issues, and legal awareness, etc. &mdash are to be found in the library which also has a reading room containing leading journals, periodicals and newspapers. The documentation centre has press clippings, reports, articles and photographs on various topics such as women, children, environment, literacy, legislation, violence against woman and several others. Resource centre papers, correspondence reports from various projects seminars etc. pertaining to AIWC from 1927 are available as well as a portrait gallery of photographs of past presidents of AIWC.

Projects

Publications

Books:

Reports:

Booklets/Pamphlets:

Journals:

Past Presidents

Some prominent women have remained President of AIWC:[14]

See also

References

External links

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