In Bihar, India, hope
is found where you least expect it. Behind a closed door where 10 to 25
women have come together to discuss their most urgent needs. Unheard of a
generation ago, this gathering is a mahila mandal – better known in this
country as a women’s group.
Life for women and girls in Bihar is especially
grim as they face a system called Purdah that is almost as oppressive and
restrictive as the Taliban era in Afghanistan. Women are required to cover
themselves in public and cannot travel without their husbands’ permission. The
harsh realities are reflected in the almost 90 percent illiteracy rate among
women and the fact that 88 percent of girls marry before the age of
17.
Mahila mandals, with the aid of international
organizations and donor support, are beginning to help though. One of the
positive changes will be setting up savings and credit groups in which loans
are approved and administered by and for local women. Having access to a
loan as small as $50 can completely transform a woman’s life in Bihar. Even a
small amount of money can provide her the means to purchase raw materials that
can be turned into finished products for sale, including seeds to grow crops,
or an animal that produces milk, cheese or eggs that are marketable.
This year, there will be 100 new mahila mandals
or women’s savings and credit groups formed in Bihar. It is anticipated that the
capital saved by the 5,100 group members will increase from $21,000 to $40,000
this year. More than 90 percent of that amount will be revolved as loans among
the members. The value of this community-controlled asset is especially amazing
when you realize the average annual income in this area is just over $400 a
year.
Support from individuals in the United States
can help transform the lives of women in this region and offer hope to them for
a safer, more secure future.