The core area of SAKAR’s intervention is rights of women. With an inclusive approach we work with the dalits, ati dalits and minority women so that they are a part of mainstream development focusing on dignity, identity and security rights of women. From issues related to violence against women in its varied forms, like domestic violence, early marriage, female feoticide etc., access to government schemes by women, their participation in local governance and their emergence as leaders has been our main area of intervention. Advocacy at block and district level along with being a part of various state level networks on women issues, is also an important work area, where we focus on women leaders coming to the forefront and leading this process.

To promote leadership of the women and give impetus and strength to the voice of women a network of 2000 women has been facilitated. This network is called the Mahila Shakti Sangathan. Its uniqueness is that it has both dalit and muslim women who are challenging the structures of patriarchy. This structure has a structure form village, block and district level. Increase in access to health services, awareness related to government entitlements and increased access to the same, taking up issues related to ration distribution, quality of mid day meal in primary schools making school management committees functional, addressing gender discrimination and 27 women acquiring positions in local governance, are some of the areas in which the network has shown its leadership. One important facet has been the role of the mahila shakti sangathan in panchayat elections, in which the network had its candidature and 75 women stood up for various panchayat level positions.

This program has a holistic nature as we work with families of the women, specially their children through meetings, trainings or workshops on Gender or communal harmony and even child abuse. So, we work with 600 sponsored girls. The women leaders from the network are a part of the school management committee, thereby making it functional and focusing on quality of education.

Communal harmony is another area where the women have directly or indirectly spread message in the community. The annual practice of collecting fikra and zakat (during Eid), for women in need has been done regularly by the network women for the past four years and this effort has been lauded by the community at large.