“Equality and liberation are the first and strongest want of human nature” next to the primary needs. Glancing over the pages of the history of Kanchipuram, intervention of CRDS in the lives of the women, who are the hallmark nurturance and sacrifice, brought about commendable transformation. This emancipation is inconceivable in a society where the subordination of women considered being legitimate.

Without generating pessimistic attitude facilitating the progress of an  egalitarian society,  rectifying existed loopholes in the social taboos and customs does demand lot of courage and creativity in the rural areas. This darning spirit sprung up as we witness the stable and continual growth of women as the fruit of our labour. The aroma of “Self Respect, Self Reliance and Self Governance” which is the noble motto of CRDS was sprinkled in the air our district, people of this soil are reenergized as they breathe in.

Impact Analysis Empowerment of Self Help Groups and Federations Forming, strengthening and conscientizing 1602 SHGs with 2, 35,257 members in 490 villages by CRDS, which functions as safety valve to protect the women from intensification of further exploitation.

Mobilizing the feminine power in the process of federating them have instilled hope in women to be relieved from the indescribable plight of triple oppression that is of caste, class and gender. 

Authoritarian dictatorship by their male counterparts will no longer sustain in the same degree, as the exposure and the social mobility of women replete with information.

Women are given trainings on Self Help Groups, Animators and Representative Training, Entrepreneurship Development, Vocational Skills, Social Analysis, Communication, Marketing and so on.

Moving from the industrial to electronic result in rapid change does trigger uncertainties, fears and hardships among women as machine power replaces human power. According to the United Nation Observation Record, Women are half of man kind, they perform two third of the world’s working hours. But are registered as constituting 1/3rd of total labor force, receive 1/10th of total remuneration and own only  1% of world’s material good.

• Women are the first victims of poverty. Income Generation Programmes offers them economical security and self reliant.
• Women have sense of gratification in being creative and economically productive.
• Small scale industries and cottage industries are flourishing.
• Community bond is strengthened among the villagers.

Socio-Political Emancipation

• To create vote banks people are injected with false notions and values, the women are able to identify and deal with the situations tactfully
• The women of our district are trained to discern and make right kind of choices and changes
• The active social and political participation of women reflects that there is certain degree of liberty in thought, expression and action in women
• Hundreds of women are motivated to stand in Panchayat Election and 632 have been elected as Panchayat Presidents and Ward Members in the year 2007
• Given inputs on social analysis widen the perspectives of women

From its inception CRDS has been involved in motivating and mobilizing the rural women of Kanchipuram district as associations at the village level. The issues and problems of the women not only restrict to village  but also to certain issues that should be solved at the village level, dealt with the involvement of association of many villages. So a need was expressed as early as in 1993, by the village level women associations that all the associations should be federated at the District level and registered. This would give them power, strength, unity and recognition. Now the village level women associations are functioning in 10 Blocks of Kanchipuram district in 490 villages with the membership of 25, 257 women.

In general,a meeting of the leader of the village level association was convened to form bye laws and it was registered in 1993. Any issues that could not be tackled at the village level are brought to the federation to tackle further action. Some of issues it has tackled are caste discrimination, illicit liquor, dowry, sexual harassment of women and child abuse.