Aide et Action - Women's Education and Empowermen

Situation
	Only 66% of the girls who enroll in schools complete primary education
	Adult literacy rate for women in India is abysmally low at 47.8%
	Low literacy rates and lack of employment opportunities in rural areas contribute to economic deprivation and overall underdeveloped status of women
	Child marriage practices, lack of women's control over the number of children she has, and an overall dependence on the male members in a generally patriarchal society contributes immensely towards the low social status of women - especially in rural India
	India is one of the few countries where males significantly outnumber females, and this imbalance has increased over time. India’s maternal mortality rates in rural areas are among the world highest.

AeA Approaches
	AeA believes in promoting the education of girls and women, contributing to the incorporation of gender issues in development and transforming relationships between men and women for greater equity.
	Right to education of girl child and women form an integral part of AeA’s work on women and girls
	Support women’s education initiatives through NGO partners and Directly Implemented Projects
	Support women’s entrepreneurship and leadership education through formation of federations and networks that facilitate their social and economic empowerment

Key Interventions
AeA supports a range of programs for women’s empowerment and education. Some of the key interventions include:

	Mainstreaming of gender as a cross cutting theme across all programs
	Capacity building of civil society functionaries on women’s education and empowerment
	Life skills and sexuality education program for Adolescent girls
	Promotion of Women Self Help Groups to consolidate the collective voice of women
	Building of linkages for advocacy on women’s rights
	Action research on women’s education and empowerment to document best practices and disseminate information