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IFES - India

India

In spite of India's strong democratic tradition, communal, caste, regional, and religious tensions-as well as gender inequalities-persist. In the case of women, even though a woman has held the office of prime minister, women continue to be underrepresented throughout the political system as both political leaders and as voters. As a result, their concerns do not receive sufficient attention in the country's legislative agenda. Despite years of effort, NGO and donor initiatives aimed at empowering and uplifting Indian women, the social and economic conditions for most women in India have not improved. In fact, research shows that, in some areas, the status of women has deteriorated.

Current Projects

Gender & Law Project

Funded by USAID, IFES and Global Rights (an international human rights law NGO) are working with NGOs in India to increase their capacity to pursue and protect the legal rights of women. The program includes legal aid and legal literacy components and funds gender and law research to identify best practices, lessons learned from current/past projects, and research gaps. The project also funds anti-violence against women counseling centers, a Muslim women's initiative (see below) and a feticide component. In addition, it supports advocacy efforts including the creation of a new national coalition to establish a Delhi office to lobby the government on women's issues.