Women Work & Health Initiative (WWHI) is a non-profit organisation based in Delhi, India, which aims to empower women. Our work focuses on the gendered aspects in the world of work and its implications on health. Increasing gender equality in leadership roles is the goal that drives our mission forward. WWHI’s unique approach integrates research and practice to achieve its objectives.

Given the mandate by the International Scientific Committee to create a network of women work and health in Asia, during the course of the IV International Congress 2005, Women Work and Health initiative was officially established. (More details)

Since then, WWHI has been involved in a variety of projects furthering the cause of gender equality and women’s empowerment in India. Furthermore, WWHI adopts a multi-disciplinary approach- based on qualitative and quantitative research -in order to address the different issues that have direct bearing on women’s life and well-being; this has resulted in a variety of research studies and publications.

Our Areas of focus:

Women’s Empowerment through education and income generation
Enhancement of women’s socio-economic status through equality of opportunity
Development of negotiations skills and leadership training
Reproductive Health
Environmental Analysis and its impact on women’s working life
Promoting Healthcare awareness; particularly in the field of HIV/Aids and occupational safety and healthcare

In order to increase women’s access to and ownership of resources and facilitate a more equitable world, WWHI has implemented and organised a variety of projects and knowledge-sharing conferences.

Past Events and Publications:

Conferences and Seminars on ‘Gender and Development’ in collaboration with Universities in two-tier cities. Past conferences have taken place in Jhansi and in Nainital, India in 2010. The International Conference on Gender & Development in the World of Work, (25-27 March) took place in Jhansi. The National Seminar on Gender and Development in the World of Work and Health -with focus on Women Workers in the Agrarian Sector (19-20 November) took place in Nainital. The aim of these conferences is to create awareness about vital issues related to work and health, with focus on women in the different occupations. (For more details see : 'Events & Activities' )

Research projects include the Mapping of HIV/Aids in the Industrial belt of Mumbai and Bihar between 2007 and 2009. (See report here) (?link to research and publication page), and the needs assessment research in preparation for Integrated Handlooms Development Scheme project in Saunsar Distt. Chindwara (M.P.) ongoing since 2009.

Publications, collated following either conferences or research on the subject matter by WWHI. These include Gender and Development, A.Sahaya, S.Kaistha, V. Patel (eds.) (2011; The Women Press, Delhi) ,based on the Iternational conference on Gender & Development in Jhansi in 2010. (link to event page), and Women, Work and Health Concerns, A. Sahaya & S.Kaistha (2010; The Women Press, Delhi) based on the concerns raised at IV International Congress ‘Women Work & Health’ in 2005 in Delhi. Please see our research & publications page for more details.

Some of our Development projects:

Development of Weaver clusters (supported by The Ministry of Textiles, Govt. of India). WWHI is working towards organising weavers in the weaver clusters of Saunsar and Chhindwara (M.P.), with the idea of promoting the traditional skills and occupation of weavers both women and men, thereby giving them a life of dignity and assured incomes. WWHI will also develop new design idioms. This will give the products a higher brand value while using the traditional skills of the weavers. Emphasizing on product diversification and making marketing more dynamic and innovative will also be incorporated. WWHI, as the implementing agency, is furthermore drawing particular attention to women’s empowerment potential in these new Weaver clusters.

Skill development & Income Generation (supported by Irish Aid) by developing handicrafts amongst women living in slum area of Sangam Vihar in Delhi. The project has had an important impact on 50 women with a multiplier effect. The project adopts a holistic approach to empowering women through poverty alleviation, training programs and SHG formaiton.

Capacity building and Empowerment of women and the girl child through the establishment of BINDU (Building Initiatives & Networking for the Development of the Underprivileged) in Delhi and Jhansi. The program looks at providing computer literacy as an added tool for giving women and girls a knowledge base and introducing them to Internet Communication Technologies.

Awareness building and prevention of HIV/AIDS amongst vulnerable groups, with particular focus on migrant workers and women. This project took place mainly in areas of Sitamarhi and Madhubani in Bihar and the three industrial belts of Mumbai where migration is a big part of life - namely, Bhiwandi, Taloja and Navi Mumbai.

Our ongoing cooperation:

WWHI has initiated a Municipality to Municipality Cooperation (supported by ICLD, Sweden) between Jhansi & Visby, Gotland (Sweden). Since it was started in 2008, four exchange visits have taken place between the two Municipalities. Municipality members, WWHI members and other Resource persons have comprised these exchange groups. This cooperation is based on our ongoing partnership with the Gotebörg University, Sweden in the field of: Health Promotion and Gender & Leadership. This partnership has involved exchange of practitioners and researchers in order to create access to companies and organisations for future collaboration in the area of studies, courses on ‘Leadership, Gender and Health’, exchange programs for women researchers, leaders and practitioners. Its aim is to plan and perform instrument and method testing aimed at studies of gender, culture, leadership. Focus areas of this cooperation are: making an inventory of instruments for assessing leadership, gender and health promotion and continuted our cooperation through knowledge dissemination, web based information, exchanges visits, and the arrangement of courses for practitioners/ researcher’s doctoral programs.

WWHI is on the Advisory Board to develop the curriculum of the School of Gender and Development Studies, IGNOU, New Delhi.