Inclusion

In India, being LGBTQ is a taboo and a social stigma in the Indian society.  It is not that homosexuality is new to the Indian society, it very much finds its existence in history.  Last 20 years CYDA major focus was on Student youth as well as rural, tribal and urban poor youth. During COVID 19 Pandemic, CYDA realized that there are many young people excluded from the mainstream programs. They are LGBTQ, Youth in High Risks, Youth in Remand homes, Youth in criminality, Youth with disabilities.  We have also found many girls are deprived of getting into male dominated jobs. To encourage youth belonging to this section, we decided to initiate inclusion program.

Presently this unit is dealing with three programs

  1. Promoting Non-Traditional Skills among girls
  2. Working with LGBTQ community
  3. Mission Yerwada – Working with Youth in Crime

Non-Traditional Livelihoods (NTL)

Non-Traditional Livelihoods (NTL) are defined as livelihood practices that help women break stereotypes emerging from the intersections of gender, caste, class, religion, sexual orientation, disabilities and other marginalities and oppressive structures, within a dynamic context of space and time. NTL increase the set of viable livelihood choices available to women and give them access and control over skills, technology, market, mobility and resources. They create economic stability along with psychological, social and political empowerment.

CYDA is working with adolescents’ girls and young women – 18 to 24 years, living in urban poor communities of Pune. It promotes non-traditional skills and encourages them to take livelihood opportunities and professions which break the gender stereotypes and challenge the existing gender narratives around gender and work. Over the past 3 years, CYDA has been advancing for the rights of young girls and women to enter male dominated careers, in order to change gender stereotypes and norms.

NTL program has given them the motivation to aspire, think for themselves and step outside their homes for the first time in their lives.

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VOICING FOR THE RIGHTS OF LGBTQ

Sexual minorities in India are the easy victims of the hate crimes, they are easy targets who are exploited physically, sexually, verbally. It is enumerated by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare that there are beyond 2.5 million citizens belonging to the LGBTQ community in India.  Activists have estimated the population of LGBTQ people in India to be at least 10% of the entire population, which comes to 135 million.

However, the LGBTQ community continues to face discrimination and exclusion across the world in all spheres of life. Majority of the people who belong to this community, hide their sexuality out of fear of losing their job. Furthermore, they face income inequality which refers to an uneven split of income that favours some segments of the population over others.

The objectives of the project are to understand the socio-economic status of LGBTQ community persons, identify the interest areas of the said community to pursue livelihood opportunities and understand their current livelihood capacities and entrepreneurial skills. CYDA planned to support LGBT+ community people, empower by providing livelihood opportunities through various skill development trainings and initiate their own entrepreneurship which helps them lead a dignified life.

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Mission Yerwada

This program is to work closely with police department as well as communities’ leaders in Yerwada. The program identify youth who are getting into criminality and organize them through innovative programs so that they do not get into crime.

Please do contact us to know more about our program Contact us now!

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