Empower Rural Women in Jharkhand with Skills, Confidence and Livelihood Opportunities

CLE Trust has been working with children and communities in three remote villages of Jharkhand, India since 2023. Through our continued engagement with the community, we recognised the need to create opportunities that enable women to become more confident, skilled, and financially independent.

In the rural areas of Jharkhand, most women have very limited opportunities through which they can earn an income to meet their own needs. Women have restricted access to education and skill-building. They bear the complete burden of domestic work, caring for all members of the family and unpaid farming-related work. The social norms and safety issues in these societies do not facilitate employment opportunities for women. All these make women financially dependent on their families and have no agency within home and community.

In response, CLE Trust launched the Rural Women Empowerment Program. The first pilot project was started in Sirohi Khurd, Jharkhand. The program focused on providing Digital literacy and Livelihood skills.

Program Manager: Shalini Nair

Mentors: Thenmozhi Arunan, Bimal Sangari

Building Digital Confidence

Our Digital Literacy Program started in Feb 2026. The Digital Literacy classes introduced women to computers, internet use, and essential digital tools. Women learn to access online information and services, use digital platforms, and explore opportunities related to education, government scholarships, schemes, and financial services. Young girls in the final years of school are now enabled to check and apply for different undergraduate college courses in their region.

The first batch completed its structured training in August 2026, and the next batch is planned to begin in January 2027. A set of laptops is available in the centre, and women can use them continuously.

English communication classes are also being conducted for the same batch of students.

Enabling Life Skills through Tailoring

In response to the strong interest from women in the community, CLE Trust started a tailoring training centre in Sirohi Khurd, Jharkhand in June 2026.

Women receive practical training six days a week and are learning to make children's clothes, salwar suits, other garments, purses and bags. These skills can help them take up tailoring work within their villages and nearby towns and gradually build their own source of income.

But training alone is not enough. Women need to be shown ways to expand the products created and how to market them. Also, they need access to a sewing machine and materials to enable them to earn an income.

We seek the support of all who can contribute financially to accelerate the impact of this program in rural India.

Your Support Can Help a Woman Take the Next Step towards financial independence.

CLE is seeking ₹5,00,000 to strengthen the women empowerment initiative for:

• Continue the Digital Literacy classes for new batches. Purchase more laptops
• Support students in college applications and train them for the entrance exams
• Procure additional sewing machines for training and livelihood support
• Fabrics and tailoring materials for practical learning and creating finished products which can be marketed
• English communication and other skill development classes and mentoring
• Provide sewing machines on a one-year loan to women who complete the training and are ready to take up paid work

The women receiving these machines will be encouraged to take tailoring orders and build an income. Over time, we hope they will be able to purchase their own machines and establish sustainable livelihoods.

The Change We Hope to Create

We want women to move from learning a skill to using that skill to create an opportunity for themselves.

Digital literacy opens the information of the whole wide world to them.

With the right support, a woman who begins by learning to stitch can gradually become a skilled tailor, earn an independent income, take care of herself and make greater choices about her own future.

Our vision is to nurture a community of confident, skilled and ambitious rural women who can imagine new possibilities and work towards a more secure and independent future.