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Name : | Ms. Reeta Sinruwng |
| Country : | India | |
| Native language : | Anal | |
| Work Position : | Coordinator | |
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Work |
Ms. Sinruwng Hringwar Reeta (Reeta) works as a coordinator for the Widows Welfare Society (WWS), helping women rebuild their lives in the face of personal loss and hardship. In an area already dealing with ethnic conflict and violence, the HIV/AIDS pandemic has left many women widowed and suffering from the disease. A recent study in area hospitals revealed that eight out of ten pregnant women in Reeta’s district test positive for the HIV virus. In addition to health problems associated with the HIV virus, women in Manipur are completely deprived of property rights and lose everything when their husbands die. Without land to feed themselves or skills to generate an income to purchase food, many women resort to prostitution to survive. Reeta helps these women learn marketable skills and recover from sexually transmitted diseases and drug addiction. Specifically, she participates in agricultural training workshops and a women’s leadership camp. In a society of gender discrimination where women are not entitled to be a part of decision making bodies, Reeta strongly advocates for gender equality.
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Sending Organization |
WWS is located in the Chandel District of Manipur, and works with nine tribal communities and rural villages. A relatively new foundation with only three full-time employees, WWS offers skills and leadership training to widows, specifically teaching women to weave, knit, and embroider marketable handicrafts. They also offer health and nutrition classes with a focus on sexually transmitted diseases and rehabilitations from drug addiction. In addition to seminars on income generation and health, WWS advocates for women’s rights and for social welfare for all women. They are also an active voice in peacekeeping; hosting workshops on conflict resolution to help defuse ethnic tensions before violence erupts.
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