Report from the 2009 Women\'s Leadership Conference in Jodhpur, India

1. 2009 Women’s Leadership Conference April 24 th , 2009 Report and Summary of Events Authored by Savannah Westgarde & Jason Caya

7. Introduction The city of Jodhpur is located amongst the Thar Desert within the state of Rajasthan in western India. Jodhpur is home to approximately 850,000 inhabitants, with 53% of the population comprised of males and 47% of the population comprised of females. While Jodhpur has a vibrant cultural heritage and has become a tourist attraction for many, it is still suffering the effects of poverty, illiteracy, and division. Many development organizations are focused on Jodhpur and its districts, and they are making strides in alleviating poverty. However, Jodhpur is still in need of assistance and there is much work to be done on the fronts of women’s empowerment and women’s rights.

9. Why a Conference for Women Leaders? Implementing an Open Approach to Development Recognize the area of specialty for each NGO (e.g. water harvesting, anemia awareness, or HIV awareness). Form a partnership and an agreement to have a mutually benefited relationship Share ideas amongst organizations. Work together to provide enhanced services. Make connections with other local NGOs that share similar development goals.

19. At the Conference Two Activities that Made a Difference It was important to have an activity at the beginning of the conference that would help the participants feel calm and welcome. The local Art of Living branch in Jodhpur agreed to conduct an informal yoga session at the beginning of the conference. Through playing two games, the participants were left smiling and at ease with each other. The activity helped to clear their minds and leave them ready for a day of learning. Yoga

20. At the Conference Two Activities that Made a Difference Card Exchange Ten blank business cards were given to each woman at the beginning of the conference. It was requested that each card be filled out with their name and mobile number. By the end of the conference, all the women were asked to give away their ten cards to different women as well as take ten cards from different women. This activity facilitated conversation between the women and formed the beginning of support networks and connections.

22. Inspirational Speaker Profiles Monica Jod Monica is a cheerful and well spoken 17 year old. With the help of Sambhali Trust founder, Govind Singh Rathore, Monica was brought from a life of extreme poverty and powerlessness into a life of education and capacity building at the Trust. Monica blossomed within Sambhali and is now attending school and leading other women within the trust. Monica hopes to pursue her education, better her English speaking abilities, and avoid getting married for a long time. “ Talking [to these women] made my heart glad. Thank you, my heart is so happy now. Please have more conferences.”

23. Overall Results The results are taken from interviews conducted three days after the conference. Five individuals in attendance were contacted. It is impossible to really understand or quantify the results from the conference, but the most outstanding result to report is that most participants and people in attendance are requesting that another conference be held.

27. Suggestions for Future Conferences As change can only come with a one hundred percent effort by all those involved, change can only come to Jodhpur and to Rajasthan by a one hundred percent effort from the population. Although women are the most disenfranchised sector of the population, it is not enough to only work with them. We must also have conferences for men on the same pressing issues. Change will only come once we have educated the male population in Rajasthan to believe that women are humans deserving of value and respect.

29. Concluding Remarks Creating and hosting the 2009 Women’s Leadership Conference in Jodhpur was one of the most worthwhile and enriching experiences we have undertaken. We felt extreme gratitude to be in the presence of so many inspirational women leaders. Thank you to everyone who shared this special day with us. – Savannah and Jason