Ibtida

Supporting women-led networks

Ibtida (‘the beginning’ in Urdu) is a leadership development program that began in 2002 to support a network of organizations from the Hindi-speaking Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand. Ibtida builds the capacity of women-led organizations at a community level and supports women representatives, beyond top leaders, to improve community development strategies for both individual and organizations.

Ibtida creates stronger community-based networks and enhances human rights mechanisms. We support women representatives as they develop leadership capacities, gain access to information, demand their rights and alter their economic, political and social position.

Earlier when my family members did not allow me to go for meetings, then I felt that all my family members are very concerned and worried for my safety. But after attending trainings, I realized that actually they are making me weak and under confident. Now I am more confident and have started going for meetings all alone. Ibitda member organization staff | 2017

CREA organizes trainings and workshops that explore sexuality, gender, violence against women, and human rights. We provide opportunities to share challenges and achievements. Ibtida members continuously apply their learning:

• In families, by re-examining gender roles in rearing children, such as encouraging sons to do household chores and daughters to take on outdoor tasks.
• In communities, by working to break biases around religious practices and change notions around gender roles.
• In organizations, by encouraging gender-sensitive and rights-affirming policies and practices.

CREA continues leading the Ibtida network to forge newer ways of feminist interventions in their states while also working on deepening the feminist identity and politics of the network.