Barli Development Institute for Rural Women

by Janak Palta McGilligan

This Bahá’í-inspired project empowers young rural and tribal women in India for the betterment of their communities.

Rural and tribal women continue to struggle against poverty and discrimination and their negative ramifications high female and infant mortality rates, malnutrition, illiteracy and gender inequality. This book by the recently-retired Director of the Barli Institute examines how applying Bahá í principle facilitates the process of sustainable community development. The transformation of these women from victims of discrimination to positive agents of social change is the basic theme of the book.

The fundamental principle on which the Barli programme is based is gender equality: the Institute aims to facilitate change in the traditional attitudes, mindset, and practices that impede efforts to establish equality. One of the ways to achieve this is to increase the capability of women to generate, apply and diffuse knowledge at the individual, family and community level.