Communities
Women
In rural South India, women are the backbone of family and community life, rising early to care for their families and oftenworking long hours in agriculture and daily-wage work.
Yet gender inequality runs deep. Women earn less than men, have fewer chances to study or own property, and have little say in decisions at home or in the village.
Some girls still leave school early, and some women face violence at home. Their contribution is too often not valued, and that is where our partners’ work begins.
Through women’s self-help groups, women save together, take loans for small businesses and support one another. These groups have grown into federations led by the women themselves. One federation, Then Sudar Pengal Iyakkam, alone has more than 4,000 members and earns its own income from enterprises such as mattresses, pillows, catering and nutritious food mixes.
Women’s groups also look out for each other’s safety and wellbeing. Trained volunteers help families resolve problems, link women to support services, and encourage girls to stay in school and marry only as adults.
The Arunthathiyar community is one of the populations that VST’s
partners have worked with most closely. For generations,
Arunthathiyar families faced discrimination and had few chances for
education or secure work, and most depended on farm work and
daily wages.
Our partners began by forming women’s self-help groups and
children’s clubs in Arunthathiyar villages. Today there are more than
70 Arunthathiyar women’s groups, and Arunthathiyar women have
been brought onto the board of Then Sudar Pengal Iyakkam, a strong
women’s federation of more than 4,000 members in Theni district.
They now share in leading the whole federation.
The greatest change has been in education. More than 2,000
Arunthathiyar children are supported each year to attend school
regularly. In 2025–26, 97% of girls and 93% of boys passed their 10th
standard exams, and many young people are now going on to college,
nursing and technical courses.
Arunthathiyars
Indigenous People
Until about 50 years ago, south India’s indigenous people (known as Palliars in Tamil Nadu) led an ancient existence in the isolated hillsides of the Western Ghats mountain range, living off the forest for all their needs. Now their way of life and environment has changed drastically due to an influx of settlers, removal of large tracts of forest to plant tea, creation of wildlife sanctuaries and draconian forest laws.
With the destruction of their way of life, alcoholism, abuse and even suicide have increased dramatically. Many children drop out of school because of linguistic and cultural barriers, poor health, dysfunctional families and a lack of role models. In the forest, even youngsters can turn to seasonal work labouring for low pay for external landlords.
The tribal people are now having to fight for the right to live on their ancestral land. There are government schemes for tribal people but many families lack the documentation, awareness and education required to access the benefits. Our partners work hard to help these communities defend their rights and claim the benefits that they are entitled to by law.
