Empowering Women Ragpickers of Mumbai – Stree Mukti Sanghatna’s Parisar Vikas Programme

This case study showcases the work being done by Parisar Vikas with poor, migaDeveloping countries are characteristically plagued by a high rate of population growth and crippling poverty. Among these countries, India has the highest concentration of poverty in the world, with around 320 million people living below the country’s official poverty line – a staggering 35% of the total population. 75% of the global population growth is taking place in the urban areas of the developing countries causing a ‘hyper growth’ in cities, which are not equipped to cope with such a situation.1 There are over 300 million urban poor who live in severe poverty in these cities of the developing countries. They have few options of livelihood, live in unsafe environments and face manifold threats to their health and security.2 The dichotomy is that even as these cities are major contributors to the global economy and generate more opportunities, urban poverty persists and is indeed growing (Figure 1). This rising prevalence of urban poverty is indicative of the fact that the country’s policies and programmes have not been able to alleviate poverty.rant women in Mumbai who work as rag pickers, to empower them, build up the economy and concurrently improve the environment.