VCDS is working among women for the last 38 years. Women play a vital role in building the society. We conduct various actions for them, which includes ethical finance through micro credit, awareness education, training and campaigning on maternal health, personal hygiene and protection from domestic violence.

ETHICAL FINANCE THROUGH MICRO CREDIT:

VCDS is working among women through micro finance and revolving loan system for the past 38 years. The main aim of this action is to shift the family economy to the hands of women from man to reduce the dependency of women in a family. In the beginning, women groups were formed in each village and started formed a corpus from their monthly contribution. The needy person can apply for the loan amount to the women`s group and get it for less interest and they can repay with in a period of time. VCDS has 60 women`s groups in 30 villages and granted 3.78 million rupees as loans.

Now, we are dispersing loans/micro credit for individuals as the government has taken the revolving loan procedure and dispersing loans to the women`s self help groups. The individual loans/ ethical finance are given to micro business or small income generation activities, cattle rearing, small scale farmers, etc. The credit is given cut with 1% of interest with a repayment period of 1year. Through, the ethical finance so far 300 loans have been given out. The default rate is very higher among the lenders but we manage to receive the repayment on a large time scale basis. We are also providing capacity building training and skill development training for the small entrepreneurs in managing their small business and developing their actions.

CAMPAIGNING ON WOMEN & CHILD`S PROTECTION AGAINST DOMESTIC VIOLENCE:

India is one of the biggest countries where the violence against women is a common action where the society. Women are mistreated, harassed, abused, tortured and even killed in respect in need of money and pleasure. The violence has increased a lot compared to the last 20 years and the reported incidents in 2015 which is 44% increase compared to 2012, with every 3 minutes a crime is committed against a women.

The different violence that is being forced on women are as follows:

• Dowry murder, honor killing, witchcraft related murder, female infanticide, female feticide, sexual crime such as rape, marital rape, gang rape, insult to modesty, human trafficking and forced prostitution, domestic violence such as physical, emotional, verbal, economic and sexual abuse, forced child marriage, acid throwing, abduction, etc.  
• VCDS organize women in its working village and conduct seminar on their protection, what kind of actions are considered as violence, how to protect & prevent, what kind of help can be received. These seminars are one of the major sources of information as women consider some of the family violence are social practice.
• VCDS also conduct awareness community talks with advocates and police officials to share more information on the laws and help they can receive from the police department and judiciary.
• VCDS also documents case studies on domestic violence and child abuses and provide legal help and organize counseling sessions for psychological and emotional support. VCDS gives priority to these victims of domestic violence in our ethical finance and vocational training program.
• VCDS also conducts village level awareness rally on women and child protection from domestic violence and sexual abuse & harassment.

AWARENESS ON MATERNAL & CHILD CARE AND HEALTH & SANITATION:

As a part of women empowerment, VCDS takes maternal & child care as one of its action. Maternal mortality is high in number among rural women which is because of malnourishment, anemia, and poor care. Our awareness campaign aims at educating young mothers and pregnant mothers on taking nourished balanced diet with supplement enrolling themselves in local 

Primary Health Centre (P.H.C), making regular checkups, taking proper vaccination and talking good care of the new born and vaccinating those new born and educating them on breast feeding and personal hygiene, balanced nourished diet for growing infants etc.

The main aim of this action is to reduce the mother & child mortality rate and to reduce malnourishment among young & pregnant mothers and their babies. VCDS takes forward this action in hand with Tamilnadu Voluntary Health Association (TNVHA) which is aided by UNICEF-India.

Health & sanitation is one at the major area of education among youths and pregnant mothers. This awareness campaign talks about mensuration and myths related to it, condom use & its benefits, sexual transmitted diseases (STD) and its preventive measures, etc.

This awareness campaign taken forward in public & Private schools with the help of international Scouts & guides students.