The SELF Academy by CREA is designed to empower young women from sanitation worker families to challenge intergenerational caste-based barriers through education, leadership, and self-awareness. Held in New Delhi, the academy brings together participants from Delhi, Bhopal, and Rajasthan for an immersive ten-day programme that builds confidence, strengthens life skills, and inspires pathways towards dignity, equality, and independence.
Organising partners
Key highlights
- The academy empowered girls from sanitation worker families to break caste-based occupational barriers.
- More than half the participants had faced educational disruptions due to health, financial, or family constraints but aspired to pursue dignified careers.
- Training sessions built confidence, leadership, and awareness on gender, sexuality, caste, and digital safety.
- Participants developed a stronger sense of self-belief and agency to continue their education and seek economic independence.
- Discussions revealed how chronic illness, poverty, and patriarchal control affect families, underscoring the need for holistic and sustained support.
