Everything we do is driven by and based on our values and reflects the rights granted by our Constitution

• We are inclusive across social, cultural, linguistic, sexual choices and other differences
• We are secular in our beliefs and actions
• We respect every person and ensure we treat all persons with dignity
• We take responsibility for our learning and our actions
• We are professional about our commitments
• We are transparent and accountable in all our processes

These values guide our mission and programmes, shaping our work towards a more just and equitable society for all.

Azad was established as a charitable trust in 2008 with the vision of promoting gender equity and equality. Our mission is to ensure that women from underprivileged communities have access to and control over resources, their bodies, and choices, enabling them to enjoy full citizenship and pursue livelihoods traditionally inaccessible to them.

Azad is dedicated to breaking down gender-based labour segregation and dismantling patriarchal stereotypes in women’s skill development and professional opportunities. To create a fair society, Azad works relentlessly to build a gender-just ecosystem within urban poor communities in India. It recognizes the diverse identities of women and addresses issues of class, caste, religion, gender, and sexual identities in all its initiatives.

From its initial centre in South Delhi in 2008, Azad has expanded to include two more centres in Delhi, two in Kolkata, and one each in Jaipur and Chennai. It also collaborates with partners in Indore and Ahmedabad.

Azad’s journey began with the Women with Wheels (WWW) programme, training women in driving through a transformative capacity-building initiative. However, Azad soon realized that for women to enter non-traditional livelihoods like driving, they need supportive communities and families, gender-inclusive infrastructure, and policies. Consequently, Azad started empowering young women and men in communities as feminist leaders. These leaders work towards creating a gender-just ecosystem by helping women access citizenship entitlements, combat gender-based violence, join non-traditional skill training and jobs, and engage men in sharing unpaid care work and challenging toxic masculinity in their localities.

Azad also supports adolescent girls, encouraging them to pursue non-traditional skill education and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) education after school, negotiate their age of marriage, and take control of their bodies and choices.

Azad’s policy engagement includes promoting non-traditional livelihoods for women in local and global forums. Collaboration and partnership are central to all of Azad’s initiatives, leading to the creation of the Non-Traditional Livelihood Network for Women.

Additionally, Azad established the Kamla Bhasin Awards for Driving Gender Equality Across South Asia, in collaboration with two other organizations, to honour Kamla Bhasin’s legacy and recognize those advancing gender equality and positive masculinity in South Asia.

Azad not only focuses outwardly but also engages deeply inwardly to cultivate collective leadership and a compassionate, love-based culture within the organization. Its strategic and operational leadership is collective, fostering a collaborative work culture at every level. As a learning organization, Azad invests in staff capacity building, encouraging team members to learn from every challenge and grow together.