Over the years, Azad has rallied for and invested in feminist leadership training for young women and men who are also inspirational community change agents. The training challenges conventional heterosexual norms by increasing women’s mobility and motivating them to join non-traditional skills training and jobs, encouraging men to participate in unpaid care work, and engaging them in initiatives to prevent violence against women and girls.

These change agents lead Azad’s efforts to create supportive environments for women by cultivating local relationships, encouraging open communication, and involving women and their social circles in challenging gender norms.

Azad engages with marginalized communities through various campaigns and programmes. These initiatives aim to disseminate knowledge and information about non-traditional livelihoods, prevent gender-based violence, secure citizenship rights and entitlements, tackle the challenges of unpaid care work for women, promote male involvement in caregiving responsibilities, and foster supportive environments for women to make empowered choices.

Azad works closely with local communities to understand their needs and provides tailored solutions that promote sustainable livelihoods and social inclusion.

Azad offers empowering capacity building programmes, including Skill++ modules, to marginalized women. These modules provide technical, empowerment and 21st century skills such as gender, legal rights, self-defense, critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, adaptability, awareness, information literacy, technological proficiency, and problem-solving skills. With 14 modules available, Azad equips women with the expertise needed to become skilled drivers, enabling them to enter and excel in male-dominated markets as confident professionals. Azad also offers mentorship and access to resources.

Azad’s partner, Sakha, creates opportunities and markets for women in the transportation sector, including supporting safe and well-paying working conditions for them.

This support allows women to exercise their rights as they are able to secure employment opportunities following their training with the Women With Wheels programme.

Engaging in non-traditional livelihoods boosts women’s self-assurance and belief in their ability to participate in roles typically designated for men. Additionally, it disrupts the power dynamics of a patriarchal system, empowering women to defy gender norms, address discrimination, and combat gender-based violence in both public and private spheres of their lives.

To achieve meaningful and lasting social transformation, it is crucial to enhance capabilities and push for markets, such as the transportation sector and e-commerce businesses, to prioritize gender sensitivity and inclusivity.

Azad has taken the lead in advancing initiatives related to Non-Traditional Livelihoods (NTL) nationwide and serves as the Secretariat for the NTL Network, a dynamic coalition of groups and individuals spanning across 11 states in India. This network pools expertise on non-traditional livelihoods and establishes platforms to push for gender-inclusive markets, providing skill-development in NTL, and creating gender-sensitive infrastructure.

Azad calls for policies that address the systemic barriers faced by marginalized women, aiming to create a more equitable society for all. In this regard, in 2014, Azad initiated collaboration with the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) to advocate for the inclusion of women in public transportation. Azad undertook policy analysis, evidence-driven research, and advocated for equality for women in the DTC. This effort culminated in a landmark achievement in 2022 which included the relaxation of height and experience requirements for women and a waiver of fees for heavy vehicle training.

Through a collaborative effort, Azad aims to establish an institution that fosters diverse growth and innovation. The Azad Board and the National Leadership Team uphold the belief that leadership transcends mere roles and authority; instead, it involves supporting, nurturing, envisioning, self-reflection, courageous conversations, and cultivating trust and transparency within the community.

By establishing a central team encompassing various themes and regions and implementing a “Next Generation Leadership Programme” for mid-level management, Azad’s objective is to cultivate effective leaders who promote peer learning. These leaders ensure that Azad’s programmes align with its strategic vision and contribute to the broader civil society landscape.

Azad’s collective goal is to nurture a culture where team members actively engage in transformative work with resource-poor women while continuously evolving through introspection, learning, growth, and overcoming obstacles – all while prioritizing their personal well-being.