• Have established women’s associations in over 180 villages directly. The women participants are dalit, adivasi and fisher communities primarily. The women of these associations are confident to express their concerns and withstand undue pressure against them and their stand point.
  • Have created a situation where a woman when sexually harassed or manhandled by the husband or in laws, would confidently go to the police and the police would take such case seriously, regardless of caste and class background.
  • Many of these sangams are instrumental for achieving basic needs, such as land titles for houses, street lights, street taps, improving the road, better transportation, medical facility and the like.
  • The women have achieved land title for the house site given by the Govt., in the name of both husband and wife and wherever possible, in the name of women alone.
  • Govt. has recognised GUIDE as the official NGO contact in the district to identify the cases of violence against women. Besides, GUIDE was given best social worker award by an Indian institution and the Global Fund for Women.
  • GUIDE has been involved in important studies that had important impacts. The study of child labour in 7 hazardous industries done for ILO in 13 districts of Tamilnadu, as a rapid appraisal within 6 weeks with the participation of many involved small NGO, has helped them to design programme for eradication of child labour.
  • Another study done for ILO, Delhi on potential debt bondage in 4 districts of Tamilnadu, helped them to launch a programme in one of the districts.
  • GUIDE also worked along with Dr. Sara Ahmed and Utthan of Ahmedabad in doing 34 months long study about conflict faced by women in access and control over local resources and the way they negotiate. Final report is soon to be released.
  • A working paper based on the study on Palayaseevaram a project village of GUIDE, has appeared as e-document in the website of Natural Resource Institute, Greenwich. This appears as WHIRL paper, under the heading “water, water no where”.
  • Have promoted a successful network of women under the banner of ‘Tamilnadu women’s Movement”, which has membership from many districts of Tamilnadu. It has also taken up campaigning for reservation for women in legislative bodies.
  • Have helped coastal women initiate a “Coastal Women Movement” where women from all the coastal districts participate and include the non fisher coastal community women too. They have represented with many govt. officials.
  • Have succeeded in developing a federation of coastal communities in Kancheepuram District and “ Tamilnadu Pondy Fisher People Federation (TPFF)”, as an offshoot of the Kancheepuram Coordination Committee. TPFF has successfully fought against NAMA, introduction of Walmart and now against new Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) Notification.
  • Have been successful in building first ever coastal houses in the same place where the community lived before Tsunami, as against the wish of the government to take them far from coast. This model was then followed by other NGO in many places.

    A total of 52. Houses built  where the local women played crucial role in purchases and supervision of the construction. For livelihood support monetary support for fish vending and the fisherwomen trained to build  small ice plants that they could handle on their own and bunk shops to sell fish.

    Cattamarams were given to nine coastal villages 
  • We have helped women to run a small ice making unit, where they are able to operate without the help of men. We have also helped women run successful fish sales stalls in places where they had no access – as a joint venture, which was an uphill task.
  • Have succeeded in developing “Gender Lab” for men (a process workshop which helps them to understand the socially constructed values and become conscious of them as an oppressor of both the sexes). Hundreds of men have undergone the lab exercise.
  • Youth federation is on the make in Kancheepuram District and would expect to cut beyond the limits of the district. It has links now in 3 southern districts.
  • Have helped rural women (one of them even illiterate) to contest in the state assembly election as independent candidate and thus pave way for gaining political space in the most important election. Many become elected Panchayat members too.
  • Have helped resource poor farmers to develop successful model of farming which is organic. The women of these families are the ones who were mostly involved in the process of developing such a movement.
  • Have succeeded in stopping illegal sand mining all over Tamilnadu, by organising a public hearing of aggrieved communities. Later through a contempt of court case, we were able to prevent illegal sand mining all over the state, along with other NGOs.
  • Are able to successfully establish a basin network in the region of River Palar, by creating village level Resource Protection Committees and linking them at block and district level. The RPC have equal and, in some cases, more number of women as their members. This is the only available model in Tamilnadu.