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Home For Homemakers : A Milestone In Women's Empowerment In Haryana By ugesh sarkar, Section Punjab Real Estate  More than nine years after its formation, Haryana's first women's cooperative housing society is taking a concrete shape at the Mansa Devi Complex in Panchkula overlooking the prestigious Rajiv Gandhi Chandigarh Technology Park. A milestone in women's empowerment in Haryana where the fair sex is usually at the receiving end of the feudal "khaps" and patriarchal, the housing society -- Parvati Durga Group Housing Society -- is the realisation of a dream of housewife-turned-business woman Archana Sanghi.While all 48 homemakers of the cooperative housing society exult in the glory of having a home of their own, it is an important milestone for Archana. "A housing society of women, for women and formed by women, besides giving a shot in the arm to the women empowerment movement in Hayrana, would provide affordable housing for the middle income group", she says with a sense of pride. "It is a part of my philosophy of `be the change' which got unstinted support from my husband, whose expert advice on the nuances of the real estate world saw the project from conceptualisation to the implementation stage," says Archana. Source: The Tribune By Pradeep Sharma Home for homemakers Click on "Full Story" For More...
he genesis of the society lies in early 1990s when Archana saw Amol Palekar-Zarina Wahab-starrer blockbuster "Gharaunda" where a young couple puts aside every hard-earned penny for a home later to be swindled by an unscrupulous developer. "My marriage in 1992 steeled my resolve to have a project exclusively for women to make them grihalaxmi in the true sense of the word."
The groundwork for the unique project started in 1998. "Most of the current members initially had reservations about the project. However, after repeated coaxing they fell in line and agreed to give it a try," Archana informs. Archana sees the launching the project having advocates, engineers, doctors, academicians, civil servants and educationists as members, in 2001, as the beginning of a long journey. She is confident of handing the possession of the dwelling units by next International Women's Day. As a woman did she face any problems in the implementation of her dream project as real estate in India is still the domain of vested interests? "As a woman entering the man's world I was prepared for some of the occupational hazards associated with the real estate sector," she points out. "Encroachments, corruption and crime -- all beyond the purview of an ordinary housewife -- came to haunt me but with God's grace and my husband's rock-solid support I was able to take them in my stride, she says with a smile. A visit to the construction site in the sprawling Mansa Devi Complex reveals the stamp of the woman behind the project in the layout plan and proposed decor. The complex has earthquake-resistance structures, back-up for water and power, cross ventilation, optimum use of solar energy, wi-fi enabled complex, ATM and basic health infrastructure. A unique feature of the 48 flats covering an individual area of about 2,400 sq ft is that every kitchen faces the greenbelt to enable housewives to keep an eye on the children playing in the ground.
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