Promotion of women is one of the main objectives of our work. In India and in Bangladesh, women are still the largest group of under-privileged people in their societies. Girls and women are discriminated in many walks of life and in various ways.

One reason is the traditional dowry to be paid at the wedding by the family of the bride. Many parents fear the future request for dowry since such expenses can mean the financial ruin of the family. Therefore, an uncounted number of girls are being killed prior to or shortly after their birth only because they are girls. Very often, when parents cannot finance the dowry for their already married daughters, the young women are killed by their husband's family through arranged "accidents".

Relatively little is being invested in the future of girls. In general, parents spend less for them than for their brothers in terms of food, health and education. Although women are carrying a large burden through child rearing, education, household management and income generating activities, they do not hold a respected position in family and society. Single women like widows are, still to-day, excluded from their community. Also superstitious believes can be the reason for discrimination: E.g in some regions, young girls are being devoted to certain gods and are forced to be available to the priests and to visitors as temple prostitutes. A clear indication for women's discrimination is the gender relation in the census of India: In contrast to the "biological norm" (a small excess of women over men), we see, in large parts of the country, a marked women's minority.