Peaceful Society has been active in the rural areas of Goa and hence it was natural that it took up issues of rural women on a priority basis.
In 1999, it established the GRAMIN MAHILA MANCH
· The first Mahila Mandal to establish under this social action was the Sai Mahila Mandal, at Madgaon on 4th April 1999.
A number of rural women come to Madgaon from Malbhat, Pednem and other villages in search of work and the industrial town was an appropriate place organise these women. Peaceful Society felt this need all the more urgent in view of the prevailing blind faith and rituals that ruled the lives of these women. As society marched towards the 21st century these traditions affecting the advancement of women needed to combat. Besides there was no need for alternative income earning for the women.
The latter was perceived by the Mandal women at a gathering in Madgaon organised on 27th April 1999, where they expressed their desire to undertake various self-employment schemes. They were still at the preliminary stages.
A month later, on 24th May, they visited the Peaceful Society where they saw for themselves what a coming together could achieve. They took varied interests in the activities of the Society and were inquisitive about the natural farming being undertaken in the society premises.
On World Environment Day, that is, on 5th June 1999, they planted saplings of medicinal plants and flowers near their own homes and elsewhere.
The mandal could not undertake any activity in July and August last year due to heavy rains, in September a folk dance competition was organised at Marcel.
Then on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on October 2nd, 1999, the women assisted to start small scale industry and were handed over a preliminary in kind, that is, the necessary material and thread. This would help them gain self-employment through manufacture and other local fabrics.