MMF NAPSWI scholarship was introduced in 2015 by Martha Farrell foundation in association with NAPSWI.

Martha Farrell

Martha Farrell was a passionate civil society leader, renowned and respected in India and around the world for her work on women's rights, gender equality and adult education. She was among 14 people killed in a terrorist attack on a guest house in Kabul, Afghanistan on May 13, 2015. She had been leading a gender training workshop with the Aga Khan Foundation in Kabul at the time of the attack.She studied English literature at Delhi University, and did a Master’s in social work at the Delhi School of Social Work. She undertook pioneering work on sexual harassment in the workplace in India, completing her PhD on the subject from Jamia Millia Islamia University, Delhi. In 2014, she published the first Indian book on the subject, Engendering the Workplace: Gender Discrimination & Prevention of Sexual Harassment in Organizations.

She began her career in 1981 as a literacy worker at Ankur, an NGO working for women’s literacy and empowerment in Delhi. She broadened her focus into adult education, where she began her lifelong practice of participatory learning methodology. In 1991, she co-founded Creative Learning for Change, an NGO consisting of development professionals involved in research, training and documentation of learning materials for students, teachers and facilitators in non-formal settings. She remained connected to this initiative throughout her career.Martha formally joined PRIA (Society for Participatory Research in Asia) in 1996, working alongside her husband and founder of PRIA, Dr. Rajesh Tandon. As Director of PRIA’s program on Gender Mainstreaming in Institutions, she trained thousands of grassroots women leaders and professionals from different walks of life on issues related to citizen engagement in local governance, gender mainstreaming and sexual harassment. From 2005 onwards, she led PRIA’s work on distance education, founding and developing PRIA International Academy, the academic wing of the organization. She also taught part-time at the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University in Canada.DrMartha Farrellwas life member of NAPSWI.

To sustain Martha Farrell ideals, values and principles, by progressing her pioneering work on women empowerment, gender equality and adult education, with long-term commitment and excellence, Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF) has been set up to carry forward Martha’s spirit and legacy by advancing her pioneering work on gender mainstreaming and adult education, with the overall goal of achieving gender equality in India and around the world.

The scholarship is offered in collaboration with National Association of Professional Social Workers in India (NAPSWI). The research paper/report may get published on websites of Martha Farrell Foundation (MFF) and NAPSWI.

Earlier Recipients of MMF -NAPSWI Awards:

1st MMF NAPSWI Award 2015:

Navprabhat Singh completed his Bachelor’s in Social Work from Delhi University and pursued Master’s in Social Work from the Delhi School of Social Work (DSSW), Delhi University. He hails fromsTehriGarhwal district, Uttarakhand and has previous experience of working with the voluntary sector in Jharkhand (Abhivyakti Foundation in Giridh, Centre for Alternative Dalit Media (CADAM)), Assam (North East Research & Social Work Networking (NERSWN), Kokrajhar) and in Dehradun (People Science Institute).

Bristi Borgohain belongs to Sivasagar district of Assam. She is currently pursuing Master’s in Social Work from Dibrugarh University, Assam, after completing her Bachelor’s in Science (Nursing) from Guwahati University, Assam. She has previously interned with Goonj, Ashadeep, Socio Educational Welfare Association (SEWA), North Eastern Buddhist Cultural Association (NEBCA), Tengakhat Development Block and Seven Sisters Development Assistance (SeSTA).  She also worked as a Clinical Instructor at Arya Nursing College for a year after her graduation. She has previously conducted a research on “Self Help Group as Means of Providing Holistic Empowerment to Women in Rural Areas: A Study Conducted under Tengakhat Development Block, Dibrugarh (2015-2016)”. Currently, as a MFF-NAPSWI Scholar, she is collecting data for her research on the impact of sexual harassment at workplace on the nurses working in private hospitals in Guwahati.

Simanta Mazumdar is currently pursuing Masters in Social Work (Community Organization and Development Practice) from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, after completing his Bachelor’s in Commerce from Guwahati University, Assam. He hails from Nagaon district of Assam. He is also interning with MAVA - Men against Violence and Abuse, an organisation working for humanizing men and boys to bring gender equality. With MAVA, Simanta has been conducting gender sensitization workshops in colleges in Mumbai. As part of his under-graduate curriculum, he conducted a study on the "Impact of the Anti -Smokeless Tobacco Bill upon the small vendors of Chandmari (Guwahati) Area". Currently, as a MFF-NAPSWI Scholar, he is collecting data for his research on the implementation of the Sexual harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 in the tea gardens of Assam.

Abhilasha Bora hails from the district of Nagaon in Assam and is currently pursuing Master’s in Social Work from the Central University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir. In 2016, she completed her Bachelor’s in Zoology from State Cotton University, Guwahati. She has previously worked with Rotary Innerwheel Care Home for the Mentally Challenged Children and is passionate about working on the issue of trafficking of women and children for commercial sex work. She is also a keen photographer and loves to experiment with food. Abhilasha has been jointly awarded a MFF-NAPSWI Scholarship with Jaspreet Singh and they are researching on the efficacy of mechanisms currently instituted to provide redressal for sexual harassment at workplace at State University of Jammu (in Departments of Law and Sociology) and Government Medical College of Jammu.

Jaspreet Singh, a resident of Jammu, is a student of Master’s in Social Work at the Central University of Jammu, Jammu & Kashmir. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Diploma in Computer Application. Jaspreet has previously interned with Sheroes Hangout in Lucknow and SoS Children’s Village in Jammu. He is keen to pursue a career in social research and academia and loves to travel. Jaspreet has been jointly awarded a MFF-NAPSWI Scholarship with Abhilasha Bora and they are researching on the efficacy of mechanisms currently instituted to provide redressal for sexual harassment at workplace at State University of Jammu (in Departments of Law and Sociology) and Government Medical College of Jammu.

Saksham Jha is a native of Ranchi, Jharkhand, who is pursuing his Master’s in Social Work form JamiaMilliaIslamia University in New Delhi. Prior to that, he was pursuing his Bachelor’s in Sociology from the same university. He has been working on various issues of child rights, human trafficking and witch hunting in the tribal belts of Jharkhand. He has also been working with Bangladeshi migrants in the slums of Seemapuri in New Delhi, to understand how they are marginalized politically, socially and culturally. Sakcham loves paint, dance and travel.

Harshali hails from the district of Chandrapur in Maharashtra. She is pursuing her Master’s in Social Work from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai. Prior to that, she completed her Bachelor’s in Science from Fergusson College in Pune. Harshali has been working extensively on issues of marginalization of Dalit women, sexual violence, women in governance and health education. For the past one year, she has been actively engaging with Resource and Support Centre for Development (RSCD) in Mumbai to work with Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in the Panchyati Raj in Maharashtra. Harshali plays the guitar, loves to dance, swim and write.