ABSTRACT

Non-governmental organization (NGO) is a term that has become widely accepted for referring to a legally constituted, non-business organization created by natural or legal persons with no participation or representation of any government.Major sources of NGO funding include membership dues, the sale of goods and services, grants from international institutions or national governments, and private donations. Several EU-grants provide funds accessible to NGOs.Its purpose is to serve people Even though the term "non-governmental organization" implies

independence from governments, most NGOs depend heavily on governments for their funding NGOs are difficult to define and classify, and the term 'NGO' is not used consistently. As a result, there are many different classifications in use. The most common use a framework that includes orientation and level of operation. An NGO's orientation refers to the type of activities it takes on. These activities might include human rights, environmental, or development work. An NGO's level of operation indicates the scale at which an organization works, such as local, international or national.Nongovernmental organizations are essential to humanitarian relief in bringing years of experience in public health and preventive medicine programming to a crisis zone. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any form of government. The term originated from the United Nations (UN), and is normally used to refer to organizations that are not a part of the government and are not conventional for-profit business. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally or partially by
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governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status by excluding government representatives from membership in the organization. The term is usually applied only to organizations that pursue wider social aims that have political aspects, but are not openly political organizations such as political parties.

Introduction

The term, "non-governmental organization" or NGO, came into use in 1945 because of the need for the UN to differentiate in its Charter between participation rights for intergovernmental specialized agencies and those for international private organizations. At the UN, virtually all types of private bodies can be recognized as NGOs. They only have to be independent from government control, not seeking to challenge governments either as a political party or by a narrow focus on human rights, non-profit-making and non-criminal. As of 2003, there were reportedly over 20,000 NGOs active in Iran. The majority of these organizations are charity organizations, and thus would not fall under the category of
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development-oriented NGOs. In this document the term NGO is primarily used for organizations other than charitable organizations. The structures of NGOs vary considerably. With the improvement in communications, more locally-based groups, referred to as grass-roots organizations or community based organizations, have become active at the national or even the global level. Increasingly this occurs through the formation of coalitions with other NGOs for particular goals, such as was the case in the case of the Bam earthquake For example. : A civil society is composed of three sectors: government, the private sector and civil society, excluding businesses. NGOs are components of social movements within a civil society. In the case of Iran, where civil society is not yet mature, NGOs can have an important role in strengthening the foundations of an emergent civil society. The issue of independence is an important one in the credibility of an NGO. It is hard for NGOs not to come under any governmental influence. Individual governments do at times try to influence the NGO community in a particular field, by establishing NGOs that promote their policies. This has been recognized by quite common use of the acronym GONGO, to label a government-organized NGO. Also, in more authoritarian societies, NGOs may find it very difficult to act independently and they may not receive acknowledgment from other political actors even when they are acting independently. On the other hand, development and humanitarian relief NGOs need substantial resources, to run their operational programs, so most of them readily accept official funds. It is thus important for the NGO to have transparency in its operations and goals so that its relations

Meaning
A nongovernment organization is an association which is based on the common interests of its members, individuals, or institution has no governmental status or function, and is not created by a government, nor is its agenda set or implemented by a government. A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any form of government. The term originated from the United Nations (UN), and is normally used to refer to organizations that are not a part of the government and are not conventional for-profit business.

Definition
According to the World Bank, NGOs are value-based organizations which depend, in whole or in part, on charitable donations and voluntary service, and in which principles of altruism and voluntarism remain key defininis not affiliated with government. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are generally considered to be non-state, non-profit orientated groups who pursue purposes of public interest, excluding the private sector (Schmidt and Take 1997).

Terms of NGOS Some of the Famous terms used for NGO are mentioned below.
BINGO It is a short term used for business-friendly international NGO CITS It is a type of NGO that basically devoted in helping the scientific community by motivating the young talent towards R & D. CSO It is short term for civil society organization DONGO It refers to the Donor Organized NGO ENGO It is an abbreviated form of environmental NGO like Global 2000; GONGO It refers to the government-operated NGOs INGO It is an abbreviated form of international NGO like Oxfam TANGO It refers to the technical assistance NGO GSO it stands for the Grassroots Support Organization MANGO It refers to the market advocacy NGO CHARDS It is a short form for Community Health and Rural Development Society

History

International non-governmental organizations have a history dating back to at least 1839.[29] It has been estimated that by 1914, there were 1083 NGOs.[30] International NGOs were important in the anti-slavery movement and the movement for women's suffrage, and reached a peak at the time of the World Disarmament Conference.[31] However, the phrase "non-governmental organization" only came into popular use with the establishment of the United Nations Organization in 1945 with provisions in Article 71 of Chapter 10 of the United Nations Charter[32] for a consultative role for organizations which are neither governments nor member statessee Consultative Status. The definition of "international NGO" (INGO) is first given in resolution 288 (X) of ECOSOC on February 27, 1950: it is defined as "any international organization that is not founded by an international treaty". The vital role of NGOs and other "major groups" in sustainable development was recognized in Chapter 27[33] of Agenda 21, leading to intense arrangements for a consultative relationship between the United Nations and non-governmental organizations. It has been observed that the number of INGO founded or dissolved matches the general "state of the world", rising in periods of growth and declining in periods of crisis.

Rapid development of the non-governmental sector occurred in western countries as a result of the processes of restructuring of the welfare state. Further
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globalization of that process occurred after the fall of the communist system and was an important part of the Washington consensus.

Globalization during the 20th century gave rise to the importance of NGOs. Many problems could not be solved within a nation. International treaties and international organizations such as the World Trade Organization were centered mainly on the interests of capitalist enterprises. In an attempt to counterbalance this trend, NGOs have developed to emphasize humanitarian issues, developmental aid and sustainable development. A prominent example of this is the World Social Forum, which is a rival convention to the World Economic Forum held annually in January in Davis, Switzerland. The fifth World Social Forum in Porto Alleger, Brazil, in January 2005 was attended by representatives from more than 1,000 NGOs.In terms of environmental issues and sustainable development, the Earth Summit in Rio in 1992 was the first to show the power of international NGOs, when about 2,400 representatives of NGOs came to play a central role in deliberations. Some have argued that in forums like these, NGOs take the place of what should belong to popular movements of the poor. Whatever the case, NGO transnational networking is now extensive

Need for ngos in india

The need for NGOs continues to increase in India. One of the reasons for this is that there are still millions of people in this country are failing to get even their basic needs met. They do not have proper place to stay or have other resources to run their day to day life with dignity. There are many government organized programs but not all of them reach the people as they should so there is an increasing need for NGOs in India.

To bridge this gap there are many India NGO movements that work to improve the standard of people's life. Every NGO in India has their own vision and goal. There are many social welfare programs run by these NGOs. One of the best goals NGOs in India can have for themselves is to provide free education in India. This would be the best social service in India. Sociologists analyzing the Indian society found that one of the main reasons for poverty in India is the poor literacy rate in some of the Indian societies. So to alleviate people from their poverty it is essential to provide quality education to the poor.

One of the main areas that has been receiving the attention of many of the Indian NGO movements is the slums of Mumbai. Poverty is strikingly visible in this part of India. Providing slum education is taken as one of the main

missions of many NGOs in India. One such NGO is Tarang. This NGO in India offers quality education for slum children in Mumbai.

People that are below their poverty line do not have enough money or drive to think about the other things of life such as education of their children etc. NGO movements such as Tarang try to conscientize people about the importance of education in their lives. They do not stop with that, they also offer highly effective educational programs in Mumbai. Their services are like just a drop in the ocean but it still makes a lot of difference. At the same time a lot needs to be done and so we need greater social participation and we need more NGOs that will take upon themselves education of slum children in India.

Moreover, it is not enough that only the NGOs work towards the upliftment of people it is very important that every individual starts working on the improvement of the literacy rate of the country. They can help the NGOs such as Tarang to do their job better by providing them with the required financial support. As they already have a set up contributing to their schemes will help us pool the resources reaching the needy in a more systematic and effective way.

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Functions Here are some functions of nongovernment organizations:

Most larger nongovernment agencies are involved in aid and relief. Other nongovernment organizations have a major role in developing human resources among minorities by delivering services at the local level helping community organization promoting education, and working for intangible benefits such as cultural self-esteem.

Many are especially strong in addressing issues at the community level such as adult education income generation organization of savings and credit societies primary health care, or small-scale agricultural production. They may work cooperatively with governments

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Kinds of NGOS Here are some kinds of nongovernment organizations:

Kinds of organizations Local Churches Cultural associations Farmers' clubs Language committees Savings groups Women's groups National Adult education associations Churches Housing associations Linguistic organizations Professional groupings Rural development organizations Translation organizations International Development and aid organizations (CAFOD, OXFAM, Red Cross, Save the Children, and World Vision) Federations of associations Linguistic organizations Translation organizations

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Types of NGOs
NGOs can be distinguished into two groups:

Operational and advocacy NGOs.

This may be interpreted as the choice between small-scale change achieved directly through projects and large-scale change promoted indirectly through influence on the political system. Operational NGOs have to mobilize resources, in the form of financial donations, materials or volunteer labor, in order to sustain their projects and programs. This process may require quite complex organization. Finance obtained from grants or contracts, from governments, foundations or companies, require time and expertise spent on planning, preparing applications, budgeting, accounting and reporting. Major fund-raising events require skills in advertising, media relations and motivating supporters. Thus, operational NGOs need to possess an efficient headquarters bureaucracy, in addition to the operational staff in the field. Advocacy NGOs will carry out much the same functions, but with a different balance between them. Fund-raising is still necessary, but on a smaller scale and it can serve the symbolic function of strengthening the donors' identification with the cause. Persuading people to donate their time is necessary, but, in addition to a small number of people giving a great deal of time, it is also necessary to be able to mobilize large numbers for brief periods. External donors may not supplied with information on an efficient regular basis. Major events will aim to attract favorable publicity rather than raise funds. Therefore, despite their differences, both operational and advocacy NGOs need to engage events, cultivating the implementing projects or holding demonstrations serve to differentiate them. In
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reality, the distinctions are not as sharp as the labels suggest. Operational NGOs often move into advocacy when projects regularly face similar problems and the impact of the projects seems to be insufficient. All the large development and environment operational NGOs now run some regular campaigns, at least by supporting campaigning networks. Similarly, advocacy NGOs often feel they cannot ignore the immediate practical problems of people in their policy domain. Human rights NGOs and women's NGOs end up having programs to assist the victims of discrimination and injustice

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Development, Environment and Human Rights NGOs

NGOs are organizations that work in many different fields, but the term is generally associated with those seeking social transformation and improvements in quality of life. Development NGOs is the most highly visible sector, and includes both international and local organizations, as well as those working in humanitarian emergency sector. Many are associated with international aid and voluntary donation, but there are also NGOs that choose not to take funds from donors and try to generate funding in other ways, such as selling handicrafts or charging for services. Environmental NGOs are another sub-sector, and sometimes overlap with development NGOs. An example is Greenpeace. (see: List of Environmental NGOs). Just like other NGOs networks, transnational environmental networks might acquire a variety of benefits in sharing information with other organizations, campaigning towards an issue, and exchanging contact information. Since Transnational environmental NGOs advocate for different issues like public goods, such as pollution in the air, deforestation of areas and water issues, it is more difficult for them to give their campaigns a human face than NGOs campaigning directly for human rights issues.Some of the earliest forms of transnational environmental NGOs started to appear after the Second World War with the creation of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN). After the UN was formed in 1945, more environmental NGO started to emerge in order to address more specific
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environmental issues. In 1946, the UN Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was created with the purpose of advocating and representing scientific issues and collaboration among environmental NGOs. In 1969, the Scientific Committee on Problems of the Environment (SCOPE) was funded to increase and improve collaboration among environmentalists. This collaboration was later reinforced and stimulated with the creation of UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Program in 1971. In 1972, the UN Conference on the Human Environment in Stockholm, tried to address the issues on Swedens plead for international intervention on trans-boundary pollution from other European industrialized nations.

Transnational environmental NGOs have taken on diverse issues around the globe, but one of the best-known cases involving the work of environmental NGOs can be traced back to Brazil during the 1980s. The United States got involved with deforestation concerns due to the allegations of environmentalists dictating deforestation to be a global concern, and after 1977 the U.S. Foreign Assistance Act added an Environmental and Natural Resources section.

During the early 1980s the Brazilian government created the Polonoreste developing program, which the World Bank agreed to finance. The Polonoreste program aimed to urbanized areas of the Amazon, which were already occupied by local indigenous groups. Rapid deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon called the attention and intervention of UNESCO, who utilized its Program on Man and the
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Biosphere to advocate against the Polonoreste program, on the grounds of violating the rights of the indigenous groups living in the Amazon. In the case of deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon, the environment NGOs were able to put pressure on the World Bank to cancel the loans for the Polonoreste program. Due to the leverage that the U.S. has over the bank, in 1985 the World Bank suspended the financial aid to the Polonoreste Program. The work of environmental NGOs in the Brazilian case was successful because there was a point of leverage that made the targeted actor vulnerable to international pressure.

Even though NGOs might have common goals relating to development or environment issues, interests and perspectives are diverse. A distinction can be made between the interests and goals among those NGOs located in industrialized countriesoften referred to as the states of the Northand NGOs from nations located in developing countriesreferred to as states of the South. There is sometimes tension between them.

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Capacity Building Among NGO'S

Capacity building has fast become a major topic among nonprofits and man organizations (funders, associations, training centers, consultants, etc.) that agement support provide services to nonprofits. There are a variety of definitions for capacity building. Perhaps the most fundamental definition is "actions that improve nonprofit effectiveness". Some other discussions about capacity building refer to the concept as actions that enhance a nonprofit's ability to work towards its mission. The concept of capacity building in nonprofits is similar to the concept of organizational development, organizational effectiveness and/or organizational performance management in for-profits. Capacity building efforts can include a broad range of approaches, eg, granting operating funds, granting management development funds, providing training and development sessions, providing coaching, supporting collaboration with other nonprofits, etc. Prominent methods of organizational performance management in for-profits are beginning to be mentioned in discussions about capacity building, as well, for example, the Balanced Scorecard, principles of organizational change, cultural change, organizational learning, etc. Information in this topic of the Library will acquaint you with the concept of capacity building in nonprofits, including offering you a broad background from some suggested previous readings, numerous perspectives on capacity building from numerous articles, and then review of various common functions in nonprofits (eg, boards, role of CEO, programs, )
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Role of NGOs in India

NGOs can and should play the game changer to pro-poor development through leadership on participatory research, community empowerment and search for development alternatives. In a democratic society, it is the state that has the ultimate responsibility for ushering development to its citizens. In India, through the progressive interpretation of the Constitution and its laws and policies, the scope of development has been significantly broadened to include not just economic progress for citizens, but also promotion of social justice, gender equity, inclusion, citizens awareness, empowerment and improved quality of life. To achieve this holistic vision of development, the state requires the constructive and collaborative engagement of the civil society in its various developmental activities and programs. Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) as the operational arm of the civil society therefore have an important role in the development processes.

Indian State and NGOs

In India the state policies have significantly influenced the formation of NGOs and their activities. The government sponsored and aided programmes provided financial assistance to NGOs either as grants or as matching grants to support the implementation of social development projects. In the Sixth Five Year Plan (1980-1985), the government identified new areas in which NGOs as new actors could participate in development. The Seventh Five
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Year Plan (1985-1990), envisioned a more active role for NGOs as primary actors in the efforts towards self-reliant communities. This was in tune with the participatory and empowerment ideologies, which was gaining currency in the developmental discourse at that time. Government support and encouragement for NGOs continued in the Eighth Five-year plan, where a nation-wide network of NGOs was sought to be created. The Ninth Five-year plan proposed that NGOs should play a role in development on the public-private partnership model. Also, the agricultural development policies of the government and its implementation mechanisms provide scope and space for NGOs. A case in point is the watershed development program, which has led to the growth of NGOs working for rural development. This has also been acknowledged in the Tenth Five-year Plan Document. Such proactive state support to NGOs has also brought in the element of reporting and regulations. This is being done through a series of legislative and administrative measures, which are often considered by NGO workers as affecting the performance and efficiency of NGOs. However, the Constitutional provision for right to association ensures that the NGOs enjoy adequate autonomy in terms of their management and governance. In the words of Prof. Amartya Sen, the relationship between the state and NGOs is one of cooperative conflict. With the increasing role of the NGOs in development activities they are now attracting professionals from various other sectors, and capacities are being built in support areas such as financial management, resource mobilization, human resources, leadership development, governance procedures and practices and institutional development.
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At another level NGOs have been addressing the social service issues and empowerment related advocacy efforts have been increasing. The study conducted by a New Delhi based NGO concluded that every fifth NGO in India works on the issues of community and social service. The favourable disposition of the governments and the political will to involve NGOs is more pronounced in implementation of the welfare schemes addressing causes of women and children. Further, the industrial policies have influenced the formation and relations between the businesses and NGOs. The Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), a leading organisation, has been raising the issues of corporate social responsibility. The emphasis of industrial policies on the promotion and development of small, cottage and village industries has also lead to the formation of agencies such as the Khadi and Village Industries Commission, Small Industries Associations and likes.

The Indian NGOs Scenario In India, it was the 1970s which saw rapid growth in the formation of formally registered NGOs and the process continues to this day. Most NGOs have created their respective thematic, social group and geographical priorities such as poverty alleviation, community health, education, housing, human rights, child rights, womens rights, natural resource management, water and sanitation; and to these ends they put to practice a wide range of strategies and approaches. Primarily, their focus has been on the search for alternatives to development thinking and practice; achieved through participatory research, community capacity building and creation of demonstrable models.
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Many NGOs have worked hard to include children with disability in schools, end caste-based stigma and discrimination, prevent child labour and promote gender equality resulting in women receiving equal wages for the same work compared to men. During natural calamities they have played an active role in relief and rehabilitation efforts, in particular, providing psycho-social care and support to the disaster affected children, women and men. NGOs have been instrumental in the formation and capacity building of farmers and producers cooperatives and womens self-help groups. Several NGOs have worked hand in hand with the Government to ensure that millions of out of school children are enrolled and continue their school education, thus making the right to education a reality. The leprosy eradication programme was spearheaded by NGOs and today only residual leprosy remains in our country. NGOs have implemented the Jeevan Dhara programme for creation of wells for safe drinking water; promoted community toilets for total sanitation, and supported the public health programs on immunisation and for eliminating tuberculosis and malaria. The much celebrated NREGA, ICDS, ICPS, Nirmal gram, and Swasthya bima of the government have their roots in the work of many NGOs. NGOs have significantly influenced the development of laws and policies on several important social and developmental issues such as the right to information, juvenile justice, ending corporal punishment in schools, anti-trafficking, forests and environment, wildlife conservation, women, elderly people, people with disability, rehabilitation and resettlement of development induced displaced people to name a few. Further, NGOs made their modest attempts to ensure the effective implementation of these laws and policies by conducting and disseminating findings from participatory
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research, budget analysis, public hearings, social audits, workshops, seminars and conferences. Summing up, it is now well established that NGOs have an important role to play in the development processes and that both the state and market need the collaboration of credible, active, and accountable NGOs. Given their connect with the grassroots realities, NGOs can and should play the game changer to pro-poor development through leadership on participatory research, community empowerment and search for development

alternatives.

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Range of NGO Activities

NGOs can have an active role in the following areas: Community Health Promotion and Education o Contraception and Intimacy Education o General Hygiene o Waste Disposal o Water Usage o Vaccinations o Youth Counseling Services Emerging health crises o HIV/AIDS education and support o Hepatitis B education o Drug Addiction recovery o Community Social Problems o Juvenile crimes o Runaway girls o Street Children Environmental o Sustainable water and energy consumption education o Keeping mountains and forests clean Economic o Microenterprises and Micro-loans o Skill training (Computers, technician training, Catering services, clothing and
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textile, etc.) o Product promotion and distribution (Bazaars etc.) Environmental o Sustainable water and energy consumption education o Keeping mountains and forests clean Economic o Microenterprises and Micro-loans o Skill training (Computers, technician training, Catering services, clothing and textile, etc.) o Product promotion and distribution (Bazaars etc.) o Cooperative creation o Financial consulting o Cooperative creation o Financial consulting

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Role Of NGO'S IN Sustainable Development

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have played a major role in pushing for sustainable development at the international level. Campaigning groups have been key drivers of inter-governmental negotiations, ranging from the regulation of hazardous wastes to a global ban on land mines and the elimination of slavery. But NGOs are not only focusing their energies on governments and inter-governmental processes. With the retreat of the state from a number of public functions and regulatory activities, NGOs have begun to fix their sights on powerful corporations - many of which can rival entire nations in terms of their resources and influence. Aided by advances in information and communications technology, NGOs have helped to focus attention on the social and environmental externalities of business activity. Multinational brands have been acutely susceptible to pressure from activists and from NGOs eager to challenge a company's labour,
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environmental or human rights record. Even those businesses that do not specialize in highly visible branded goods are feeling the pressure, as campaigners develop techniques to target downstream customers and shareholders. Such a stakeholder approach takes into account the effects of business activity not just on shareholders, but on customers, employees, communities and other interested groups. There are many visible manifestations of this shift. One has been the devotion of energy and resources by companies to environmental and social affairs. Companies are taking responsibility for their externalities and reporting on the impact of their activities on a range of stakeholders. Much of the credit for creating these trends can be taken by NGOs. But how should the business world react to NGOs in the future? Should companies batten down the hatches and gird themselves against attacks from hostile critics? Or should they hold out hope that NGOs can sometimes be helpful partners? Although it is often assumed that NGOs are charities or enjoy non-profit status, some NGOs are profit-making organizations such as cooperatives or groups which lobby on behalf of profit-driven interests. For example, the World Trade Organization's definition of NGOs is broad enough to include industry lobby groups such as the Association of Swiss Bankers and the International Chamber of Commerce. Even then, the NGO community remains a diverse constellation. Some groups may pursue a single policy objective - for example access to AIDS drugs in developing countries or press freedom. Others will pursue more sweeping policy
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goals such as poverty eradication or human rights protection. However, one characteristic these diverse organizations share is that their non-profit status means they are not hindered by short-term financial objectives. Accordingly, they are able to devote themselves to issues which occur across longer time horizons, such as climate change, malaria prevention or a global ban on landmines.

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Role Of NGO'S In Education :

Non-governmental organizations working in education in India are professional resource centers and innovators able to reach children who are educationally disadvantaged. The Indian government could improve the effectiveness of primary education by increasing its collaboration with such organizations.NGOs extend education to underprivileged children in India and develop innovations that improve the quality of primary education. In this study of six NGOs working with school-age children in India, Jagannathan shows the potential benefits of a government-NGO alliance to achieve universal primary education. The author emphasizes several areas in which collaboration can be particularly fruitful.Targeting underserved children The government could support the efforts of NGOs to bring out-of-school
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children into schools through timely supply of teachers, classroom space, and other resources. Targeted action is needed to reach different types of out-of-school childrenthose who work, those who live in slums, those on the street, those who are members of tribes or of migrant families, and those who live in places without schools. To encourage young, first-generation learners to stay in school requires a supportive and nurturing environment. To help make learning interesting and worthwhile for such children, teachers in government schools could receive special training in new methods developed by NGOs.Enhancing quality Improving the quality of education requires working closely with key agents of change, such as teachers, school heads, school management committees, and village education committees. To develop a cadre of trainers for primary school teachers, teacher training institutes would do well to evaluate and learn from NGO models for teacher training. Teachers need a range of knowledge and skills to teach underprivileged children effectively. Here again, NGO models would be a useful tool for teacher training institutes. NGOs and the government could collaborate in developing appropriate and flexible learning assessment tools, in line with innovative teaching and learning methods. But without safeguards, large-scale replication by the government of such NGO innovations as the alternative school and the voluntary teacher could lower the quality of education.Government-NGO links The government and NGOs will need to share a common vision on how to achieve universal primary education if India is to reach this goal

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Role Of NGO'S In Women Development

NGOs, moreover, recognize that gender inequalities in many different sectors that are not readily identified as concerned with health can have an adverse effects on womens health eg

Non-involvement of women in decision-making on resource allocation for the

health sector results in decisions being taken by men who may not take into account the kinds of health services that only women will need. High maternal and infant mortality rates in particular can be attributed to the lack, or defective distribution of, resources in the health sector;
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Discrimination against girl children (a) before birth through pre-natal sex

selection; (b) at birth through infanticide and (c) during childhood through neglect and son preference, compounded by their unfair share of food and of domestic chores, can lead to anaemia, malnutrition and stunting of growth;

Widespread and largely unreported prevalence of violence against women,

including psychological and sexual abuse can cause lasting damage to their health and is not infrequently fatal;

Womens bodies are far more susceptible to infection by sexually transmitted

diseases (STDs) including HIV/AIDS, and the risk of infection is compounded by their inability to insist upon safe sex. The associated complications include infertility and even death.

Unfair share of family income received by women and girls, together with their

reduced opportunities for education and training, and consequential inability to obtain gainful employment, may force them to resort to commercial sex, and increased exposure to risk of contracting STDs or HIV/AIDS;

Early arranged marriages, a practice over which the girls concerned have little

or no control, can lead to too early and unspaced pregnancies with associated health risks;

Cultural practices which preclude womens rights to make their own decisions,

such as female genital mutilation and widow inheritance can have a serious and long term effects on their health.

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Benefits of NGO
An NGO is a non-governmental organization that is driven and task-oriented by individuals with one common interest. NGOs are usually structured around specific issues like health, human rights or environment. An NGO provides expertise and analysis and thus assists in monitoring international agreements.

Provide important local action

NGOs are very important since they offer an organization for local communication, action and also distributing resources when there are no existing local organizations. An NGO provides a mechanism that could possibly work where the government has failed. It supports grass roots initiatives as well as recognizing and responding to the realities of the local people.

Cheaper to implement
NGOs are actual non-profit organizations, various projects can be achieved without having to use the government money. This is because there are many private donors who support the NGOs and this means that there will never be a lack of resources. NGOs provide a good alternative to creating mass access structures. These mass access structures are extremely cumbersome, unreliable and costly.

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 Better communication
NGOs have the capability of communicating at all levels. This means that they can easily interact with the local people and relay their messages to top levels of the government.

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An NGO Approach to Solving Community Problems

When an NGO approaches solving a problem, they can pursue the following structure: What exactly is the problem? What is causing the problem?

Who are the persons/organizations responsible (for e.g. it could be a particular department of the government/an industry)? What are the consequences going to be? Assess magnitude, quality and prevalence. What are the alternatives/possible solutions? How much would they cost? Is it better to invest the money in other projects? Talk to people in the community to hear different views that will enable a holistic view of the issue. Talk to people who are in-charge and hear their side of the issue. Tell them about the problems that you see. You may be able to work towards solving problems together if you do not see yourself ties. Connect with people to increase awareness Ask older, influential or respected people in the community to address public gatherings. Use the media (newspapers and the internet) to generate interest, communicate the facts and discuss options. Write polite, succinct articles for magazines and newspapers identifying the issues.
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 Include people from diverse backgrounds, so that your organization is not linked with any particular political party or religious sect. For fund raising purposes, let people know why funds are needed and how they will be used. Transparent and detailed accounts are imperative to build trust. Link up with other NGOs to maximize the effect of the effort.

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Conclusion
NGOs are organisations within the civil society that work on the not-for-profit approach in the space which exists between the family (household), market and state. It is made up of several types of formal voluntary organisations, where people based on community,

neighbourhood, workplace and other connections form their association to participate in actions for their own collective interests or for larger social good. Those NGOs which are working at the global arena, across several countries are termed as international NGOs. Many NGOs have worked hard to include children with disability in schools, end caste-based stigma and discrimination, prevent child labour and promote gender equality resulting in women receiving equal wages for the same work compared to men. Thus NGOs and their activities focusing particularly on education, health and general awareness of woman and children.

Refrences
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^ Anheier et al., "Global Civil Society 2001", 2001 ^ "Hobbled NGOs wary of Medvedev". Chicago Tribune. May 7, 2008. ^ "India: More NGOs, than schools and health centres". OneWorld.net. July 7, 2010. Retrieved 2011-10-07. ^ "First official estimate: An NGO for every 400 people in India". The Indian Express. July 7, 2010. ^ a b c d e f g h Willetts, Peter. "What is a Non-Governmental Organization?". UNESCO Encyclopaedia of Life Support Systems. City University London. Retrieved 18 July 2012. ^ Iriye, Akira (2004). Global community : the role of international organizations in the making of the contemporary world (1. paperback print. ed.). Berkeley, Calif. [u.a.]: Univ. of California Press. ^ inspad.org ^ Keck and Sikkink. "Environmental Advocacy Networks".

Books.google.com. Retrieved 2011-12-20. ^ McCormick, John. "The Role of Environmental NGOs in International Regimes". Books.google.com. Retrieved 2011-12-20. ^ a b World Bank Criteria defining NGO[dead link] ^ 100 LSE.ac.uk, Mukasa, Sarah. Are expatriate staff necessary in

international development NGOs? A case study of an international NGO in Uganda. Publication of the Centre for Civil Society at London School of Economics. 2002, p. 1113.

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