There are many career opportunities for women in India and abroad in social services. Can social service become a career? Yes! It can! In fact, you have many universities that have postgraduate courses on this subject. As a career opportunity, it has immense possibilities. Thanks to the mushrooming of NGOs all over the world, especially in women's causes, the need for a dedicated, well-trained, highly qualified candidate is on the rise. Nowadays, social services, which by and large were voluntary services, have become highly professional. International rules and standards are set and the structure is streamlined and efficient.

An NGO provides help for all in social areas - the family, the group, the community and the world. They range from providing help to the individual to deal with their problems, to radical political activism, which seeks to change society.

Social work as a paid profession is a relatively recent phenomenon in India. Earlier, people were engaged in voluntary social work, which was linked with the major issues of social and political change. Although a number of organisations still have voluntary workers, or workers paid an 'honorarium'or wages lower than they would get in other professions, social work has of late begun to emerge as a full-fledged, specialised profession.

Various specialisations in this field include criminology, child and family welfare, rehabilitation, community nutrition and public health, psychiatric social work, legal social work, community and criminal justice, juvenile delinquency, rural development, education, women's development, vocational guidance and counselling, etc.

Women,who think of taking it up as a career should have a genuine concern for people, but should be able to remain objective while working with their problems. They require organisational and practical skills, as they may need to liase with employers, organisations or government departments.

Employment opportunities are vast. These include teaching and research, employment in both government and private sectors. The best career opportunity for this kind of work lies with NGOs. Large international organisations like the UNDP, the WHO, the ILO, UNICEF, etc offer highprofile jobs with salaries to match.

So if you are looking at a career that is not only vastly satisfying, but also professionally challenging, social work in an NGO fits the bill beautifully.

Post Comment

Name : Email : Password : Comments :