Wanita MIC’s work complements the efforts of the Party to uplift and develop the Malaysian Indian community. Our target groups are Malaysian Indian women, children and families.
Internal Capacity Building and community outreach are important areas of our work towards developing and uplifting the political and socio-economic status of Malaysian Indian women.
Committed Women Leaders at all levels – Branch, Division, State and National – have been going to the ground to create awareness amongst Malaysian Indian women. Our outreach programmes are conducted in a variety of places – estates, rural areas, residential areas – to educate the public, especially women, and to find out about their needs and assist them.
Wanita MIC also works with a number of women’s organisations (for e.g. NCWO) and relevant NGOs {for e.g. Malaysian Hindu Sangam, Majlis Kelab-Kelab Bell Belia Tamil Kebangsaan, Majlis Kelab Bell India Malaysia (MIYC), etc} to reach out to our target.
We target Malaysian Indian women through various programmes conducted at Branch, Division, State and National Levels, by way of community talks, seminars, forums and workshops. Our target also includes primary, mainly from Tamil schools, and secondary school students (Teenage Outreach Programme).
Wanita MIC, after extensive deliberation at National Leadership Workshops, has identified the following areas to focus on.

I. Political

Wanita MIC strives for every Indian woman to:

• Be aware of the constantly changing political environment that effects her life;
• Be aware of her civil and political rights and of the importance and effort of her active participation in politics;
• Take all appropriate measures to abolish laws, customs and practices which discriminate against women
• Take part in the political, educational, economical, cultural, sports and welfare activities for the upliftment and progress of Indian women in the country.

• Women’s participation in the 10^th Malaysia Plan
• Leadership Skill Training
• Participation in Bye-Elections
• Participation in General Elections

II. Education

Our vision of a better Tamil school education is fuelled with passion and a heart. Tamil schools where no child is left behind and where everyone can enjoy the benefits of an appropriate education. Primary education is for the young to learn in an open environment connected to the real world. Learning through connection to the real world, spurs on the passion for learning. We must discourage learning in disconnected isolated environment, which most often brings about rote learning.

Primary education through familiar mother tongue language used at home helps in child’s learning. It helps the students acquire and develop literacy skills in addition to understanding and participating in the classroom in the early years. Reading and writing in additional languages are enhanced, efficiently transferring the literacy skills they have acquired in the familiar language.

At a Tamil school our goal is to provide an open and robust educational environment that develops in each learner, a passion and a purpose for learning and the social practices, citizenship skills and cultural identity to participate and contribute to a cohesive society. We are proud of our rich and diverse heritage. Consequently through our teaching and curriculum we are striving to strengthen social harmony and develop an understanding of the multicultural nature of Malaysian society. We are committed to equity, social justice, multiculturalism, and reconciliation and countering racism.

III. Health

Wanita MIC’s vision is for the public, especially the Indian women, children and families from the lower socio-economic rung, who form its target group, to be aware of the latest health-related matters. In this respect we strive to identify and remove the barriers that hinder various government health campaign messages from reaching the target group. The rising prevalence of non-communicable diseases like obesity, hypertension, heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes are largely attributed to unhealthy lifestyle, meaning these can be monitored and controlled. These “chronic lifestyle diseases” can be checked by pursuing healthy diet, regular exercise and positive lifestyles.

Wanita MIC’s health awareness drive is for the target group to be knowledgeable of and utilise the many government health facilities that provide very good services to the low-income group towards fostering healthy families.

• Breast Cancer / Cervical Cancer Screening
• Diabetes/blood pressure/blood cholesterol screening;
• Medical Camps
• Pre Natal Nutrition and Care
• Links to LLPKN Clinics for mammogram

IV. Economy / Entrepreneurship

Wanita MIC desires that Indian women are informed about current issues in economics and finance in their efforts to provide themselves and their families with a strong financial foundation, particularly as a way of breaking the poverty cycle.

Wanita MIC desires that Indian women are informed about the various government initiatives and support schemes made available and where they qualify to have easy access to the support schemes.

Skills Training

• Financial Empowerment: Women’s Accessory Making
• Community Colleges (Kolej komuniti)

Wanita MIC in collaboration with the Department of Community Colleges, Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia, is in the process of training 20 Malaysian Indian women, from disadvantaged backgrounds, from each Parliamentary constituency to train at the various Community Colleges in Women’s Accessory Making.

Seiring dengan matlamat mewujudkan persekitaran Pembelajaran Sepanjang Hayat (PSH), kolej komuniti berperanan besar dalam pembangunan modal insan masyarakat setempat dengan menyalurkan pengetahuan dan kemahiran serta menyemai nilai dan etika positif melalui pendidikan dan latihan.

Kolej Komuniti diperkukuhkan lagi peranan sebagai institusi latihan kemahiran dan hab pembelajaran sepanjang hayat kepada komuniti setempat yang berlandaskan objektif berikut:

• Meningkatkan dan memperluaskan akses latihan kemahiran dan laluan pengajian tinggi kepada lepasan menengah dan golongan yang memerlukannya.
• Menyediakan pelbagai program latihan kemahiran yang progresif bagi meningkatkan taraf hidup masyarakat setempat.
• Mewujud dan memupuk budaya keusahawanan bagi menyokong pembangunan sosioekonomi masyarakat setempat.
• Membudayakan pembelajaran sepanjang hayat bagi memperkayakan ilmu untuk meningkatkan kesejahteraan hidup.
• Meningkat dan memperluaskan kolaborasi dengan institusi pengajian tinggi, industri dan pelbagai agensi bagi pembangunan kualiti hidup masyarakat setempat.

Sehingga Januari 2011, 72 buah kolej komuniti (termasuk kolej cawangan) telah beroperasi di seluruh negara. Kolej komuniti menawarkan pelbagai kursus jangka
pendek untuk semua golongan masyarakat.

V. Legal Literacy

• SeDiA (Selamatkan Diri Anda) / Legal Literacy workshops
• SeDiA (Selamatkan Diri Anda) Workshop in Kedah
• SeDiA (Selamatkan Diri Anda) Workshop inPenang