Dr. Naaz Afreen's Mission for Women's Empowerment in Ranchi, Jharkhand
By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam
01 April 2026
Dr. Naaz Afreen empowers underprivileged women in Ranchi through education, skill development, and awareness initiatives via TWEET. By promoting literacy, economic independence, and community participation, she transforms lives, builds confidence, and inspires social change, helping women achieve dignity, self-reliance, and improved livelihoods for their families.
Main Points:
· Promotes women’s literacy and education in slum areas
· Provides skill training for economic independence
· Works through TWEET at the grassroots level
· Spreads awareness about rights and government schemes
· Builds confidence and drives social change among women
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“Literacy is not merely the knowledge of letters, but it is the most powerful medium to bring positive and transformative change in a woman’s life.”
Dr. Naaz Afreen
In the capital city of Jharkhand, Ranchi, there are several slum areas where people live a life of scarcity and deprivation. Illiteracy and the backward condition of women are common issues in these localities. For such settlements, especially for the women living there, Dr. Naaz Afreen is no less than an angel.
Dr. Naaz Afreen is a resident of Ranchi, Jharkhand. She has obtained her Ph.D. degree from Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee University, Ranchi.
Dr. Naaz Afreen has co-authored a work on gender equality titled “Gender Equality: An Indispensable Element of Rule of Law and the Status of Women in India.” Along with this, she has also written on subjects such as “Emerging Challenges Relating to Human Rights.” She did not limit her thoughts and emotions only to writing; rather, to give a concrete shape to her ideas, she associated herself with an organisation called TWEET (The Women Education and Empowerment Trust) and started working at the grassroots level.
On 7 October 2019, TWEET (The Women Education and Empowerment Trust) was established in New Delhi. Its main objective is to understand the problems of women in India and to empower them through education, economic self-reliance, and leadership programmes.
Dr. Naaz Afreen is the in-charge of the Ranchi branch of TWEET and also serves as the head of the organisation. Regarding her association with this institution, she says:
“Our objective is not merely to open literacy centres, but to reach every woman in Jharkhand who wishes to live with dignity and respect.”
In many old areas of Ranchi, there have been social restrictions regarding Muslim women stepping out and working. Dr. Naaz personally visited these areas and worked with the community, thereby gaining the trust of the families living in those localities. Due to her efforts, women are now coming to the centres to learn education and skills while maintaining purdah and preserving their cultural values.
Keeping in mind the practice of purdah among women, she has opened centres where women are taught skills such as stitching, embroidery, and bangle-making. As a result, women have started earning from home or by forming small groups for work, which has improved the economic condition of their families.
Regarding making women economically self-reliant, Dr. Naaz says:
“When a woman becomes economically independent and recognises her rights, she not only transforms her home but also changes the direction of the entire society.”
An Inspiring Story
In the Hindpiri area of Ranchi, a woman (name not disclosed for privacy), who was unable to bear the educational expenses of her children due to financial hardship, joined a six-month course in stitching and embroidery at Dr. Naaz’s centre. After completing the course, she was awarded a certificate and a cash prize at a convocation ceremony organised by TWEET. Today, she is running a boutique business from her home. She is not only paying her children’s school fees but is also teaching skills to two other girls in her locality.
Dr. Naaz says:
“When these women earn for the first time through their skills, the change in their confidence is the real success of our centre.”
It is an irony of our society that most women are not aware of their rights and the benefits provided by the government. There are several government schemes (such as Ujjwala Yojana, Sukanya Samriddhi Yojana, or ration card facilities) that directly benefit women and are meant for their welfare.
To remove this lack of awareness, Dr. Naaz has established facilitation centres for women, which help them get their documents prepared and connect them with the banking system. These centres also assist eligible women in availing the full benefits of various schemes.
In Ranchi, Dr. Naaz has presented a unique model of education. She does not only run schools but also engages educated youth and women from the locality as volunteers. These volunteers teach at least ten illiterate women in their own neighbourhood. This has created a positive environment for education in the entire locality.
Dr. Naaz often honours the local volunteers and teachers working in the field of education in her programmes as “Heroes of Literacy.” Speaking about this initiative, she says:
“It is the duty of every educated person in society to light the lamp of knowledge and educate at least ten women who have been deprived of formal education.”
Dr. Naaz has done remarkable work in many areas of Ranchi, especially in Hindpiri. Seeing several successful women from that area, families have now started sending their daughters to the centres themselves, whereas earlier they were against it.
Dr. Naaz often calls these women “agents of change,” because the success of one woman helps in lifting an entire family out of poverty.
Dr. Naaz Afreen continues to work towards her mission with full dedication and is constantly extending a helping hand to women in need.
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Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession who writes on women, politics, communal harmony, and Islam. She holds a master’s degree in Education.
URL: https://newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/dr-naaz-afreen-mission-for-women-empowerment/d/139487
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