In 1969, Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba began the Mahila Vibhag or Ladies Wing of the Sri Sathya Sai Seva Organization in India with the goal of engaging women as Bal Vikas gurus, to lead societal transformation through the restructuring of education with a goal of nurturing the expression of human values in children, and to encourage women’s participation in devotional and service activities. He awakened all devotees to the special character qualities and attributes that women possess – love, compassion, sacrifice, patience, strength, forbearance, determination, to name a few – and constantly emphasized the critical role of women in society and of mothers in the upbringing of children and the creation of harmonious homes. In 1995, Swami declared that November 19th would be celebrated each year as Ladies Day as a constant reminder of the central role of women in all arenas of life.

With the formation of the SSSGC in July 2021, the creation of a Ladies Wing in Zone 1 was envisioned. With Swami’s grace, and with great enthusiasm, the Zone 1 Ladies Wing Committee (ZLWC) began work in October 2021 by discussing Swami’s vision for women and the Ladies Wing, researching best practices from existing Sri Sathya Sai Ladies Wings in different countries through one-on-one conversations, and brainstorming ideas for our Zone. The ZLWC has been tasked with providing input and guidance to the Zone 1 Leadership regarding the set up and functioning of the Ladies Wing throughout the Zone. This input will in turn, be provided to the National, Regional and Center leadership and is envisioned to be implemented at the Center level.

The Ladies Wing is a body of women devotees within the greater body of Sri Sathya Sai Center members who enjoy the sisterhood and camaraderie encompassed by sharing satsangs, experiences, learnings and practical application of Swami’s teachings. The Ladies Wing is envisioned, as in other regions of the world, to encompass devotional, seva and educational activities within the existing Center. Thus, the Wing is a subset of the Center body, and members take part in Center activities as well as regular meetings and activities organized by and for women. It should be noted that establishment of a Ladies Wing at the Center level should be considered optional, rather than compulsory.
Figure 1 shows the placement of the Zonal Ladies Wing Committee and the Ladies Wing itself within the framework of the SSSGC Organizational structure.

 

Whom is the Ladies Wing meant to serve?
The Center Ladies Wing will be open to women of all ages from YA’s to seniors (18 years and above). Within this broad age range, we envision that there will be opportunities to include activities and discuss issues that are directly relevant to different age groups, e.g. seniors, young mothers, etc.

How often would the Ladies Wing at the Center level meet?
The frequency of meetings may be decided by the lady members – once a month or once a quarter may be reasonable.

What is the Ladies Wing NOT meant to be?
The Ladies Wing is not meant to function as a parallel Center; rather, its members will continue to be active participants in general Center activities with additional events and activities organized by, and for women of all ages. A Ladies Wing Lead will be appointed by the Center Committee to serve at the Center level, and will rotate at 1-2 year intervals.

What is the response to the idea of a Ladies Wing among ladies of Zone 1?
A survey was circulated last year to seek ideas from our sisters throughout the Zone, on how best this initiative can support the practice of Swami’s teaching in all our myriad roles, the spread of love and compassion through service activities, and our spiritual growth through devotional activities. Almost 70 ladies from all over Zone 1 responded to our survey (thank you!) and 83% were interested in a Ladies Wing at the Center level. Here’s what we learned from the survey: