July 19, 2013 — In an effort to help thousands of poor landless rural women in Mayurbhanj district in Odisha, India, the state government plans to open 26 new Women Support Centers.

These Centers will help women-headed households, including widows and abandoned women, gain access to land and a variety of other government services, such as employment cards, social security,and nutrition programs for their children.

Currently, 23 Women Support Centers operate in Ganjam district, Odisha.

They mark the expansion of a pilot project started as a partnership between Landesa and the government of Odisha in 2011, with the launch of the first Women’s Land Rights Facilitation Center.

Click here for more information about the Women Support Center.