Ladies Wing
In this infinite universe, among the myriads of living beings, humanity is eminent. Among human beings, it is a privilege to be born as a woman….All the greater sages, and saints, heroes and warriors were born to women “who made them great”. Woman is the Goddess of Nature. Gayathri, which enshrines the essence of the Vedas, is a goddess, venerated as Veda Matha (the mother of the Vedas). It is obvious that feminine birth is estimable, adorable and sublime. The Veda also adores the feminine principle in various ways. Vedic rituals and practices accord a high place to women.
-Sathya Sai Speaks, Vol. 28, Chapter 32, 1995
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Mission
The mission of the National Ladies Wing is to understand, embrace and share the teachings of Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba to empower women to blossom to their full potential in all aspects of life and in the multitude of roles that they fulfill.
Vision
To inspire and empower women to cultivate awareness of their innate divinity and to practice and model the inborn human values of truth, right action, peace, love and non-violence in all their roles.
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. Initially, the ZLWC was tasked with providing input and guidance to Zone 1 Leadership regarding the set up and functioning of the Ladies Wing throughout the 3 countries in Zone 1. With Swami’s grace, the Ladies Wing successfully conducted a Zone 1-wide virtual retreat in April 2023 with enthusiastic participation from women from Canada, the United States and the West Indies. In 2024, the ZLWC was reorganized into the US National Ladies Wing Committee.
The Center Ladies group is a group of women devotees within the larger community of Sri Sathya Sai Center members. This group fosters sisterhood and camaraderie through sharing satsangs, personal experiences, learnings, and the practical application of Swami’s teachings. Like similar wings around the world, the Ladies Wing aims to incorporate devotional, service (seva), and educational activities within the existing Centers in the U.S. As a subset of the Center membership, Ladies group members participate in Center activities as well as regular meetings and events specifically organized for women. It is important to note that the establishment of a Ladies group at the Center level is optional rather than mandatory.
Whom is the Ladies Wing meant to serve?
The Center Ladies group 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 Center Ladies group 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 Center Ladies group NOT meant to be?
The Center Ladies group is not meant to function as a parallel Center; rather, its members will continue to be active participants in general Center activities and organize additional events and activities for women of all ages. A Center Ladies Point-of-Contact (POC) 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:
Center Ladies Wing
