Thresiamma Mathew is the founder of Jeevapoorna Women Mason’s Society and Archana Women’s Centre, Kerala. She has trained and employed over 5000 women masons and carpenters besides a few plumbers, electricians, ferro-cement technologists and bamboo technologists. She is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment through launching women into the non-traditional and male dominated construction field since 1989 and through her active interventions with UNICEF, World Bank and the Gender and Water network. Thresiamma is the first one to initiate and sustain women as skilled construction workers in India, especially in Kerala. Thresiamma Now, she is also into the field of women friendly Panchayat formation and introducing thousands of women to entrepreneurship and women’s rights through forming Community Action Groups.
Thresiamma was invited to the United Nations headquarters to address a side event of the 51st session of the Department of Economic and Social Development to share her experiences on economic empowerment of women. She has been recognised as a Gender Ambassador in water and sanitation related conferences – nationally and internationally and has been a speaker at a conference titled, ‘Women Build Nations’, held at Chicago. Thresiamma has been the recipient of multiple awards including “Creativity in Rural women’s Life” by Women’s World Summit Foundation, Geneva, 2003.
Thresiamma is a follower of Jesus Christ in a new form of consecrated life called the “Secular Institutes”. She belongs to the Secular Institute of the Oblate Missionaries of Mary Immaculate [OMMI].