| APRIL 2005 - REPORT TO THE GLOBAL BOARD |
From: The Hunger Project-India Team
The past few months have been invigorating and energizing for The Hunger Project team in India. The team’s focus continues to be on the mobilization and empowerment of elected women representatives in local village councils called Panchayats.
Our strategic focus in the 13 states we work in continues to be in the following distinctions:
Actively engaging with the media and other significant leaders from the corporate sector
The Saraojini Naidu Prize to encourage print media to play a critical role in prominently reporting breakthroughs and success stories of women’s leadership in panchayat raj institutions (PRI – there are the local democratic institutions).
The inclusion of dynamic media personalities on the Sarojini Naidu Prize Jury.
Creation of Federations of elected women representatives across districts in the states.
Working towards building a national advocacy platform for issues of women and Pachayati Raj institutions.
Continue strengthening linkages with other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and social activists on specific issues that impact women’s leadership in panchayats, such as the Two-Child Norm (this norm gives panchayats the right to un-seat an elected woman representative who has more than two children).
Working with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj to collect and disseminate capacity-building information from the states and Union Territories to relevant functionaries.
In the last several weeks The Hunger Project and its partner NGOs have assessed the devastation caused by the Tsunami in Tamil Nadu, and have identified 3 panchayats and 30 habitations in North and South Nagapattinam, one of areas most severely hit. These panchayats and habitations were specifically chosen because, due to their isolation, they are not being given the required attention by the local authorities and the NGOs.
While the exact nature of the activities to support the affected villages are yet to be identified, here are some of the broad strategies proposed for implementation:
The Hunger Project, along with its three partner NGOs in Tamil Nadu is committed to staying the course with the villagers affected in Nagapattinam for three years.
In June 2004, at the Chief Ministers Conference on Poverty Alleviation and Rural Prosperity, the Prime Minister of India emphasized the need for capacity building of the elected panchayat representatives – especially women, who are the change agents in their villages. Following this conference, the Ministry of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj organized seven roundtable meetings to address various issues related to the effective functioning of Panchayats.
The Hunger Project was the coordinating agency for the seventh roundtable meeting, which was hosted by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj and held in Jaipur, Rajasthan from December 17-19, 2004. This meeting was presided over by the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Mr. Mani Shanker Iyer, and attended by more than 30 ministers and representatives from the departments of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj. THP-India, as part of its participation created the following:
This meeting also saw two women Sarpanches (panchayat chairs) from Rajasthan speak directly to the ministers about their experiences of how effectively they have been able to work in their villages due to regular trainings on capacity building that they have attended.
The roundtable strengthened and cemented THP’s association with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj. THP was identified as part of the team to distribute the document consisting of the 150 resolutions to all the panchayats across India. THP is also exploring with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj the possibility of influencing the curriculum of National & State Training Institutions.
Thirty-five women and men came together in New Delhi from February 8-11 to discuss state-wise strategies with The Hunger Project staff. They represented the state councils, state coordinators, program officers, trainers and NGO partners from 12 of the 14 Hunger Project states in India: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.
Each state team presented their 2004 accomplishments and their vision and strategies for 2005. There was special emphasis on the importance of The Hunger Project's role in the upcoming panchayat elections. This meeting, led by Rita Sarin, our India country director, was grounded in deep reflection, strategic looking and a commitment to stand in partnership with the elected women representatives. Here are some highlights shared by our state teams
Shabnam and Virendra from Rajasthan spoke of their focus on the massive grassroots mobilization through the Pre-Election Voter Awareness Campaign (PEVAC) using audio-visual aids like posters, paintings, dramas and films.
Mary from Karnataka set a target of training 3,000 elected women representatives through The Hunger Project's Women's Leadership Workshop.
One of the highlights of our work in the state of Tamil Nadu was the expansion of our media work from the print media to a radio program which interviews panchayat women leaders, and discusses their key accountabilities and the importance of women's leadership. This year the team led by Dr. Palanithurai and Uma will continue to influence the editors, journalists and news media to allocate more space in their publications and air time to empowering the role of women in panchayats.
THP-India co–organized and participated in the Indian People’s Tribunal (IPT) held on October 9-10, 2004 in New Delhi. The purpose of this meeting was to address issues like the coercive population policies and the Two Child Norm that are increasingly being included in state population policies.
The panel of 12 prominent progressive citizens from different walks of life examined the implications of these issues by listening to a series of individual testimonies which made the case against the coercive population policies. Along with other NGO partners, THP intends to file a petition against the Two Child Norm in the Supreme Court.
The objective of the Leadership Centers in India is to take the next step in building the capacity of the elected women representatives and women leaders who have participated in WLWs. Women leaders who have been successful in taking effective actions to strengthen their communities and villages will receive further training and support through these centers. Women leaders will have the opportunity to be informed of their rights as women, gain a deeper understanding of the different styles of leadership and the impact of social, political and cultural institutions on their lives.
Six Leadership Centers (LC) will be piloted in August 2005 - two each in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and one each in Karnataka and Maharashtra. Representatives from these states participated in a 2-day meeting to begin the process of designing the curriculum, and identifying the elected women representatives from their states who would be part of the first batch. The next meeting to finalize the curriculum will be held from April 16-18th in New Delhi.
The Sarojini Naidu Prize for best reporting on women and panchayati raj took place on October 2, 2004, in New Delhi and was witnessed by over 500 guests. The chief guests included the Minister for Petroleum & Natural Gas and Panchayati Raj, Shri Mani Shankar Aiyer, world-renowned director and actress . Aparna Sen, and a woman Sarpanch from Bihar, Veena Devi.
The increased media coverage over the last 4 years has put a powerful spotlight on the elected women representatives who are on the frontlines of ending hunger in India. These women representatives are at the center of the development process in their villages, and, in partnership with men, are addressing issues in their panchayats that are essential to villagers leading lives of self-reliance and dignity.
This year we will celebrate the fifth year of the prize, and it will be on the same scale as the powerful impact that women leaders are making in their villages. Our intention is to have more than 1,000 articles written and submitted. As part of this process, a new jury has been selected, which includes some of the leading movers and shakers from the news, film and television media.
Mr. Azim Premji, Chairman of the Wipro Corporation has accepted being the chief guest and has expressed his partnership with the elected women representatives.
In a recent message he said, “Among the factors that have the highest potential to impact India’s development, I clearly rate girl child education and empowerment of women as the highest. I extend my heartiest congratulations to those women who are creating history, and also to The Hunger Project for identifying such women leaders…to come forward and participate in the management of our country.”
There will be a delegation of Hunger Project investors from around the world attending this event, to express their partnership with the elected women representatives and honor the media.
Shri Digvijay Singh, Former Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, along with three elected women representatives, shared their views on The Silent Revolution: Women Sarpanches take charge in a male bastion, on March 17. This talk on the success of local self governance at the grassroots level was organized by THP in collaboration with the India International Centre, where it took place.
The women shared their experiences and their struggle as women leaders at the grassroots level. This was an opportunity for the educated elite, “the other India” to listen to their sisters in the villages, express their partnership with them, and gain an understanding of the life of the rural people.
In 2005, THP-India intends to upgrade its Research and Documentation skills to deepen its understanding of the impact of women’s leadership in rural India. As part of this process several new initiatives have been launched:
Research on female-headed Gram Panchayats across the country to gather information on the various issues and challenges these women face.
Increased public awareness of issues facing elected women representatives.
Build a compelling information capacity with statistics that indicate the status of women leaders in Panchayats, which will capture the attention of policy makers and media, and encourage them to take effective actions in support of these women.
Compilation of case studies of success stories of elected women representatives.
Powerful pre-election voter awareness campaigns (PEVAC) in the states which will hold elections in 2005-2006. This campaign will include the creation of posters, brochures, short films, case studies, trainings, songs, street plays and strong media advocacy.
Highlights from some of the state-wide programs
In 2005, more than 10,000 elected women representatives will participate in the Women’s Leadership Workshop (WLW) in the states of Arunachal Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Rajasthan and Uttaranchal. Because of state panchayat elections this year in the states of Assam, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, there will be no WLWs until 2006. However, all the 13 states will hold trainings for women’s Self-Help Groups and other women’s groups to strengthen their participation in local village assemblies.
Andhra Pradesh: Our NGO partner Samata is working on Tribal Women’s Leadership Programs in the three districts of. East Godavari, Vishakapatnam and Srikakulam covering 15 Panchayats, comprising 188 villages with 210 elected women representatives. The WLWs are aimed at imparting training to the tribal women to enable them to participate in the electoral process and take advantage of the constitutional and legal government provisions available to them.
Arunachal Pradesh: In Arunachal Pradesh, THP intends to build the capacities of all elected women representatives (at the Gram Panchayat level) across the State over a two-year period. 3,183 Elected Women Representatives have been elected; 2,561 of them have not had any access to capacity building trainings. THP will reach at least 1,500 of these women in 2005.
Assam: Eight WLWs have been organized in the districts of Jorhat, Golaghat, and Lakhimpur. responsibilities so that they can fight effectively against subjugation and deprivation.
A ward member from the Adivasi tea tribe community of Jorhat district got so enthused and empowered that within a week of attending the WLW, she mobilized the women of her locality to break down all the liquor shops in the area, which they considered to be the reason of their sorrow and social subjugation.
In Lakhimpur district, due to the area being affected by floods, we were only able to access 100 of the elected women representatives. These women now are more informed, more articulate and have a great sense of confidence.
In the last eighteen months, 80 percent elected women representatives of all the three districts were reached through the WLWs and follow-up trainings. There is a great demand for specific skills building training from these women, which THP is exploring.
Concentration over the past few months has been on the Gaon Sabha Mobilisation (GSM) Campaign in Lakhimpur, Golaghat and Jorhat. As a follow-up to the over 90 plays that were performed in as many Panchayats, a meeting of the performing activists was held in Dergaon. The follow-up meeting served as a platform for the participants to learn how to use comics as a form of interpreting the status of the Panchayats they perform in.
This would mean that after the performance, the group would invite the viewers to share their experience of their Panchayat. Then their feedback will be incorporated in a comic strip, which will be left in the village as a constant reminder of the importance of people’s participation in making the institution run effectively. In a few places, people identified with the play so much that they immediately came forward to criticize the malpractices of the Panchayat and questioned the ward members and presidents in public. This forced the Panchayat representatives on point to make a public apology. The most amazing part of the GSM initiative is that the villagers now see themselves having ownership of the village development initiatives in their villages.
Karnataka: Three Panchayat presidents and vice-presidents from Kolar district, who have taken The Hunger Project’s WLW have been invited to attend a meeting organized by All India Institute of Local Self Government, Mumbai. This is a major win for these women leaders who have taken incredible strides in their leadership in improving the lives of the people in their villages.
In the last several months, seven WLWs and 23 follow-up workshops were held for a total of 947 women leaders. Our strategic focus in this state has been to increase the leadership of the Elected Women Leaders from the village level to State level; to strengthen networks among the Elected Panchayat Leaders; and to create a powerful pre-election voter’s awareness campaign for meaningful democracy.
Five Gram Sabha Mobilisation programs have been organized with the participation of 795 members, many of whom were self-help group members. The Grama Sabha is a means to create awareness among the villagers on Panchayat Raj, and is a great platform to motivate women and prepare them for the upcoming elections.
The topics in the Gram Sabha meetings include issues like Gender Sensitization, Awareness on Government Programs, Health Camps, PRI and Capacity Building training program for Self Help Group Women Members, and training on the importance of Women and Panchayat Raj to Gram Panchayat Members.
Jammu & Kashmir:An extensive Pre-Election Awareness Campaign is being carried out in Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, where elections will be held in June 2005. Posters as well as pamphlets on election procedures are being distributed to raise awareness, especially amongst women voters and potential candidates. The focus of the Campaign is on the quality of leadership that the potential candidate must have to cause effective change, and also on increasing women’s participation in the electoral process.
Maharashtra: Our work in this state is just a few months old, but many things are being accomplished. In Mandangad block, our partner organization Parivartan is focusing the WLWs and working with women leaders to solve basic problems in their area. Orientation workshops with SHGs have been conducted to inspire more women to take on leadership roles.
One-day meetings were held with Gram Panchayat members in Chiplun and Madangad Blocks. Discussions on the functioning of Gram Panchayat, Gram Sabha and its significance, government departments and its functioning were the main themes of the program. Discussions on the need for women’s leadership building for overall development of Panchayats also took place.
Two programs were organized to make people aware about the process of planning and implementation of schemes. Officers from the revenue, agriculture and District Rural Development departments gave information on various government programs, selection criteria for beneficiaries, process of implementation and quota availability.
In addition, a meeting was organized with the department of water supply and district level government officials to discuss issues related to drinking water availability and accessibility, water conservation, water programs for individual/village at large and problems or delays in the process of implementation.
Twenty-seven women, one from each district, and five regional women facilitators were identified by the collectives in consultation with our NGO partner Resource and Support Centre for Development (RSCD) to be trained in capacity building and equip them to further train other elected women representatives.
Two Trainings of Trainers were organized for a total of 32 District leaders and regional women facilitators at Yuva center, New Mumbai. The program helped build self-confidence and an understanding of training methods and styles. These women have planned to hold several WLWs at the regional level in the first week of May. The WLW module has also been translated into Marathi by the women themselves. As a follow up, a three-day training was held for the same women at Latur on Election as a Political Education Process. This workshop provided more clarity on basic concepts of “alternative politics”.
As part of THP’s commitment to take the critical issues for advocacy forward, RSCD is spearheading the campaign along with THP against the Two Child Norm. A document in Marathi has been prepared and circulated to all the NGOs who are a part of the network, Friends of Panchayats. RSCD has also prepared a document on the importance of women in Gram Sabha, which will be widely circulated in all states where THP is working.
Madhya Pradesh: Increased networking and building new alliances is one of the major activities of THP in Madhya Pradesh.
The Madhya Pradesh state team is heavily involved with the Pre Election Voters' Awareness Campaign (PEVAC). In September 2004, trainings were held with partner organizations on technical issues related to Panchayat elections, and issues like reservation of panchayats, enhanced participation of women in PRIs, filing of nominations, voting, Acts and Rules related to elections (code of conduct) etc.
A state level press conference organized in collaboration with our NGO partner Vikas Samvad, was held on November 17, 2004 to highlight the confusion that is created by the word "reservation" in Panchayat elections. During the conference the issue related to preparation of new and correct voters’ list was also emphasized. After this workshop several articles based on the issue of reservation were published by the media to clarify this issue.
All THP partner organizations have been compiling relevant data that is useful to the citizens, which can be accessed from the field offices. The campaign activities also include distributing PANCHAYAT KI KITAB (a booklet on Panchayats), posters and motivational information on audio tapes. Marches and small group meetings with women have also been organized.
Anviti, a magazine written by panchayat women continues to be regularly published from the Bhopal office, and widely distributed.
Our partners DAPTA, ANKURAN, PIPAR and AYUSKAM with other network partners organized 15 WLWs for 392 women representatives in Kalahandi, Rayagada, Dhenkanal and Nuapada districts. Ninety percent of the women attending the workshops said the training was the first of the kind they had attended. In cooperation with NAWO and OSPP, THP-Orissa organized and hosted a statewide women’s convention at Bhubaneswar, March 6-7, 2005. More than 700 women PRI representatives, women leaders and NGOs from 27 districts of Orissa participated in the convention. Eminent Gandhian economists and Dr. L.C. Jain, an advocate of Panchayati Raj and women’s causes, inaugurated the convention. He was highly impressed with the active participation of women leaders and urged them to boldly fight to secure their rights. The issue of the Two Child Norm was hotly debated with the Panchayati Raj Minister Dr. Damodor Raut.Women leaders submitted a memorandum on the issue of Two Child Norm and compulsory registration of marriage, and the organization of special council meetings for women to the Minister at the convention. A delegation of women representatives of the State is scheduled to meet the Chief Minister with a memorandum very shortly. Dissemination of the findings of the roundtable in Bhubhaneshwar has been postponed to the third week of April 2005 in light of the upcoming state assembly session.
Ullatchi Tharum Nallatchi, a one-hour radio program organized by THP and specially designed to empower the elected women representatives, has been hitting the airwaves for the last three months in Tamil Nadu. In a one-day Press meeting organized on January 2 in Madurai, Dr. Palanithurai explained the purpose of the radio program and the importance of women’s participation in Panchayati Raj. Correspondents from all leading local news agencies attended the workshop.
Micro Level Planning Exercise has been completed in 31 Panchayats in 5 districts of Tamil Nadu, and is now in the implementation phase. To disseminate information about the grassroots planning exercise, a one-day workshop was organized after the completion of the planning exercise at Gandhigram in February. 306 Gram Panchayat Presidents from Dindigul district along with the Panchayat Assistants of the 16 Village Panchayats participated. The District Collector who was the Chief Guest formally released the Panchayat Planning Document and honored all 16 Gram Panchayat Presidents for the development plans for their Panchayat.
WLWs in Pauri continued during this period in partnership with Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK). Eight WLWs for 241 women leaders were organized in this quarter by PRAGATI, an affiliate of RLEK.
The agenda in Uttaranchal for the next two years is to train 20 percent of the remaining 17,000 elected women representatives. The goal is to create a critical cadre of women who can make a difference in their local governance through effective leadership. Our present partners RLEK and Mahila Haat are gearing themselves towards this end and forming a core group of trainers.
Uttar Pradesh: Panchayat elections are due in June 2005, and our partner NGOs are busy with a Pre Election Awareness Campaign. The campaign has three main components:
Through the PEVAC campaigns and the Women’s Leadership Workshop, The Hunger Project has the opportunity this year to reach out to millions of women and men at the grassroots, who are working hard to build lives of self-reliance and dignity for themselves and their families.
THP-India is committed to working powerfully to unleash the potential of women’s leadership by creating an enabling environment and partnership for their success.
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