Face to face with rural women

By Dasu Kesava Rao

HYDERABAD, MARCH 17. They came, they saw and they were conquered. That was what happened to the first couple of the world - Mr. Kofi Annan, the UN Secretary-General, and his wife, Nane - when they came face to face with thousands of dynamic rural women on Saturday and saw their achievements for themselves.

Ms. Nane Annan felt proud that the DWCRA movement started with only 15 women, each saving one rupee a day to grow to the staggering strength of five million and a combined savings of $ 180 millions in a short time.

``I feel like staying back with you,'' she told them. She was glad too that the enlightened women spent their earnings for the advancement of children and the family.

The State Government arranged an interaction between DWCRA functionaries and the Annans at the Telugu Lalita Kala Thoranam.

A large number of women from neighbouring districts turned up and the DWCRA groups put up stalls featuring a wide range of their products - wooden toys, garments, wall hangings, pickles etc. - to showcase their achievements and potential to the VIPs.

The Annans tried straw hats, showed interest in leather lampshades and rolled gold items etc. and later shook hands with them. Mrs. Degala Lakshmi of Narsapur in West Godavari, who journeyed to the US to meet Mr. Bill Clinton last year, presented a laced shawl to the UN chief and a Lambada tribal, an embroidered cloth.

An overjoyed Mr. Annan congratulated DWCRA women for ``breaking the myth that women are weak'' and proving that community needed women as much as the other way around.

He praised the Chief Minister, Mr. N. Chandrababu Naidu, for realising the potential of women empowerment.

He noted that the women extended micro-credit, campaigned for literacy, health awareness, talked about AIDS, small family norms etc. Mr. Annan's refrain appeared to be ``You have it in you. You will go places.''

Mr. Annan said, ``what we see happen here I want to see happen in every country'' and complimented Mr. Naidu for being the ``real partner'' in the women's movement. The Chief Minister said no world figure who visited Hyderabad returned without seeing the Hi-tec City and interacting with DWCRA women.

Mr. Bill Clinton, Mr. James D. Wolfensohn, and others were impressed. So was Mr. Annan and his wife now. He was grateful to the DWCRA women who brought worldwide recognition and name for the State.

He would not rest until women came on a par with men in every field of activity. He urged the UN to encourage the women's empowerment movement.

Earlier, Ms. P. Vijayalakshmi of Ranga Reddy district and Ms. C. Nagamani from Mahbubnagar district explained how they used the savings to send kids to school, promoted literacy by asking parents not to send kids to fields for work and even set up a savings bank.

They explained that 200 out of 300 members followed small family norm (others are too old or just married), created health awareness and campaigned against child labour.

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