The Hindu : Where their voice has made a difference

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 17, 2003

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Where their voice has made a difference

By Our Staff Correspondent

NEW DELHI APRIL 16. Believe it or not, a group of rural women was invited to prepare a draft of "Uttar Pradesh Mahila Neethi" last year, jointly with several institutions and intellectuals. Even though the draft is lying with the State Government for approval the issue here is not of accepting or rejecting the draft but the participation of ordinary women while a document for their welfare was being penned. This group had been benefitted by the Mahila Samakhya, a political empowerment programme being run by the Department of Women and Child Development in 10 States with Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal being its success stories. For the past 12 years, the Samakhya has been actively moving towards its goal of empowering women and ending discrimination against them. Funded by the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the World Bank, there is a women's sangha (group) in each of the 1,862 villages of 15 districts in Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal.

A sangha from Betalghat called on the Chief Minister to complain about the sale of country liquor that had increased the prevalence of alcoholism in the surrounding villages. It pressured the Chief Minister to remove the liquor shops. A few days later orders were issued by the Government and some liquor shops were closed. The closure may not have made much difference to the women but it was important for them to have their voice heard and force the Government to accept their demand even though it meant a loss of revenue. In eight villages of Betalghat block, the sangha conducted `raids' to put an end to gambling and brewing of illicit country liquor. The liquor seized was handed over to the Excise Department. As a result of this bold initiative, the Government has made the Excise rules more stringent. Now, the Mahila Samakhya, because of its anti-liquor stance, is invited to all official meetings regarding Excise matters.

The issues taken up by the women's groups include literacy, health, sensitisation of the law and justice machinery and even putting pressure on the police and government authorities to take action on complaints. The sanghas have been intervening in a constructive manner in the affairs of village panchayat to make them proactive and women-oriented. They are now being given land on lease for agricultural activities.

The Indo-Dutch Mission, which evaluated the activities of Mahila Samkhya in December 2001, recommended the continuation of grant to it despite the expiry of the term and suggested that the Samakhya be developed into a reference centre.

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