ORISSA
Strategic Thrust -1: People’s Empowerment through LSGI
1.1 Consultation on National Rural Employment Guarantee Act. (NREGA)
Five consultations with the PRI members in Shapur Gram Panchayat (GP), Bental G.P, Khandatara G.P of Bhadrak dist & Kadua G.P of Puri dist & Maichheli G.P of Nayagarh Dist were organised from 20th to 31st Dec 07. The objectives of these consultations were:-
1. To know more about NREGA,
2. To foster a good relationship with the PRI for the better implementation of NREGA
3. To involve right people in this work and
4. To recognize our PDO in panchayat level for the Programme & involvement of our PDO.
Fellows, Coordinator, PDO presidents and functionaries of the village Panchayat took part in the above consultations. It was agreed that the PDO will assist panchayats in identifying the beneficiaries under NREGA scheme. 18 rural poor of Tavapalli PO of Nayagarh dist. benefited from this scheme.
1.2 President of Rural Women Front (GMM) become Dy. Sarpanch:
Mrs. Rukmani, 47, member of the Swaraj Jan Bikas Sangthan Kashindpur become the Dy. Sarpanch that too without any political and caste support. She has been capacitated through the Swaraj processes since the last 6 years. She was the first lady in the history of local village panchayat who vehemently opposed the act of Sarpanch and Panchayat Secretary of taking signatures of the participants of the Gram Sabha on blank paper. She got popularity among members of the Gram Sabha through this courageous act. She becomes the conscious keeper of the Gram Sabha which finally resulted in becoming the Dy. Sarpanch of the Village Panchayat.
Strategic Thrust 2: People’s right over Natural Resources
2.1 Land to Landless
A state level campaign on land to landless was organised from 9th to 20th Sep 07. The follow-up meetings were organised in 20 POs of 4 PDO of Bhadrak, Puri and Nayagarh dist. Review of the post campaign initiatives was done in the meeting. There are 219 landless families in four PDO areas. The list of probable landless was submitted to the concerned local authorities. The fellow along with PDO functionaries undertook constant follow up with the Revenue Officers to ensure speeding up the action on submitted applications for land.
The Tahasildar deputed the Revenue Inspector of the respective areas for field verification. As a result of constant follow up, the Tehsildar selected 28 landless families from Tavapalli, 4 from PDO Dhanitri to get land under Vsundhara Scheme. Out of them 17 landless from Tavapalli of Nayagharh district received land patta on dated 22nd Feb. 2008.
2.2 Plantation by Forest Conservation Committee (FCC) :-
The FCC has been constituted in every PO. The FCC of Swaraj Jan Vikas Sangathan – Tabhapalli planted 3 acres of deforested land in October 2008. The local forest department provided three thousand saplings which were planted by Bhuin Ragadi PO. Mrs. Gandari Jani a tribal woman leader and vice president of PDO was exposed about land related problems and government schemes for landless during our campaign on Land rights. She mobilized people to take land from the hand of people who were possessing land illegally. 6 acres of land has been recovered from land-mafia with the support from people and government officials. The plantation has been carried out on this recovered land. This is one of the outcomes of the “Land-Rights” campaign organised in Sep 08.
Strategic Thrust – 3: Gender Equality
3.1 Formation of SHG-
The following 8 Self-Help Groups (SHG) are formed during the reporting with the aim to create opportunity of self-employment for the poor women. The adequate motivational and capacity enhancement activities were conducted before the formal formation of the SHG. This was done with the aim of sustainability and better functioning of the SHG. The SHG has adopted economic activities like cultivation of sunflower, Banana and vegetables, leaf plate making, Dairy & Goat rearing etc.
| PDO | Name of SHGs | Date of formation |
| PDO – Dhanitri | Maa Jageswari |
13.11.07 |
| PDO- Tvapalli | Tulasi |
15.12.07 |
| Sanskar |
17.01.08 |
|
| Maa Sukarmalli |
17.01.08 |
|
| Maa Gayatri |
15.12.07 |
|
| PDO-Gopalbindha | Budhijagulai |
26.11.07 |
| PDO-Mauda | Subamamukhi |
10.01.08 |
| Maa Mangala |
10.01.08 |
3.2 Women literacy programme (WEC):-
12 literacy camps are running in 5 PDOs in Orissa with the aim to make all women literate and ensure enrolment of all drop-out girls. These Centers are being run with the support of SHG, GMM and PO. Following are the achievements so far;
- 192 have become literate.
- 16 girls admitted in SSA (Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan),
- 18 are admitted in the school
The Impact of literacy campaign – Those women who got literate have confessed publicly that they are emerging from a shameless situation of being illiterate and feel proud that they are no more thumb impression giving women.
3.3 Participation of Rural Women Front (Grameen Mahila Manch) members in National Women Conference- :-
There are 25 GMMs in 5 PDOs consisting of 984 members. GMM is a platform for village women to build a greater network among themselves, to fight against the social injustice, violence & make them self reliant.
Efforts are made towards capacitating these rural women through various local, state and national level programmes. In this connection 42 GMM members were participated in 2nd National women conference at Peaceful Society, Goa from 9th Dec to 12th Dec 07 whereas 119 participants participated in the State Women Conference at Abhaypur (Orissa) from 14th t015th March 08.
3.4 State Rural women conference:
A two-days State Rural Women Conference was organised from 14th & 15th March 2008 at Abhaypur. The theme was – Rural women in 21st century-challenges & opportunities. 119 female and 9 male took part in this conference.
Objectives:-
a) To develop an understanding among women on their rights,
b) To educate women about their role in social change,
c) To make them aware about their social-economic status,
d) To ensure women participation for their self-reliance
119 women and 9 men (mainly coordinator and volunteers) from PO, PDO, GMM, SHG and associate organisations took part in it.
Following subjects were highlighted in the conference by the resource persons;
§ Social, political, cultural and educational situation of the women education,
§ Women & health
§ Domestic violence with the women and law
§ Empowering rural women through economic Self-reliance.
§ Right to information
The conference was inaugurated by lighting of the traditional lamp in front of the portrait of Kasturba and Mahatma Gandhi by the PDO president, guest, state advisor, co-ordinator, senior colleagues. Following schedules were followed during the conference,
§ Introduction of the guest
§ Welcome address & objectives of the conference by the State Facilitator
§ Reflection of national and state level women conferences,
§ Open forum
§ Swaraj Samman
§ Cultural Programme
§ Declaration
§ Vote of thanks.
Key Problem’s of uneducated women by Mrs. Khurshida Begum:-
§ Unable to take care of own health,
§ Deprived from her traditional and legal rights,
§ Maximum possibilities of loosing opportunity of Govt. / Non-government welfare schemes.
§ More exploited /abused / harassed and tolerating physical violence,
§ More dependency.
Why the women deprived from their rights?
§ Illiterate
§ Unknown to their rights
§ Negligent & disinterested guardianship
§ Hostile social conditions
| OPPORTUNITY | FACILITY |
| v Anganwadi
v ECC center v EGS v Abasic Bidyalaya v Kanyasram v Balwadi v Child labour school v VECIMTA v Balika samrudhi yojana v Janani surakhya yojana |
ü Mid-day meal
ü Dress ü Reading &writing materials ü Financial aids ü Latrine facility in school ü Drinking water |
She reflects upon comparative analysis of status of the women of various countries and states. Where literacy rate is high the situation of women is comparatively good to some extent. The status is as follows:-
| Developing countries |
women literacy % |
Life span |
mothers death at the time of delivery In every 1000 |
Infant mortality rate in every 1000 |
participation m devt activities |
| Norway |
100 |
78.9 |
6 |
4 |
59.9 |
| Australia |
100 |
79.2 |
– |
6 |
56.4 |
| Kanada |
100 |
79.3 |
– |
5 |
60.5 |
| sweden |
100 |
80.1 |
5 |
3 |
62.7 |
| pakistan |
28.5 |
61 |
530 |
83 |
36.3 |
| Chaina |
86.5 |
71 |
53 |
31 |
72.5 |
| Africa |
85.3 |
47.7 |
150 |
52 |
47.8 |
| India |
54.16 |
63.9 |
407 |
63 |
42.8 |
| State in India |
87.86 |
75.8 |
198 |
10 |
15.3 |
| Kerala |
|
|
|
|
|
| Punjab |
63.55 |
68.6 |
199 |
51 |
18.7 |
| Kamatak |
57.05 |
60.5 |
195 |
55 |
31.9 |
| Maharastra |
67.5 |
66.2 |
135 |
45 |
32.6 |
| WB |
60.22 |
63.1 |
266 |
49 |
18.1 |
| Orissa |
50.97 |
56.6 |
367 |
87 |
266 |
Women Education is very important for the real development of the women. She also described how women are facing problems as a daughter, wife, mother and as member of society or family for lack of education.
Women & Health-
Mr. Aparajit Sinha, Programme Officer NRHM, Jajpur spoke on govt. schemes on health of rural women in Orissa. He explained each scheme and processes for availing them. He appealed to the PO, PDO and GMM to take active part in availing governmental schemes otherwise it will go in vein. Many women participants shared her experiences of hardship in getting the benefit, whereas some also share about the benefits they availed.
Mr. Kumar Kalanand Mani spoke on the overall situation of the women in India. He lamented that women irrespective of being literate or illiterate, urban or rural, rich or poor, upper caste or lower caste, what ever religion they belong are still general victims of unjust social, political, cultural end economic order. The modernity has provided little ray of hope but the overall condition is not so different. It is therefore necessary that man also has to take active part in the emancipation of the women. It is also in his interest and in the larger interest of the society. However, the women have to come out from the social cell made and imposed by the male dominated social order. The conference like this is a firm initiative to bring out women from such cells and make them to feel that the world is also yours and that the sky is limit. The message of this conference must be shared with all those women and men who have not come here for various reasons.
Domestic Violence- Ms. Samina, Advocate, Orissa High court.
Adv. Samina spoke about 4 types of domestic violence exists in the society. She gave detailed information about the new legislation which is the “Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act. 2005”. She described it as a revolutionary law based on consultation across the country with members of women’s movement and the civil society. She elaborated by saying that this law provides an opportunity for women who are suffering brutality in silence to speak-out and redress affectively. The law recognizes legitimate role of registered NGO in the processes of implementation.
Role of People’s Organisation & Self Help Group in village development
Ms. Nirupama Mohanty, Advisor-SAC Orissa dealt with the role of POs and SHGs in village development. She said that the PO and SHG provides an opportunity to the down trodden including women to focus on their overall well beings. She stated a dozen objectives and benefits of having PO and SHGs.
Right to Information:
Mr. Sk. Safique, Ex State Coordinator, spoke on Right to Information Act. and its utility for the village community. The delegates raised 14 questions regarding the Act, its benefits and how to make use of it.
Swaraj Samman:
Following were honored with “Swaraj Samman” for their distinguished service to the human kind and strengthening the Swaraj process.
§ Ms. Ganhari Jani- an Adivasi woman leader and vice-president of PO Tavapalli
§ Ms. Rukmini Bhoi- PO Kashindpur
§ Mr. Sk. Safique- Ex State Coordinator Swaraj Orissa
§ Ms. Khurshida Begum- Swaraj associate
§ Ms. Samina – Advocate
The conference ended with open remark by the delegates and the state Coordinator. The conference also adopted three key programmatic objectives for the future;
a.) no illiterate women in our working village
b.) no domestic violence
c.) no gender discrimination in the family
Strategic Thrust – 4: Strengthening PO, PDOs and Self-reliance of the Village
4.1 Review meeting/ consultation with PDO:
10 PDO level meetings/ consultation were held during this reporting period in 5 PDO areas. The main focus of this meeting was that how many people get benefit from the Govt. schemes from our PDO area and what type of problem they have faced in getting it. The following table gives information about benefit availed by the people on the initiatives of the concerned PDO.
| PO-PDO | Govt. Schemes and Nos. of Beneficiaries |
| SJBS,Tavapalii | – Old age pension-5
– Widow pension-S – JSY-6 – SSA-18 – Basundhara-17 |
| SJBS, Gopalbindha | – JSY-l0
– Handicapet-4 – NREGA-5 |
| SJBS, Mauda | – SJY-6
– Accidental death-4 |
| SJBS, Kasindpur | – Old age-3
– Widow -2 – JSY-9 – NREGA-13 |
| SPOO, Dhanitri | – Old age -4
– widow-2 – JSY-6 |