WOMEN AS HUMAN!

PROPOSED PLAN OF ACTION TO TAKE DOWN THE CRIME AGAINST WOMEN TO ZERO/MINIMUM LEVEL -By SANJHA SAMVAD

Dear all,

In last 8 days Delhi and entire India is united to demand justice for the “gang raped” victim Damini and demand is “Capital Punishment” for the rapist/culprits! And shouts and slogans at India gate are ….Phansi do…Phansi do…..we want justice…..gentlemen respect women….my voice is higher than rapist…….we want safety …..No talk we want commitment…….and many more! This all is a boost , energy and angerness of common people for cause and indeed is required, but important here is this type of movement may not be possible for everyday and for every victim of rape, even capital punishment will come , but is not possible to make such crimes at a minimum or ZERO level, in last three four days some of the members of SANJHA SAMVAD ( a network of 80+ development organisation including partner organisation of LIFE project, HARIT PRAYAS and JEEVIKA) has taken some initiatives gone through the various such cases of rape and based on the details able to come out with a proposal- feasible and sustainable proposal for the Indian government to scale down crime against women to a minimum or zero level. Kindly go through it and if any suggestion feel free for sharing it.

A. Make gender study compulsory and part of curriculum

Inclusion of Gender sensitive & justice studies from school to college education and from class 6th onwards (by the time child almost attained 10 years of his/her age).The study should be focused on not only understanding the gender part, but more concern would be on the following :

•How there would be a respect for gender (but it must not be ended with the highly respectable words like mother, sister, father etc. The focus here would be on equal platform, jut being a male and female how we can respect each other)

•Gender sensitiveness (Again here the focus on not only a male sensitive towards female, but a female sensitive towards male also)

•Gender equality and gender equity

•Gender safety-( on how we protect each other at the time of need/emergencies)

Also here important is all these should not be just incorporated as a chapter in the course book, but necessary is that would be practically demonstrated and the mode of study would be cases , and not only just defining the terms ( which most of the time in understanding gender we end up with)!

In the same way there must a course for POLICE FORCES on the regular basis on gender sensitiveness and importantly not only FOR MALE, but for females too!

WHY this is important? •Because its not only a physical crime or physical action, the case like rape molestation, and teasing are more related with a psychological action and one of the key reason behind it, we were always talked on respect for mother, sister, father, but hardly any saying for respect for male-female, which is equally more important as respecting mother, father and sister.

•Most of the cases the rapist hardly understand the feeling of women (this goes to every class either illiterate or the highly educated rapist) and again here one loop hole we would find it as hardly we have gone through any education, any understanding on understanding the pain of each other ( could be more understood with through psychological study of rapist).

•With education if many of us can walk on correct side of road, could respect our mother , father and sisters, could was our hands before we eat food, could travel from one place to other than why not could make rape cases ZERO!

B. Take step to change at administration level

B.1 In cities/Metros

•On the line of Child Help line, why not a women Help LINE? A women help line of 1091 is existing but is related with a polic station and hardly it works, because entire system of working is on catching the culprit and and that too through POLICE, where as in child helpline concept of counselling, and rescuing is there and the base is non-profit organisation, Could be one of the model to work on in Cities or could be collaborated with child line helpline ( but important is engagement of organisations of high credit and work experience of women safety, counselling and rescuing) OR on the basis of customer care why not a concept of Women care would be adopted by the metro administration, which would help the women in need in terms of counselling, legal advice, and indeed rescuing!

•The punishment for culprits for crime with women must be promoted in various public transports like metro and on frequent there would be electronic announcement of such laws (AS MANY OF US ARE STILL UNAWARE of the law and the punishment), this would probably create a fear factor and would help in scaling down the crime.

•With every bus and at every bus stop provision for CCTV cameras ( probably in cities like Delhi, KOLKATA , CHENNAI, Bangalore and MUMBAI) and no bus and bust stand would be approved without CCTV camera’s.

•Cases of rape could be taken on daily hearing (as already Delhi High Court has stated this) and decision must be with 30 days (like RTI) and if no decision the concerned Judge would be questioned.

•With the help of NGOs, govt could initiate a physical training centers for women in various parts of the cities where women could be physically trained on protecting them self.

B.2. At Panchayats:

•The recent case has happened in Delhi and has become a national issue, but what about the regular such cases happening in remote rural and tribal belts? At panchayat level there no such body which can address the issues of gender sensitiveness. There is education committee, sanitation committee, but why not a gender committee ( a women headed)? Although many of these committees hardly function, but at least there would be initiation of considering gender issues at Panchayat level.

•There must be a law of at least 50 of women participation in Gram Panchayat meetings and Gram Sabah meetings and gender issues must be facilitated in those meeting with gender committee. Without 50% participation and discussion of gender issues no meeting should be recognised. Gender facilitation could also be done by the SHGs (women) in the concerned panchayat/village.

By SANJHA SAMVAD

Madhya Pradesh number one state in country in terms of forest cover: Report!

Dec 19 2012: INDORE: With the forest cover of 77,700 square kilometre area Madhya Pradesh retain its coveted title of number of state of the country in terms of forest cover, according to Indian State of Forest Report 2011. When forest cover in the country has decreased by 367 square kilometres, forest cover in MP has remained unchanged.Excited with the forest department's efforts in maintaining the forest cover of state, forest minister Sartaj Singh has directed officers to increase density of forest cover by planting maximum saplings in moderately dense areas and further strengthening forest protection arrangements.

Minister said out of total forest cover of 77,700 square kilometres in the state, there are extremely dense forests in 6,640 square kilometres and 34,986 square kilometres dense forests, whose density needs to be increased. Moderately dense forest area is spread over 36,074 square kilometres while open area is 16,989 square kilometres. Seven percent of the total forest cover is extremely dense, 36 percent dense, 39 percent moderately dense and 18 percent open area.

According to the report MP tops in the country in terms of forest cover with 77,700 sq km followed by Arunachal Pradesh with 67,410 square kilometres, Chhattisgarh with 55,674 square kilometres, Maharashtra with 50,646 square kilometres and Orissa with 48,903 square kilometre forest cover. When forest cover has remained unchanged in three states including MP, Delhi and Sikkim, report point out that forest cover has decreased in 14 states including Andhra Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Assam, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Kerala, Maharashtra, Meghalaya, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Chandigarh. At the same time forest cover has increased in Bihar, Goa, Haryana, Jammu-Kashmir, Karnataka and Andaman-Nicobar.

Source:http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-12-19/indore/35911992_1_forest-minister-total-forest-sq-km

JEEVIKA cluster report till Nov 2012

Here it is important to know that within 60 days of project initiation, JEEVIKA project has achieved 3% of the total set results.

Source: Monthly progress reports from JEEVIKA project partners

Empowering tribal women farmers with SWI technique @JEEVIKA Umariya

In order to make small and marginalised farmers ( especially women farmers) technically more sound and able to get more production from the small patch of land, in Uchehara JEEVIKA project village at Umariya (Madhya Pradesh), JEEVIKA Umariya (of JDSS-Jabalpur) team has initiated the formation of Farmers club and then provided them “on field training cum actual practice” of sowing the wheat seeds through SWI ( System of Wheat Intensification). The unique part of the process adopted was the farmers club of Uchehara village which has initiated this SWI process is headed by a women and the first such method of SWI has been adopted by a women farmer Ms. Sufal didi. Sufal has a small patch of land of 1 acre and she is actively growing food grain crops and vegetable on it and shown her interest in growing wheat this year with SWI technique. She is the president of ‘Baiga kissan club’ in Uchehara (Malhadu panchayat, Umariya, Madhya Pradesh). Baiga Kissan Club has formed on 18th Dec 2012 and the process of adopting SWI has started from 19th Dec 2012. At present there are 42 members in Kissan Club ( 32 male & 10 female) and now all have started adopting SWI technique for wheat cultivation.

Safal Didi along with her 6 female family members has adopted the following for SWI •Used only 5 Kg Seeds sowing in 1 acre. area, leads to saving of seeds

•2-2 seeds sowing in 8 inch distances

•Before sowing seeds are treatment cow urine and Farrago (Gudd) , tricodarma (an organic input)

With JEEVIKA project we are trying to bring out the identity of women farmers (especially from the tribal belt) of Madhya Pradesh and their contribution in agriculture and its allied activities.

Till now in 15 JEEVIKA project villages at Umariya, 5 farmers club have been formed and all the farmers club are headed by a women farmer from a tribal community. As per NABARD records the farmers club formed in Umraiya district are first of such type of farmers club where women membership and leadership is there. (Source: www.nabard.org)

Linkages with KVK & benefit to 31 target community members @JEEVIKA Shivpuri

In Nov 2012 JEEVIKA team at Shivpuri (Madhya Pradesh) has established linakages with the district KVK and also shared with the community about the services of KVK (Krishi Vigyan Kendra) and in the first step of linkages 31 community members from in Neemdanda village have received seasonable vegetable seeds (. Seeds of Spinach, Beans, Bitter Melon, Green Chilly, Pumpkin and Tomato). Team has also given a small on farm training with support from KVK for the sowing of seeds in their kitchen garden and get quality vegetable in minimum water were distributed.

by JEEVIKA GCSS-Gwalior team

1st Farmer's club with women leadership in the district@JEEVIKA Umaria

JEEVIKA Umariya team has facilitated the formation of farmers club on 17/12/2012 in Barhai JEEVIKA project village, Barhai Panchayat. The uniqueness of the facilitation was that it’s a first farmers club in the district with a female leadership (Source: www.nabard.org ). The selected president of farmers club is Ms. Putto and community members are calling her as Putto didi! Ms. Putto has 2acre of land on her name and is actively engaged in cultivation of vegetables and food crops.

With this there is a new beginning of giving identification to the women farmners in the tribal pockets like Umariya in Madhya Pradesh.

Source: Daily reports of JEEVIKA Umariya (JDSS_Jabalpur) team

Development Diaries-3: Progress in JEEVIKA project field in Nov 2012@JEEVIKA Jhabua

(1) Rapport building: Staff continued visiting the remaining houses in the working area. This is their regular activity besides conducting planned programs. Friendly relations are getting strengthened. Staff could meet around 650 members during this month and informed them about the crop diversification, Mixed cropping, Vegetable cultivation, Hedaawaadi, Well deepening, Bij Samiti etc. Staff visited 14 Anganwadi centres and interacted with staff, children, ‘kishori balika,’ lactating mother and pregnant women at the centre.

(2) Community led development process: Tribal community has a system of community led development process. This is visible even in the market surrounding where group of people come together along with a matchmaker or mediator who helps community in finding the facts in decision making process. Numbers of cases gets settled with very minimum cost. Similar manner on 26th of November the community of Gomlisath phaliya by them selves gather together to take a community decision against the consumption and serving foreign of liquor on celebrations especially on marriages. Community made situational analysis of the issue. : Pragati Director shared about the negative impact of the social issues with facts that alcohol consumption and dowry are the major causes of continues indebtedness and fight in the society since years. Community set a monitoring community by selecting 5-6 members from each of the phaliya and also set a fine Rs.10000/- if caught red handed. Extension agriculture officer shared information about the government schemes like schemes for irrigation pipes, seeds and formation of seed production society, sprinkler system and rain gun, bore well digging, wormy pit and nadep construction etc.

(3) Staff visited the farmers at their respective fields and discussed about the importance of seed society in the area. Some of the farmers expressed their concern and support in this regard. Staff also discussed on formation of ‘Bij Samiti” and informed them about the eligibility for the samiti.

Source: Monthly Progress report by JEEVIKA project team of Pragati-Jhabua. For more updates follow JEEVIKA on twitter https://twitter.com/JeevikaCARITAS

Signing an agreement with Horticulture department@JEEVIKA Umariya!

JEEVIKA Umariya of JDSS-Jabalpur lead by Mr. Rajesh ( Project Coordinator-JEEVIKA) has given a brief presentation to the head of the Horticulture department in Umariya (Pali) and shared the objectives and the process part of JEEVIKA formation. Based on the interaction the head of Horticulture department has signed an agreement to support JEEVIKA project and official wrote to the team for support from horticulture department for the farmers.

It is worth to know that Horticulture department in Madhya Pradesh has many development schemes for farmers and with this agreement and support hope more farmers will receive benefits.

By JEEVIKA project Coordinator ( JDSS-Jabalpur)

Orientation of JEEVIKA Project in 14 target villages@JEEVIKA Shivpuri

Jeevika project orientation program was conducted in all targeted villages for better implementation of project. 30-40 community people participated in program in each village. We explained them about how Jeevika will help them and vice versa. Our team focused on explaining various govt. schemes, their rights and organic farming practices.

Source: Monthly progress report of JEEVIKA ( Nov 2012)

Development Diaries-II: Critical Challenges faced in Nov 2012 in field@JEEVIKA Ujjain!

•Ratnakhedi, Buchakhedi, Panvihar & Chaprikeda villages’ staff had to work hard to break the non- cooperation of the villagers. When cluster coordinators begun their interaction in these villages people were receptive. As the coordinators started to inform people about the Jeevika project and its activities then villages began to move from the coordinators. So cluster coordinators had to visit house by house to know the real problem and motivate the villagers to be part of the project. Our study revealed that villagers were cheated by some other NGO. They took the money of the villagers and went away from the villages. The regular visit of cluster coordinators could bring changes in the attitude of the people but kripa could not form any self help group in these villages however the cooperation of the villagers are increasing in these villages.

•Rajesh Nagar has taken a project from zillapanchayat for the formation of self help groups in Basikhedi, Bodani and Tankariya villages. He was threatening cluster coordinator that he will not allow Kripa to form self help groups in above mentioned villages. Cluster coordinator met the sarpanch and dealt the matter with him. He toled the cluster coordinator that Mr. Rajesh is running mid-day meal in three villages and he has the fear that if you form BPL group this mid-day meal programme in three villages may go from his hand. Sarpanch has assured his full support to cluster coordinator.

•Conflict among the Hindu and Muslim is visible in Baba Baderka village. When cluster coordinator conducted the household visit she did not feel such problem. Hose hold visit helped the cluster coordinator to form a self help group in the village. When women came for the self help group formation meeting cluster noticed that women were sitting in two groups keeping a distance. She did not feel anything unusual. Vidhya self help group was formed and elected the president and secretary (educated women) unanimously. Reporting was over and meeting was about to disperse Muslim women demand that one among the office bear in the group will be from their side otherwise we do not want to be the group. Again cluster coordinator had to r-elect. Mrs. Bisemilla zerubhadhar was elected as president and mrs. Harubai Atmaram was elected as secretary.

•Surasa and Buchakhedy alcoholism is a main problem for the smooth implementation of the project in the villages. Both the villages women are going for the work but they do not get chance to make use their earning for their house hold purpose. Quarrel among the husband and wife is a very common in these villages especially in Buchakhedy. Women at Buchakhedy say that they do not have money to form the self help group. Women toled that they are ready to form the group but their husbands do not allow them to save the money. Staffs are in constant effort to bring change in the attitude of the people and to form the group. At Surasa staff could form one group but Buchakhedy village demands more hard work from the staff to break with.

Submitted by JEEVIKA project team of Kripa-Ujjain!

Farmers Club formation with support from NABARD@JEEVIKA Indore-Dhar

JEEVIKA IDSSS-Indore team has facilitated to form two farmers clubs at Kassi kho village (Khurda cluster) and Muwad village (Dh

ani cluster). In Each group there are 35 members including 4 women farmers in each club. They have elected the president and the secretary for running the group.

Each group has been provided with a register to record details of meetings to fulfil the requirement of NABARD formalities for getting future benefits. The groups have decided to have monthly meetings and discussion on issues related to sustainable agriculture practices through the help of KVK & NABARD. The members of the clubs are taking interest to learn more about organic agriculture & new practices.

By Project Coordinator ( JEEVIKA-IDSSS-Indore)

Empowering women to demand for food security@JEEVIKA Shivpuri

Kuwarpur Tapra at Shivpuri District is a JEEVIKA project village (tribal) where 60 families of tribal community living, PDS system is totally paralyzed here. Community people haven’t seen sugar on ration shop for more than a year; they are getting one moth’s kerosene oil in three months which, same condition with rice and wheat also. Leela and Geeta Adiwasi, members of a self help group Jai Bajrang Sahoom told us that “Gram Sevak kept distribution register in his custody and eating our whole ration, we are having two self help groups here one is 5 years old but there is no meetings of groups.”

After hearing about this problem we contacted following Sarpanch of village and planning for working on this problem with community people.

(In above picture: Leela Adiwasi and Geeta Adiwasi talking about irregular PDS system in their village)

By Mr. Nagendera ( Project Coordinator-JEEVIKA GCSS-Gwalior)

Formation of BPL women SHGs in Indore-Dhar JEEVIKA field!

JEEVIKA team at IDSSS-Indore has started formation of BPL ( Below Poverty Line ) women Self Help Groups (SHGs). Till date are ablr to form around 10 SHGs. The focus of the JEEVIKA team is there first to establish the basic structure of BPL women SHGs and then to strengthen them.

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