| MILESTONES
Rural Empowerment Programme, 1990-92
The term empowerment
has been on the national agenda ever since independence but
the policy makers never gave it much importance. CUTS realised
that a fresh approach to the term ‘Empowerment’
was needed. Hence, the Rural Empowerment Programme (REP) was
undertaken by the CUTS Centre for Human Development.
‘Empowerment’
means creating in people a critical consciousness about the
existing socio-economic system and making individual communities
capable of identifying what type of social change they wish
to achieve and how to attain it.
The major aim
of the REP was to empower weaker sections through a process
of education, training, networking, and building up grassroots
and community action groups in Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.
REP gave birth to seven social action groups in the rural
areas. Earlier no such groups existed in Chittorgarh. In this
context, the programme was a success.
The REP was based
on the theme that awareness generation of people could only
begin with change in their own perception. In order to achieve
this proper information was essential. Keeping this in mind,
the Centre released a publication “Soochna Hi Shakti
Hai” (Information is Power) covering all areas of citizen’s
rights and responsibilities. It was released on Mahatma Gandhi’s
Jayanti (birthday) on 2nd October 1991.
Although the
REP was able to train and educate over two hundred people
in the district, orthodoxy in the community proved the major
obstacle in women’s participation in REP and it was
not as high as expected. This problem was overcome by the
Centre in subsequent projects undertaken on the subject. This
project was supported by HIVOS, Regional Office South Asia,
Bangalore.
Mother and Child Health-Care
Project (MCHP), 1993-94
The Mother and Child Healthcare Project (MCHP)
was an effort on health advocacy at the grassroots to generate
awareness particularly among women and their households on
issues relating to mother and child’s healthcare, family
size and health services provided by the government agencies.
The Centre catalysed the process of awareness
generation among the women in Chittorgarh about their rights
and responsibilities through an informative and participatory
project. Efforts to create awareness among the villagers about
healthcare services were made in eight villages of two Gram
Panchayats (Village Councils of Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan.
Its effect at field level was remarkable.
Women of these Gram Panchayats established health sub-centres
and regular health camps are still held. This project was
funded by NORAD, New Delhi office.
Rural Legal Literacy Project
(RLLP), 1993-96
One of the main reasons of exploitation of rural people in
India is their pre-literacy, poor knowledge and lack of understanding
of the judicial and legal system of the country. Even those
who are aware are often handicapped by lack of finance and
thus are unable to seek benefit from the judicial system.
As a result, the unscrupulous people possessing
power cash on this ignorance and incapability to amass more
wealth. Based on this hard reality, the Centre undertook a
Rural Legal Literacy Project (RLLP).
The Centre successfully implemented the RLLP
in Chittorgarh and Ajmer districts of Rajasthan. Five blocks
of Chittorgarh and four blocks of Ajmer respectively, were
selected and about twenty villages were covered in each district.
A manual titled “Logo Tak Nyaya” (Justice to People)
was published.
The objective of this project was to create
awareness among rural poor and weaker sections of society,
i.e. tribals, backward castes and women—awareness about
their rights guaranteed to them as citizens of India. A total
of 25 target group training was carried out and 547 people
got training out of which 202 were women. The Ford Foundation,
New Delhi office, funded this project.
Rural Women Empowerment Project-I
(RWEP-I), 1993-96
Rural women are constantly exposed to social
and political action, which exploits them and places them
at a disadvantageous position in comparison with men. The
Rural Women’s Empowerment Project-I (RWEP-I) was conceived
to involve women in the decision making process of their respective
village. This programme was a step towards empowering women
in different ways to resist all such acts, which lead to their
exploitation.
The Centre successfully implemented this project in five blocks
of Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. The focus was on health,
legal rights, social justice, Panchayati Raj (Village-level
Local Governance), and the basic needs of women.
As a part of the RWEP-I, an integrated and
intensive development project called Village Upliftment Programme
was also conducted in six villages of Chittorgarh block. Most
of them were backward and underdeveloped. The project was
implemented with the following object to:
- improve civic services through constant public pressure;
and
- make village women aware, active and enthusiastic so
that they can initiate action not only in their village,
but encourage similar activities in other villages as well.
People were made
aware of their rights and self-help groups, led and managed
by women, were formed in over thirty villages. The self-help
groups are being run by grassroots networkers, trained by
the Centre, and the aim is to identify needy women and to
make them economically self-sufficient to some extent. This
scheme was funded by NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture
and Rural Development). These women now participate in the
decision making and development of their villages. Some of
them are elected representatives at the Gram Panchayats. This
project was funded by EZE, Germany.
Rural Women Empowerment Project-II.
(RWEP-II), 1997-98
To awaken and educate rural women to fight for rights, health
and development, the Rural Women Empowerment Project-II (RWEP-II)
was implemented in five blocks of Chittorgarh district of
Rajasthan, through an integrated training programme. First,
45 underdeveloped villages were identified from each block.
These villages were divided into 15 clusters.
From each cluster,
two animators (one female and one male) were selected as targeted
participants in the project. Furthermore, from each village
ten motivators were selected as targeted beneficiaries of
the project. Thus, there were 450 targeted beneficiaries,
out of which 225 were women. A training manual titled “Sashakt
Naree, Sudridha Samaaj” (Empowered Women, Robust Society)
was published and widely used for training and awareness generation.
The main objectives
of RWEP-II were to:
1. raise the
status of women in male dominated society;
2. inform and
educate women on health related issues; and
3. fulfill their
basic needs and facilitate participation in local self-governance.
The need was to recognise
such opportunities and possibilities for the development of
women. The project was able to bring about changes in the
society’s attitude (particularly of the men-folk) towards
women, and change in women themselves—self-confidence
and awareness, eagerness to improve their own lot and those
of other disadvantaged women, involvement in local self-governance
activities and the village level development work. This project
was funded by The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation,
USA. A brief report of the
project is available.
Training for Women Health Leaders-I,
1999-2000
The objective of the Training of Women Health
Leaders-I (TWHL-I) was to generate awareness and disseminate
information on issues relating to women’s health and
development. Its objective was to sensitise rural women on
health and development issues through their participation
in the activities of village-level self-help groups.
The number of targeted beneficiaries was
selected from 72 self-help groups, active in five blocks of
Chittorgarh district of Rajasthan. Six training workshops,
each of seven days duration, were conducted. In each workshop,
there were 24 participants.
The aim was that they would act as catalysts
of change in attitudes towards women’s health and development
issues in their respective villages and communities. The project
was implemented with the support of the World Health Organisation
(WHO), New Delhi office and in association with the Ministry
of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Information and Education on Reproductive
and Child Health, 2000-01
The objective of the Information and Education
on Reproductive and Child Health Project (IERCHP) was to generate
awareness and action among rural women on issues relating
to reproductive and child health. The project area covered
fifteen villages in Chittorgarh block of Chittorgarh district
of Rajasthan.
The project aimed to educate rural women
and disseminate relevant information to them so that they
become empowered enough to face problems and take decisions
relating to their own as well as child’s health. It
also intended to sensitise community leaders (particularly
men-folk) to approach reproductive and child health care issues
in a pro-active and positive manner. This project of the Ministry
of Health & family Welfare' was implemented with the support
of Rajasthan Voluntary Health Association.
The following major activities were covered
under the project:
- baseline survey;
- awareness generation workshops for community leaders;
- workshops on traditional health care facilities;
- training workshops for Dais (traditional birth attendants);
- organisation of “health day” and “health
fair” in targeted villages; and
- advocacy and networking with government agencies as well
as community-based organisations for the
improvement of healthcare services at the village level.
The followings are the outcomes of the project:
- increased awareness about reproductive rights;
- reduction in infant as well as pre- and post-natal mortality
rates;
- zero maternal mortality;
- complete immunisation;
- increase in mean age of marriage, particularly among
girls; and
- increase in time interval between births.
Rural Women Empowerment Project-III,
1998-2001
The project, funded by The John D. and Catherine
T. MacArthur Foundation, USA and The Summit Foundation, USA,
sought to consolidate and expand scientifically and gradually
on human development activities on five blocks of Chittorgarh
districts of Rajasthan. This project was an extension of the
RWEP-II. Under this project, 45 underdeveloped villages were
selected so as to develop them as “model villages”,
and efforts were being made to multiply the process in four
surrounding villages of a model village.
The aim of the project was to empower rural
women as well as gender sensitise their male counterparts
through an integrated training programme covering subjects
such as gender issues, reproductive and child health, social
justice, basic needs, and sustainable development.
Among other goals, this project also focused
on elected women members of the Gram Panchayats, and community
leaders. A quarterly newsletter titled Aage Badhno Hossi
(Women Marching Ahead) was produced and distributed widely.
In RWEP-III, the empowerment of women was
seen with the perspective that women:
- have a respectable position in the society;
- their health and nutrition conditions are good;
- know and understand their rights and are capable of acquiring
them;
- understand the process of governance and development
and play an active role in it; and
- are able to question their adverse conditions.
An important feature of this project was
organisation of Chaupal Baithaks (meeting at village centre)
at night so those village women can take effective part in
these meetings, and discuss their problems in the presence
of their male counterparts. Furthermore, in order to sensitise
backward communities about the rights of women, awareness
generation workshops of community leaders were being conducted
regularly.
Another major issue, being covered under
the project, was reproductive and child health, given the
high infant mortality and pre-and post-natal deaths in rural
Rajasthan. The government health machinery is either non-existent
or in decrepit conditions in most of the villages. At the
same time, there exist traditional healthcare systems, whose
popularity is going down due to lack of knowledge and practice
among the villagers.
Given this situation, the Centre had made
efforts for the revival of the traditional health care systems
in the project area. Awareness generation workshops on women’s
rights vis-à-vis reproductive and child health were conducted
for gunis (traditional medical practitioners) and dais (traditional
birth attendants). Herbal garden has also been established
in the Centre’s premises.
Training for Women Health Leaders-II,
2000-01
The objective of the Training of Women Health
Leaders-II (TWHL-II) was to consolidate and expand the activities
accomplished in the first phase of the project. The activities
included refresher training of trainers, training of master
trainers, medical officers and staff persons of primary health
centres, three training courses for women health leaders,
and district and state level workshops.
The project was implemented for six blocks
of Chittorgarh district with the support of the World Health
Organisation, and in association with the Ministry of Health
and Family Welfare, Government of India.
Adolescent Girl's Health Programme
(Integrated Population Development Project), 2000-01
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) supported
'Integrated Population Development' project for "adolescent
girls" was initiated in the Banera block of Bhilwara
district in association with the district Women & Child
Development (WCD) department. Facilitation of the 'availability
of RCH services in the rural & inaccessible areas, prevention
of Reproductive Tract Infections (RTIs) and decision-making
ability of women regarding determination of family size' were
objectives of this project.
Training of adolescent girls on "physiology
(reproductive systems, menstruation & RTIs), control on
the body & its functions (fertility & family planning),
available health services (for child immunisation & diarrhoea
management, ANC/PNC, safe & institutional delivery, RTI/STDs),
nutrition & anaemia, personal and environmental hygiene,
first aid, citizen & constitutional rights and communication
(social & negotiating) skills" was primary focus
of the project.
IEC for community empowerment
on RCH (2002)
This IEC (information, education & communication)
project on RCH, supported by UNFPA and the District RCH Society
(DRCHS) was implemented in the Bhilwara district. The project
endeavoured to sensitise and make aware as well as accountable
the project population, women in particular, on RCH. The target
groups of the project were the couples in the reproductive
age group and the adolescent girls.
Empowerment of the community to properly
avail basic emergency obstetric care (BEOC) services (2002)
The broad aim of the project, supported by
UNFPA and DRCHS (Chittorgarh), was to initiate awareness generation,
information dissemination and advocacy activities for safe
motherhood practices by encouraging participatory processes
of education and mobilisation of the community. The specific
objectives were:
| Since last ten
years Consumer Unity & Trust Society (CUTS), a
voluntary organisation, is implementing its activities
in the district. Several grassroots level programmes
are being effectively executed by CUTS in the rural
areas of the district. I too have personally participated
in many of the programmes. The organisation’s
commitment to rural empowerment is commendable.District
Collector, Chittorgarh on 8th July 2002
|
- awareness generation to avoid delay in ‘decision-making
at home’ to shift the pregnant women having obstetric
complications to the health institution;
- information dissemination about the service delivery
centre at the community level; &
- advocacy for developing coordination among ‘health
institution, panchayats & communities for effective
utilisation of funds available for referral transportation
and efficient organisation of IEC (information, education
and communication) activities.
|
