Indo Swiss Participative Watershed Development - Karnataka - Article on Gender for IC annual report

Gender & Equity

Gender & Equity in ISPWDK and SDC-IC NGO Karnataka & Tamilnadu : An article for the IC Annual report 2003

The Phase II of Indo-Swiss Participative Watershed Programme - Karnataka (ISPWDK) started in 2000 in three drought prone districts of north Karnataka, India and is currently in the middle of the project implementation stage. The SDC-IC NGO programme started in 1996 and now in consolidation phase, is working in selected rainfed areas of Karnataka & Tamil Nadu.

Roles of men & women in the programme context

Each household in the ISPWDK project villages has representation of a male and female member in the Village Development Society (VDS) a registered institution, created for overall development of the village. Women are signatories’ along with men to the watershed micro-planning process. They now have an increased stake in decisions related to the development of their village and their land. Women receive their wages separately for the physical labor. Women are active in institutions that conduct the monitoring & financial control, disbursement of wages and work measurement of the watershed activities of the project. Community decisions are accepted only if women constitute 50% quorum. Nearly 90-95% of the women in the project areas are organized in self-help groups (SHG), an organization exclusively for women. Apart from providing opportunities to access credit facilities at amenable rates from mainstream banking institutions, the groups provide a separate space for women to develop their personal confidence and enhance their collective strength. There are cases where women have been elected to the Grama Sabha as members and where women have collectively lobbied successfully against social evils like alcoholism and physical abuse against women.

Activities of programme / project in relation to gender balanced and equity oriented development

The traditionally suppressed and vulnerable sections- landless, widow, backward class and artisans are given space in the management committee of the project-initiated people institutions at the village level. Preference is given to them while planning for yearly plan of operations and capacity building programmes. Special opportunity is given to widow, destitute and deserted women, landless in the wage employment during the watershed treatment activities. Conscious effort is being made to support resource poor women and women headed households in reclaiming fallow land and taking up cultivation of agriculture & horticulture crops.

Under livelihood promotion, exclusive women institutions, were provided support to set up neem seed-processing unit, home shopping and backyard poultry as group activities. The “astra ovens” (smokeless stoves) and cattle troughs for drinking water has helped women a lot in reducing drudgery while they go about their domestic chores.

It is ensured that the equal opportunity provided to women in training, exposure and workshops is utilized fully.

Trends & changes initiated through project interventions

There is a perceptible change in the roles at family level- woman are performing activities of going to bank, market, and even carrying on business activity etc. These are now accepted and acknowledged by the males, which was not done earlier. Due to this and other activities, women are now having greater say in the household decisions.

There is personality development and transformation among women becoming active leaders in villages both at the political level (in Grama Panchayats) and at the social level (in lobbying against alcoholism).

The knowledge and attitudes of the community has increased manyfold with regard to gender & equity.

Testimonies about the gender in project context

Mrs. Durgamma, a member of the People Technical Resource Group (PTRG) said “ Technology is not the knowledge domain of men only. Due to timely & relevant training given by NGO, now we also have confidence in training anyone in technical matters. We women are also trying to stop the arrack (country liquor) drinking and smoking by men.”

Mr. Basavanna Adikki, a member of Village Development Society said “ In Hindus, the women eat after the men & children have eaten and usually stay undernourished due to lack of food at the end. In case of Muslims community, the entire family sits together & eat.”

Mrs. Chandramma Khatimani is a poor, SC widow in one of the project village, Kanchanal. There was resistance to her being included in the committee, as people were suspicious about her character. But the intervening NGO insisted & convinced for her inclusion. After her taking responsibilities in the committee and through her good deeds, she was able to win the praise of the people in the village. However, to accommodate her initially, the committee was dissolved and then freshly reconstituted.

A woman forest watcher was able to confront, threaten to go to the police, and stop men in Navalahalli village from cutting down CPR trees. The Advibhavi village community refused to accept women as members of their People’s Technical Resource Group (PTRG). Today, the same community calls these women PTRG members as ‘engineers’.

Mrs. Chayabhai, landless woman from Hanumantwadi village, could learn the skills of preparing vermin-compost by utilizing the agri - waste materials available in the village and sell it for additional income. She is also an active PIRC member and participates with confidence amidst men.