Women in governance

To bring together elected women representatives and community leaders to combat gender based violence against women – a project for facilitation of gender justice program in India was planned during 2010-2012 with specific focus on 3 Districts of Maharashtra namely Latur, Osmanabad and Solapur and metropolitan cities of Pune and Mumbai with the help of American Consulate General (The Secretary of State's Office of Global Women's Issues (S/GWI). The project was focused on reating a policy environment to ensure women and girl children live a life of dignity and free of violence by acquiring knowledge and capacities to combat gender based violence (GRV) in the society.

Achievements:



• 1) Counselling and legal support structure set up are handling VAW cases and women are also active at Information Resource Centres at Pune, Latur, Osmanbad (Umaraga) and Solapur. The resource centres now equipped with information on VAW, GRB and counselling services and importantly a facilitation centre at district level to lead the campaign for rights of women.
• 2) Counselors and social workers handled 855 cases of domestic violence and other forms of violence against women during the project duration.
• 3) District Vigilance committees (Dakshata Samitis) activated and information about the present functioning and operations was collected for state intervention. The meetings at most of the district headquarters are now organised regularly.
• 4) Enhanced awareness amongst community leader on VAW and women's rights as they are able to voice the VAW cases at village level and have been able to create their presence felt. Alongside domestic violence there is reduction in eve teasing, exploitation in the farms and at work place in rural areas. No major issues of VAW were noticed or reported at police stations. The local women's associations and SHGs were activated to play active role with SAK volunteers, especially in rural operational areas of Pune, Latur and Osmanabad districts.
• 5) Increased involvement of women leaders in articulating their demands for women's welfare and speedy justice within PRIs – Gram Panchayats, Taluka and District Panchayats. The Prabohini Manch in the operational districts and are actively operational handing violence related issues and exerting pressure on police administration to nab to culprits. There is considerable reduction in local violence incidences against women in project villages.
• 6) Mahila Mandals (women associations) / SHGs are demanding registration and speedy investigation in GBV cases at grassroots level.
• 7) NGOs awareness levels on VAW enhanced and are referring cases to family counselling centres.
• 8) There is now enhanced co-ordination amongst Municipal authorities (Pune, Solapur, Ausa, etc.), Women and Development departments and their staff with SAK who refer cases to each other for speedy justice to women and girls victims/survivors.
• 9) There is greater acceptance of GRB principles amongst officials of Pune Municipal Corporation. Municipal Commissioner has directed all officials to take a stock of repairs to be done to schools, hospitals, especially for women's conveniences and made appropriate budget provision in 2012-13 budget.
• 10)The other highlights of the success of the project where SAK worked with local Self Governing Bodies are as follows:
  • The Solapur Municipal Corporation has increased its special provisions for women friendly activities in the city form INR 16 million to 22 Million.
  • The Ausa Nagar Parishad has started an innovative schemes for girls under which the City Council will fix deposit an amount of Rs. 500 every girl born every year in the town till she attains 18 years of age and then she will get the amount for her higher education or marriage – as she decides as (as per law she becomes major in her age to decide her own future.