Women’s Political Empowerment: The Maharashtra Government approved a 50% reservation for women in the PRI (local self-governance) in March 2011. But there is no backup support to capacitate them for being effective. Therefore, we experienced the need to make women aware of the opportunities available in the present political system and to increase their involvement and participation. There is a need to improve their capacity-building and leadership qualities to understand the political scene so that they are able to perform their roles and responsibilities effectively and efficiently towards human societies. The project will work towards the following:

• More active participation of women in GramSabhas
• Taking up socio-economic issues of women and in general
• More understanding of Democracy & Development
• More women contesting for the PRI elections, whenever the elections are due in the district
• Capacity building of the women to build their analytical, political, and leadership qualities
• Formation of the network and increase the involvement of the Women Leaders (Mahila Vikas Parishad) at the village to the ZP level and
• Improving relationships with various departments of the Government at the local, block, and district levels.

Violence against Women: The project will work towards making the people in the areas of intervention aware of violence against women. Advocacy regarding the PWDVA. PCPNDT, POSCO, Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace, and human trafficking would be done with the participation and involvement of the various stakeholders. The project will work towards the following:

• Counseling of women facing political issues, in distress
• Providing legal aid and referral and recommendation services to women
• Advocacy regarding social issues such as sex determination and sex-selective abortions, VAW, harassment of women, Child sexual abuse, human trafficking, etc.
• Advocacy regarding the various acts such as the PCPNDT, PWDVA, POSCO, etc.

Gender Equity & Equality: Under this issue, the project will focus on the following:

• Gender Sensitization of the Government officials, police personnel, judiciary, PRI members, etc.
• Promotion of Gender Model Villages and replication of this model in many more villages of intervention
• More focused efforts on the attitude development of the society starting with the family as a unit of intervention.

Sustainability of the empowerment process: For the sustainability of the process after the withdrawal of the implementing organization following activities will be undertaken.

• Feasibility study and development of a Women’s Cooperative at the cluster level
• Formation of a cooperative with a minimum of 750 women members at the Block/District level
• Focus on the economic empowerment of women through this cooperative
• This cooperative will also work towards undertaking the current women’s empowerment activities and processes
• Women’s organization at the Taluka level under the banner of Mahila Vikas Parishad (Women’s Development Council).

Goals: Socio-political empowerment of women in PRI Governance through building their Organizations & Institutions and strengthening them for the promotion of policies, practices, ideas, and beliefs that create gender equality.

Objectives:

• To create a gender-sensitive community in selected villages of 3 blocks of Washim district of Vidarbha, Maharashtra state facilitating positive strategic changes leading to gender equity and women’s political empowerment
• Develop an institutional support mechanism for the change process wherein several marginalized women and girls in the project area live their lives free from discrimination and violence
• Strengthening and Consolidation of Institution building process of women’s organizations in the project area.

Outcomes:

• A Core group of 450 active women from 3 blocks of Washim district would emerge as leaders taking the empowerment processes forward and creating second-level leadership at the village levels.
• About 5000 men and 15000 women will become sensitive to gender roles, gender equity, acceptance, and promotion of women’s political empowerment in the project areas by 450 block level and 750 village level core group members taking the lead role.
• Increased and effective representation of women in decision-making forums in governance institutions in the project villages and blocks by the end of this project.
• The functional supportive mechanism for the victimized women was established at the block level in the projected blocks of the Washim district.

Timeline:

The project duration is for a period of 3 years starting from the year 2022 to the year 2025. The thematic area that the project focussed on is Gender Equity and Women Empowerment. The geographical coverage is 225 villages in 3 blocks of one aspirational district namely Washim in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state in India.

The means of verification would be a Plan of action, implementation mechanism, quarterly, six-monthly and annual reports, review reports, Membership forms, membership funds, District & Block & village Structure, Signboards, Beneficiary Registers, Appeal letters, Documents of Roles & responsibilities, Various concept notes, Training modules, leadership module, capacity building training reports. Awareness material, Training material, Concept notes of violence against women & gender discrimination, Field visits, Reports, case stories, paper clippings, and photos.

Sustainability:

• The capacity-building programs are designed to empower the communities to take the process further even if YRA withdraws
• Multiple collaboration of the organization with various government departments including police and judiciary will be beneficial in developing the identity of the members to work without further assistance from any other at a later stage
• Women’s organization members would have a membership fund with a sizable deposit but funds from other sources are always appreciated to give momentum to the process and at the same time develop the confidence level of the members
• Strong Grass root level interventions
• An excellent team of Barefoot Counselors and paralegals will take the process ahead
• Women leader’s in women’s organizations may take on advocacy and lobbying efforts on their own
• Widespread and effective Campaign coverage
• Feasibility study and development of a Women’s Cooperative at the cluster level
• Formation of a cooperative with 3000 women members at the District level
• Focus on the economic empowerment of women through this cooperative

This cooperative will also work towards undertaking the current women’s empowerment activities and processes.

1. The program itself is based on capacity building and leadership development of poor rural women basically focusing on political empowerment and gender equality.
2. It is really reflecting on the serious understanding of political dynamics and games that women at Panchayat Raj Institution, Panchayat Samiti, and Zilla Parishad level, and the modules of the training will also be prepared accordingly.
3. The women also would be given political exposure so that they themselves will observe, share and take up some leanings from the various political processes. It also relates to YRA

Yuva Rural Association (YRA) is a registered society functioning out of Nagpur. It has turned 20 years and continues to work hard for the development of the rural & tribal poor. The focus is to empower the deprived sections of rural and tribal society through livelihoods, gender, natural resource management (Environment) Climate Change mitigation and adaptation, and advocacy to achieve its goals for the betterment of the constituencies. YRA’s current direct interventions are in more than 2671 villages from around 24 blocks of 7 districts in the Vidarbha region All these interventions were to address various development issues of the constituency groups- small and marginal farmers, women, youth, tribal, and children. YRA has successfully facilitated the processes and campaigns around gender equality as also people’s Organizations and Institutions, thus increasing the participation, accountability, transparency, and ownership of our constituencies so that the social transformation process rolls on its own in a sustainable model. 

Vision: A better human society with equal opportunities and participation towards sustainability of the Planet.

Mission: YRA is committed to supporting and facilitating the needy, poor, and marginalized people to make them harness equal opportunities and participate equally, aiming for “No one Leave Behind”.