.:: Our Vision ::.
        

  Looking at the vast sea of acute deprivation and sufferings, our reach is small but we have successfully created many islands of hope and happiness which with our Vision for 2015 and determination to be there, will grow exponentially and provide firm grounds to the last woman of the State to move forward to a life of dignity and choice.

Mahila Samakhya, Uttar Pradesh-2015

  Mahila Samakhya Uttar Pradesh is a unique initiative. A government programme, it has the passion and commitment of a voluntary agency, energy of a movement and the synergies of a systemic organisation. Its goals are broader and longer term in nature than a 'scheme', as it seeks to bring about change in the situation of women, in terms of equality and empowerment. MS works towards enabling women to bring about a change in their own situation, while also helping society become equity-oriented. Thus, MS works on society in general, but also through social and political institutions, government departments and agencies, and through a larger advocacy in society.

The values that MS seeks to establish (as against only quantitative targets) are:

• Equity and justice


• Freedom, openness of mind


• Autonomy


• Sensitivity


• Respecting the understanding and perspective of women


• Collectiveness/ group intelligence to be respected and promoted

Mahila Samakhya in 19 years long journey has been able to engage Sangha women in many developmental activities, their learning about rights, finance, banking has given them new sense of self worth. The new Sangha Women are full of aspirations and great urge to be economically independent.

Their boundless energy and exceptional resilience to fight back, provides Mahila Samakhya the impetus to create new and innovative ways to fulfil its unending commitment to economically marginalized rural women and their aspirations.

All along its efforts, facilitating economic empowerment of women is turning out to be a priority agenda, for want of any adequate economic development any social transformation is bound to get skewed and has the danger of dissipating its newly created pool of energy.

Access to economic independence can greatly change the long tradition of suppression of women and denial of opportunities to her. Can we create each Sangha women as an entrepreneur managing micro income generating activities at home/Sangha level to village level enterprises, is the challenge to be addressed urgently.

In UP, the main planks of MS action are:

• Rights and governance


• Education


• Health


• Economic empowerment






Vision

MS will play a role in bringing about many changes in the lives of women in UP, by the year 2015, in the four core areas indicated above.



• MS envisages a situation where women are accorded their rightful place in family and social life. We see women entering marriage at an appropriate age by choice, not facing emotional or physical violence, and having recourse to legal redress and emotional support if they do. Apart from gaining equal property rights and their execution, women would play a greater role in governance activities, whether at Panchayat or higher levels. Systemic support to women's rights would also be clearly visible, especially through a sensitised police force.


• In the key area of education, MS would enable a conducive (non-discriminatory and sensitive) environment for girls in the school system. In the areas that have had MS interventions, literacy rates for women and adolescent girls will be around 80% - and all girls in the 14-18 age group will participate in education, without any sense of sexual insecurity. Increased levels of functional and rights-based knowledge would be visible among these girls, as will much greater participation in higher education and vocational / technical courses.


• These changes would also be reflected in the health status of women and children in the programme area, with greatly reduced MMR and IMR. Easy access to health services would have widespread availability as would herbal treatment, with Sangha women establishing and running Herbal Centres. Increased nutritional awareness, use of nutritional diets and quality implementation of MDM and other nutritional schemes will reduce chronic nutritional deficiency. In all, improved health of Sangha members and their families would be a key outcome.


• Finally, all Sangha women would emerge from economic oppression and would be above poverty line (as defined in 2015). They would be successfully participating in small-scale industry and entrepreneurial activities. They would be collectively strong too, as savings groups will lead to mini banks and economically strong Maha Sanghas would implement economic development programmes while also being accountable to the welfare of women.


Mahila Samakhya Uttar Pradesh as an Enabler(rather than as a Deliverer of Services)

In order to achieve such a vision, and on the large scale that the programme has already attained and is poised to enlarge towards, MS would need to function as an enabling agency rather than a delivery mechanism alone. It would see to increase the reach of support and services through a range of means. Some of the key principles on which it will function in its role as an enabler would include the following:

• MS does not feel that it has to undertake all the implementation itself. At the same time, it will prefer not to outsource key components such that the development of internal capacity is inhibited. Rather than restrict internal development to implementation ability, the focus will be on developing 'resource ability'.


• MS will not hesitate to undertake large-scale work, as it does not envision implementing all aspects itself. Instead of simply reacting to needs as they arise, MS will anticipate and at times even generate needs, especially within the state system.


• In its work, MS will rely on its experience in a macro as well as micro sense, not being restricted in its exposure.


• In its programmes, MS will focus not so much on transfer of 'products' as on transfer of processes themselves (i.e. along with the skills and abilities involved).


• As an enabler, MS will develop and implement high quality models in limited scale, but then focus on the up-scaling of these through synergising with others. Towards this, internal capacity will be developed. MS wants to be in a situation where it can offer potentially successful models to the system, and also support it through the ability to implement rapidly, and on large scale.


• MS sees itself as being able to generate ownership and stake in others as well as build their capacities in order to make large scale efforts possible.


• Finally, MS seeks to be proactive rather than reactive, and will function on a long-term agenda and strategy of intervention in the system and society through its various programmes and activities.




MS UP run KGBVs to be a vehicle of expansion of Mahila Samakhya vision and the programme

• The objective of KGBV, the residential schools is to ensure access to quality education and to mainstream the dropout and overaged girls of disadvantaged groups of society.


• MSUP will help them to continue their education beyond class VIII and to instill in them certain vocational skills that will make them monetarily independent.


• MSUP will help them to be aware of different Government scheme and preparing them to participate in them.


• Help them to be gender sensitive and legally and socially aware about their rights so that they are able to take forward a highly gender sensitive vision.


• Many would be absorbed by MS for its expansion within the district and outside.


Key non-negotiables of MSUP

Re-iterating the non-negotiables that have been enshrined from the beginning, MS will continue to remain true to the following:

• Efforts for and by women, according to their situation and environment


• Generating an environment conducive to cooperation


• Emphasis on deprived groups/marginalized groups, and local issues


• Flexibility (in approach, methods, processes, but not in objectives, values or principles)


• Freedom of work and space


• A bottom to top approach, enabling group decisions


• Synergising with what others are doing; supplementing / joining in rather than duplicating


• Process oriented (not working on 'fixed targets' as in govt schemes but never loosing sight of tangibles.)




MSUP will continue to remain an organisation whose functioning is based on the following values:

• The feeling of doing something important.


• Valuing and practising analytical thinking.


• Transparency


• Importance / respect for each individual


• Identity of women as women, not as belonging to a caste, community, religion, etc.


• Cooperation / group intelligence


• Trust


• Working on basis of a negotiated understanding of needs.


• Synergy/ rhythm in the organisation: (all 'fit' with each other such that work is done well.)


• Self concept/ self identity


Strategy Frame (Emerging)


MS is still in the process of identifying (from its own and others' experience as well as knowledge) those factors that inhibit or enable change at the level of individuals, communities, society, institutions and systems. The outcome of this exercise will no doubt influence the following strategy matrix, which is offered tentatively.








Milestones

In order to achieve the above Vision - both of the status of women in UP as well as of the role of MS as an enabler - the following 'milestones' have be worked out through an intensive group process. They indicate the direction of work and the stages envisaged to achieving the vision.


Rights Initiatives and Governance

     In 3 years
• Women in all programme area will have understanding of domestic violence and will have ability to deal with it.
• In the program area of Mahila Samakhya consultation centers would be active. Legal consultancy centers would also be established.

     In 6 years
• All decisions and places of Panchayat will have compulsory participation of women.
• Maha Sangha would be able to assume role of big pressure groups, which will have its own recognition and would be capable of providing resources.
• Women will have equal partnership in the buying and selling of the property and they would be having equal rights in it.
• Nari adalat will get place to hold adalat in police station.
• In Mahila Samakhya program area Police officials would be gender sensitized.
• Establishment of small stay homes for the oppressed women at village level.

     In 10 years
• No child marriages in MS districts would take place.
• Demand would be established in Uttar Pradesh for the redistribution of natural resources.
• In the higher echelons of politics participation of women will increase.
• Women will have ownership right on property.


Education

     In 3 years
• Gender and class discrimination in schools will end

     In 5 years
• Teachers would be more understanding and sensitive towards the needs of adolescent girls.
• Feeling of sexual insecurity among adolescent girls will end.
• All adolescent girls between the age of 14-18 years will go to School or various skill based learning centers.
• Increase in the level of functional and right based knowledge of all adolescent girls and women between 18-35 years of age.

     In 7 years
• Higher Education, Entrepreneur Institutes / Employment, Technical and vocational training will be within the reach of adolescent girls and women of Mahila Samakhya (MSK, Sanghas, KGBV).

     In 10 years
• Making educational environment conducive and favourable.
• Literacy rate of women and adolescent girls would at least go upto 80% in developmental blocks where Mahila Samakhya has intervened


Health

     3-5 years
• Use of herbs will increase for treatment purposes

     5-6 years
• Degree of nutritional deficiency will reduce among Sangha women and adolescent girls

     8-10 years
• MMR & IMR will reduce in MS programe area
• All Sangha women would be able to access health services
• Sangha women's nutritional awareness would increase and use of nutritional diet would come into practice
• Herbal centres would be established at cluster level (MS villages) and would be managed by Sangha women
• Herbal health centres would have their own producing unit
• Services of TBA's in MS area would be strengthened for RCH services

     In 10 years
• Health of family members of Sangha women would improve


Economic Employment

  1.  10 years               All Sangha women would be above the poverty line.(as per the definition of poverty line in 2015)


• 0-1 years            Identifying and networking with successful small entrepreneurs of the district.


• 1-2 years            Identifying and establishing local resources / infrastructure for livelihood.


• 1-2 years            Identifying small-scale industries.


• 1-2 years            Identifying small entrepreneurs.


• 2-4 years            Establishment of unit and capacity development of Sangha so that each one of them can generate a profit of atleast Rs.  50,000 - 1,00000 by the end of 2010.


• 7 years                Women would successfully operate small-scale industries.

                                                                                                               
• 7 years                Established as Entrepreneurs.





  2.  5-7 years               Operate Mini Bank through savings.


  3.  8-10 years             Identifying and establishing business establishments which will aim at providing livelihood.


  4.  10 years              Maha Sangha would be economically strong and autonomous, would participate in the implementation of economic development program at the state level and would be answerable to the welfare of the women.


  5.  7 years               Increase in the corpus fund of Mahila Samakhya.


  6.  2 years               Study and documentation of employment unit set up by Sangha women.