The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world s problems.

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2 The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world s problems. - Mahatma Gandhi Cover Sabita Sethy Ward Member,Sahebnagar, Jayadev Gram Panchayat, Balianta Block, Khurda District,Orissa

3 The Hunger Project Annual Report 2008~09

4 ABOUT THE HUNGER PROJECT The Hunger Project is a global strategic organisation working in 14 countries committed to ending hunger. In India it is committed to ignite, kindle and sustain the leadership spirit in women elected to village Panchayats. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) mandated per cent reservation for women in all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), has brought more than one million women into public political life. It is our conviction that active participation of these women in local governance shall make hunger free India a reality. In reality there are numerous obstacles faced by the elected women representatives. The Hunger Project recognizes the social conditions and understands the obstacles and seeks to address them by strengthening the role of elected women representatives in grassroots governance so that they are able to assert their rights and build a future free of hunger, poverty and injustice. The elected women leaders that The Hunger Project has worked with in the last nine years have shown phenomenal leadership ability, against all odds. They have struggled to bring water, health, and education to their villages despite pressure, threats, violence, and brutalities. They have constructed roads and provided clean drinking water to their communities. These elected women representatives are slowly but surely changing the development agenda of their villages. Years after the 73rd CAA, rural women understand that it is their right to stand for elections and govern their Panchayats. In the remote corners of this country, thousands of women leaders have already started to occupy public spaces and are questioning corruption, inefficiency, and lack of necessities in their villages. The elected women leaders need support and mentoring such that their leadership is strengthened and they are able to construct a hunger free India for themselves and their fellow citizens. The Hunger Project is committed to staying the course with these elected women leaders. Map of India showing the 13 states in which The Hunger Project works. The Hunger Project, working in 13 states of India, focuses on the mobilisation and empowerment of elected women representatives in Panchayats. Through effective strategies, and in partnership with more than 59 civil society organisations, we have worked with and supported the leadership of more than 75,000 elected women representatives.

5 Contents 9 MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR 10 PROGRAMME STRATEGIES 13 STRENGTHENING WOMEN S LEADERSHIP THROUGH WORKSHOPS 16 FACILITATING EFFECTIVE LOCAL ELECTED WOMEN S FEDERATIONS 21 STRENGTHENING WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ELECTORAL PROCESSES 23 MOBILISING EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ELECTED WOMEN IN GRAM SABHAS 27 PARTNERING WITH THE MEDIA 29 SAROJINI NAIDU PRIZE 30 BUILDING ALLIANCES FOR ADVOCACY 33 NATIONAL PLATFORM TO PROMOTE DECENTRALISATION 34 REBUILDING LIVES AFTER THE TSUNAMI 36 SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS 38 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS 40 FINANCIAL FACTS 41 AUDITORS REPORT 42 BALANCE SHEET AS AT MARCH 31, INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, SCHEDULE 1 46 PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS 48 GOVERNANCE 49 Directory

6 You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women. - Jawaharlal Nehru

7 MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR It gives me great pleasure to once again present the work of The Hunger Project in India. The Hunger Project has consistently set itself high benchmarks and this year is no exception. We have trained over 5000 elected women leaders in our Women s Leadership Workshops in five states. The state of Uttarakhand held Panchayat elections and The Hunger Project conducted a pre-election campaign across the state. Across the country we are facilitating the formation of federations of elected women leaders to date we have over 160 block level federations with membership of thousands. The elected women leaders are using their federations to advocate for policy change and also as a platform for getting information from each other and on Panchayati Raj. We collaborated with new international partners in A technical partnership with SKL International (Sweden) and SIPU (Sweden) enhanced our learning on federation building and paved the path for the birth of the State federation of Gram Panchayat elected women in Karnataka. Our partnership with Environmental Defence Fund has supported us in the production of a film on women Panchayat leaders and climate change. Our partnership with Forum Syd (Sweden) supported our work in Gujarat and with Ribbink Van Den Hoek Foundation (The Netherlands), our work in Madhya Pradesh. Smt. Sonia Gandhi invited thirty elected women leaders to her official residence. The interaction between the elected women leaders and the Chairperson of the Congress party was informal and lively, where the elected women leaders shared their experiences with her. In pursuance of its objective of gender justice, The Hunger Project is committed to creating an atmosphere free from gender based discrimination in its work environment. In compliance with the Vishaka Guidelines, The Hunger Project has put in place a Policy for Prevention, Prohibition and Punishment of Sexual Harassment of Women at the Workplace. The Hunger Project Code of Conduct, which is a reflection of the underlying standards shaping the vision of The Hunger Project as a professional, ethical and socially responsible organisation, has also been put in place. Like most organizations, we were drastically affected by the recent economic recession. Fortunately, this was seized by us, as an opportunity to reflect and strategize for the year ahead. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all donors, investors, friends and colleagues who have supported us in this year of recession. This has enabled us to continue our work with the elected women leaders. As I write this, the Government of India has approved 50 per cent reservation for women across all three tiers of Panchayati Raj Institutions. This increase from per cent reservation is a validation of the success and achievement of the elected women leaders in Gram Panchayats who have worked hard to alter the development agenda of the villages. With 50 per cent reservation, more rural women in India will have an opportunity to exercise their leadership in the villages of India. With deep appreciation of your support. Rita Sarin Country Director

8 PROGRAMME STRATEGIES The Hunger Project uses a multi pronged strategy to strengthen the leadership of elected women representatives so that they become key change agents in ending hunger, poverty and injustice in the villages of India. Strengthening Women s Leadership Through three-day residential Women s Leadership Workshops, two-day follow up workshops and a one-day need based workshops, Federation Building and Strengthening Women s Empowerment in Electoral Processes workshops - The Hunger Project has trained over 75,000 elected women representatives. Making Panchayats Effective The second strategy understands the need for mobilisation of the Gram Sabhas if women s leadership in the Panchayats is to be effective. The Hunger Project facilitates greater participation of women in the Gram Sabhas such that issues concerning women are identified, raised and addressed on a regular basis. Influencing Public Opinion Influencing Public Opinion is also a key strategy of The Hunger Project. Understanding the need for the development of a political and public will to facilitate conditions which will truly create an environment for transformative change at the grassroots, The Hunger Project has actively engaged with the media and other stakeholders. To this end, The Hunger Project also awards the Sarojini Naidu Prize annually. The Prize carries a cash award of Rupees Two Lakhs to journalists in the print media as recognition of best reporting on women and Panchayati Raj in the print media in Hindi, English and Other Indian Language categories. Alliance building for Advocacy and Support To ensure the effectiveness of the 73 rd CAA at the grassroots, The Hunger Project has been collaborating with other like-minded organisations on policy issues that negatively impact on the effectiveness of women s leadership. This has ensured that policy changes create a favourable environment for women Panchayat leaders who have made a choice to stand firmly on the ground of good governance and equal participation. 8

9 THE HUNGER PROJECT S OPERATIONAL AREA States Assam Bihar An Pr TN MP Orissa Raj Kar HP J&K Mah Guj Uttk Total Districts Covered Blocks covered Gram Panchayats Covered Five-year Cycle of Building Elected Women s Leadership 9

10 Below: Elected women leaders at a WLW in Rajasthan State Year in the election cycle as on Elections due Andhra Pradesh 3rd 2011 Assam 1st 2013 Bihar 3rd 2011 Gujarat 3rd 2011 Himachal Pradesh 4th 2010 Jammu & Kashmir Delayed Delayed Karnataka 4th 2010 Orissa 2nd 2012 Madhya Pradesh 4th 2010 Maharashtra Ongoing Regular Elections Rajasthan 4th 2010 Tamil Nadu 3rd 2011 Uttarakhand 1st

11 STRENGTHENING WOMEN S LEADERSHIP THROUGH WORKSHOPS Earlier, the secretary of the Panchayat was our boss. He used to keep the key of the Panchayat office and open it rarely if at all. After attending the Women s Leadership Workshop, I understood our rights and responsibilities. I then had the courage to ask the secretary for the keys to the office. Now it is our office and the secretary regularly attends it Subhadra Kakati President Septi Nakul Gaon Panchayat The Hunger Project in India s core strategy is capacity building of elected women representatives. The objective of this strategy is to build confidence and empower first time elected women representatives with information and knowledge about the key roles and responsibilities in local self government institutions the Panchayats so that they can effectively and efficiently articulate the vision of their communities and take the first step towards transformative leadership. Training of Trainers are conducted prior to each set of capacity building initiatives to ensure accurate transfer of perspective, information, knowledge and skill to elected women representatives. Participants of a Training of Trainers workshop are usually trainers and field level professionals of partner organisations. In , a total of 30 such workshops were conducted by The Hunger Project and 799 trainers were trained. It is interesting to note that some of the elected women representatives of the previous term have trained as trainers in the Training of Trainers workshops and strengthened the leadership of currently elected women representatives. The Women s Leadership Workshops saw a positive impact of this, where participants looked upon these trainers as icons of leadership and transformation. I talked about issues such as shame, violence, anger, something I could not have discussed anywhere else feedback after a WLW Women s Leadership Workshops Participatory in methodology, the workshop provides sharing and learning from each other s experiences and discovering their own strength. The workshop seeks to instil and facilitate: Creation of a sense of self-esteem and dignity A shift from a mindset of I cannot to I can Understanding of the self as a woman, caste, class, religion, and leader Understanding political citizenship Articulation of a vision for their communities Skills to be effective Panchayat leaders Understanding society as a system and understanding how power imbalances operate Creation of a sense of solidarity with others committed to this cause Emphasis on the importance of the participation of women in regular Panchayat meetings and Gram Sabhas (general body meetings) 11

12 Women s Leadership and Follow-up Workshops April 08- March 09 Type of Workshop No. of Workshops Elected Women participants Block Level Workshops to launch WLW WLWs Follow up Workshop Total: Elected women s leadership is also strengthened through various capacity building initiatives that include Women s Leadership Workshops, Follow-up workshops, Need based workshops (workshop s on Right to Information (RTI), gender based violence, gender sensitisation, legal literacy, social audit, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS) etc), workshops on building federations that address vision, objective, structure, membership, advocacy plans and action plans of elected women representatives federations, and campaigns on Strengthening Women s Empowerment through the Electoral Processes (SWEEP) or a preelection voter awareness campaign. Though women have gained a foothold in the local decision making systems through the 73rd CAA elected women representatives face a lot of problems and hardship while attempting to discharge their duties. Need based workshops are conducted in the second/third year of the election cycle. These are thematic workshops that focus on building capacity of elected women representatives to address and resolve specific challenges that come their way. Broadly, the need-based workshops addressed the following needs in the reporting period: Institutions of governance and policy - PRI, Two Child Norm, Gram Sabha etc. Government schemes and programmes NREGS and other state schemes Tools for individual and collective rights RTI, Right to Food (RTF) Social justice gender and governance, sexual harassment at the workplace, domestic violence, legal literacy 12 Needs are expressed by elected women representatives, according to which the partner organisations and The Hunger Project plan capacity building exercises.

13 Number and types of Need Based Workshops Topic of Workshop No. of Workshops No. of Elected Women Leaders Women Rights & Legal Work 1 5 Workshop on Laws and Politics 3 45 Workshop Support Structure Water Conservation 1 29 Adolescent Health Awareness 1 30 Book Keeping Workshop Gender Workshop 2 39 General Need Based Workshop NREGS Right to Food 7 97 Right to Information Orientation of youth on (PRIs) Total Khatu Devi is a Ward Panch from Ramsar Panchayat in Barmer Block, Rajasthan. She belongs to one of the 150 Dalit families in her Panchayat. Khatu Devi has endeavoured to ensure that NREGS is properly implemented in her village. When no projects were being undertaken by the Panchayat, she organized the Self Help Groups and the Dalit Vikas Committee into an effective pressure group. As a direct consequence of her effort a canal is being constructed in the Panchayat under NREGS. It has employed the entire working population of her Panchayat. She is monitoring the project by effectively using the RTI Act. In addition, she has started a Pension Scheme and worked to strengthen the Antodaya scheme. 13

14 FACILITATING EFFECTIVE LOCAL ELECTED WOMEN S FEDERATIONS As part of its strategy, The Hunger Project facilitates federation building processes in the third year of the five year tenure of an elected women representative. Insight and knowledge, gained over the last three years has seen the emergence of a distinct need for change in strategy of building federations. What has emerged is that by mid second year elected women are keen to co-learn and build alliances with each other to have a greater impact in their communities and in Panchayats. Elected women representatives federations have emerged as powerful voices for influencing public policy at the district and state level. The Hunger Project has built upon the need for federations by facilitating inputs on vision, goal and objectives of federations. The objectives of federation building workshops were: 1. To facilitate the federation building and strengthening process of elected women representatives in Panchayats at the block and district level 2. Identify strengths, opportunities and challenges of the federation building process 3. The Hunger Project and partner NGOs to be equipped with new knowledge and tools that will facilitate their work in promoting federations Federation Building Workshops and Meetings No. of Workshops No. of Elected Women Leaders Federation Building Workshop Federation Election at Block Level Federation Election at State Level Federation Meeting at Block Level Federation Meeting at District Level Federation Meeting at State Level Elected Women Leaders capacity building workshop on Federation Panch Sarpanch committee Training Total

15 This extraordinary experience of being a part of the initial journey of elected women from I Cannot to I Can, and now to be alongside elected women from the journey of I Can to We Can, is truly remarkable for The Hunger Project and all its partners who share the common vision of building women s leadership in grassroots democracy. Conceptual clarity on processes, vision and objective of elected women s federations has emerged during this period. While the process is still evolving organically, the initial foundation of federations has been laid with clearly defined roles, responsibilities and structure. Federations of elected women have successfully led advocacy campaigns demanding good governance and social justice. Overall, federations have provided elected women a platform, which they can use for accessing rights and entitlements for themselves and their community. The prevailing sense of solidarity and collective action has been a truly empowering process for elected women. Federation processes were enriched by inputs from twenty three partners across four states and technical partnerships with various groups and organizations like Mahila Rajsatta Andolan in Maharashtra, the Institute of Development Studies, PRIA and Unnati in Jaipur, Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan in Gujarat and a technical partnership with SKL International (Sweden) and SIPU International (Sweden) in Karnataka. Two studies were undertaken by The Hunger Project in early 2008 to enhance an understanding of federation processes. The first study was Assessment of Federations in Karnataka. It looked at past federation building initiatives of elected women representatives in Karnataka and at the structure of Self Help Groups (SHGs) federations. The second study titled - Understanding the Hunger Project s Federation Building Initiative in Rajasthan, traced the federation building process of The Hunger Project in Rajasthan. Both the studies provided key insights into the strategic inputs necessary to build and sustain federations. Structure of Federations: The Hunger Project encourages elected women representatives to formulate the structure of federations that work for them. At every step, The Hunger Project and its partners play a facilitating role. As a result, federations across states have their distinct structures. The membership base in these federations are diverse and include the partnerships forged with former elected representatives at the Panchayat level, Block level elected women, members of SHGs and influential women leaders at the village level. Most of the federations have a paid member ship base; the amount varies and is decided by the members themselves. In Assam, Karnataka, Rajasthan and Maharashtra the federations are at a mature stage, and therefore, their structure is clearly defined with well articulated roles and responsibilities. In Madhya Pradesh the federation building process was facilitated only in the recent past. While in Orissa and Bihar, the federations are still in the process of being developed. Slowly clarity on structure has emerged and in the coming years, going by the record, they will definitely emerge as formidable women s agencies. 15

16 Federations across States In Assam currently, there are 24 block level federations across 25 blocks in three Districts of Golaghat, Jorhat and Lakhimpur with a membership of approximately 900 elected women leaders. These federations are known as Block Elected Women Representative Forum (BEWRF). The BEWRFs have broadened their membership to include non-elected women as this space has emerged as a space for all women to access for redressal of their grievances. Soon after the RTI Act was passed all BEWRFs were given an orientation on its use, which the elected women leaders put to great use. One of the first uses of RTI in the State was by a BEWRF member. A ward member of Dakhuakhna Block, not aware of the construction of a road in her ward approached the block office. Having just taken training on RTI, she filed an application under a different name asking for details of the contractor and labour hired. In the information she received, it was discovered that among the labour hired, she and her husband s name were also included. A case was filed against the Block Development Officer (BDO) and a fine levied against the BDO. In Karnataka, 87 block federations of elected women representatives in 21 districts with a membership of 3000 elected women leaders have been formed. Named, SUGRAMA: Grama Panchayat Chunayita Mahila Okutta Karnataka; the federation has documented bye-laws which addresses issues of membership, elections, structure, reservation and fee collection. All 609 office bearers of 87 block Federations have been trained to understand the concept, structures and principles of federations. The process of establishing SUGRAMA has been participatory, democratic and based on the principles of inclusion, and has a two- tier structure. At the block level, the members of the federation have disseminated government circulars to their colleagues thereby thwarting attempts of corruption by the administration, accessed honorariums for themselves and their colleagues which they were hitherto unaware off, identified eligible below the poverty line families for accessing government schemes and addressed gender based violence in their area. Their engagement with the media and the district administration showcase their pro-activeness in inducting other stakeholders to champion their cause. 16 In Bihar, in 17 blocks, federation processes are underway. The blocks are across four districts, namely Muzaffarpur, Madhubani, Rohtas, and Jehanabad. Around 700 have been identified as potential members of the federation. The members of the federations in Bihar have successfully participated in the advocacy campaign on lifting the Two Child Norm along with other partner and civil society groups in the state. The Chief Minister of Bihar wrote an assurance letter to the Prime Minister on the eve of the Panchayati Raj Representatives National Convention in New Delhi, that his government would not implement the Two Child Norm in Bihar. This victory points to the success of The Hunger Project s federation building and advocacy efforts.

17 In Rajasthan 12 block level federations have been formed and strengthened. They are spread across eight Districts of Alwar, Baran, Barmer, Bikaner, Jaipur, Rajsamand, Sirohi and Tonk. Overall, 900 elected women are part of the federation strengthening process in Rajasthan. With the Panchayat elections due in the state the federations of elected women leaders are now in the process of preparing and taking active part in the SWEEP campaign. In Madhya Pradesh eight block level federations have been formed and consolidated, across eight Districts of Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Jhabua, Sehore, Bhopal, Chindwara and Harda. Three hundred and fifty elected women are part of these federations they look forward to participating in the forthcoming Panchayat elections in the State and in the SWEEP campaign. Memorandums on rightful implementation of public distribution system have been submitted by two block level federations in the state. In Orissa eight block level federations have been facilitated and are in the process of being strengthened. The blocks are across six Districts of Anugul, Dhenkanal, Gajapati, Nuapada, Kalahandi and Rayagada. Approximately, 500 women have come forward in this first initiative towards mobilization of elected women representatives to form federations comprising both Sarpanch and Ward members. Federation Meeting in Rajasthan in progress In Maharashtra four block level federations have been strengthened in the District of Ratnagiri, in the Konkan region. The Blocks include Chiplun, Guhagar, Dapoli and Mandangad. One hundred and fifty women are part of these federations. Two block level Federation s had initiated a long drawn successful advocacy campaign on women s access to property rights by way of the issue of Joint Registration of houses. In two blocks there is now 100 per cent 17

18 WORK & ISSUES UNDERTAKEN BY FEDERATIONS ACROSS STATES: Provide information on NREGS, 73rd CAA & PRIs Involve Government officials as a support structure for Elected women leaders Rightful implementation of government schemes of NREGS, Mid-Day Meals and increased monitoring of the same by elected women Advocate for effective functioning of the Public Distribution System Implementation of proposals submitted in the Gram Sabha and strengthening the institution of Gram Sabha s that are institutions of grassroots democracy Promote institutional delivery to check the Maternal Mortality Rate (MMR) Check corruption in implementation of government schemes Advocate for implementation of Forest Rights Act and Panchayat Extension in Scheduled Areas (PESA) To engage with government to raise stipends of elected representatives at Gram Panchayat level Ensure that principles of social justice are upheld for all, especially marginalised groups Address issues of growing gender based violence Develop a favorable supportive environment between the Elected women leaders and Government Officials joint registration of houses. Another block level Federation demanded the block and district administration sanction the appointment of a veterinary doctor to look after cattle in a number of villages. Since then an appointment has been made. In the other villages the Federation intervened to enhance women s participation in general Gram Sabhas and also demanded the local administration hold the Women s Gram Sabhas. In addition, liquor has been banned in two villages due to the stand taken up by federations. Overall, 160 block level federations with a membership of 6500 elected women representatives, across six states of Assam, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra have been formed. Training in progress 18

19 STRENGTHENING WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ELECTORAL PROCESSES Strengthening Women s Empowerment through Electoral Processes (SWEEP) is a pre-election campaign strategy, which The Hunger Project has successfully implemented across various states in India in previous years. During this reporting period Panchayat elections were held in only one state - Uttarakhand. The objective of the campaign was to highlight and re-define the concept of women s leadership and to ensure and increase women s participation in the electoral process as informed candidates and voters. For the first time, fifty per cent of Gram Panchayat seats were reserved for women. The rath yatra was started from the state capital Dehradun to Badrinath and covered 12 blocks of five districts. Thirty five street plays were held at different identified locations of Uttarakhand. A total number of people (5159 male & 6645 female) joined the movement and circulated the message to their villages and towns. The Gram Panchayat elections took place in September 2008 in Uttarakhand. The state government announced fifty per cent reservation for women in the state for the first time. Five Hunger Project partners in Kumaon and Garhwal regions implemented SWEEP across seven districts covering 450 Gram Panchayats. The campaign was conducted at both the extensive and intensive level. Six hundred and six Gram Panchayats were covered extensively and 450 were intensively covered. Maximum coverage was ensured through extensive dissemination of posters, pamphlets, radio programmes across all districts of Uttarakhand. The impact of the campaign is clear as the number of women who were elected exceeded the number of reserved seats for the first time in the state. A two month radio programme in Uttarakhand was developed to enhance the understanding on electoral processes in Panchayati Raj. It was broadcast and by All India Radio Nazibabad and was heard all over the state as well as in neighbouring states. A rath yatra (advocacy procession) along with street plays was also organised. मह ल प च यत jsfm;ks dk;zdze Lke;&15 feuv izr;sd Hkk'kk&x<+okyh&fgUnh Yks[ku Tkxeksgu flag t;km+k] Tk;izdk'k iaokj,oe~ nhik iaokj lkstu; ls Jh Hkqous'ojh efgyk vkje] vatuhls.k] fvgjh x<+okya Lkg;ksx gaxj ifj;kstuk] Iyku b.vjus'kuy] lapkj tu psruk U;kl o psuy ekm.vsu 19

20 Intensive activities included village level meetings and engaging with existing women s federations to actively participate in the election process. Intensive capacity building workshops were conducted with smaller groups of potential women candidates. A unique strategy was to set up Panchayat Knowledge Centres which served as single windows for all election related information. During SWEEP, media advocacy was done to address pre-conceived notions about women s participation in Panchayats. This resulted in some very positive media coverage during the elections. More than 20 journalists from different newspapers across districts of Uttarakhand attended the conference along with our partner organizations and 14 elected women leaders. The journalists were keen to know the work done by elected women leaders on gender-based violence, alcoholism, and on the implementation of various schemes on education and health. Questions were also asked on the cooperation the elected women leaders receive from other government bodies, the experience of elected women leaders to initiate and implement schemes, and their experience on corruption. Workshops on SWEEP Type of Workshop No of Workshops No of EWR participants No of Women Participants No of Men Participants Campaign for Re-contesting Identification of Potential Leaders for SWEEP Total Elected women leaders of Uttarakhand 20

21 MOBILISING EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATION OF ELECTED WOMEN IN GRAM SABHAS The Hunger Project-India has launched a new initiative to monitor and evaluate the impact of its interventions on women s leadership in local democracy by tracking quarterly Gram Sabha (village assembly) meetings. For the first time data has been gathered from these meetings which tracks not only the role of elected women leaders and the impact of The Hunger Project s training programmes, but also the entire march of progress towards true bottom-up democracy. Nine hundred and thirty five Gram Sabha meetings were tracked across six states. The initial reports show some areas with no meetings at all, to meetings where women arrive with organized agendas and press effectively for action. Gram Sabha is the constitutionally mandated mechanism by which grassroots people hold Panchayats accountable. All voting-age citizens are members. Panchayat priorities are set, budgets are approved, and results are reported to the quarterly Gram Sabha meetings. Holding a Gram Sabha can represent a major milestone of progress. Having women participate and speak in these is another breakthrough. Total Numbers of Gram Sabhas tracked State Total number tracked Bihar 55 Madhya Pradesh 401 Orissa 66 Tamil Nadu 160 Karnataka 1 Maharashtra 252 Total 935 The issues raised by the elected women leaders in different states have varied depending on the context of the state. In Maharashtra, there is a notable change in women s participation in Gram Sabha. The number is seen to be increasing after every Gram Sabha. The better fact is the women attending the Gram Sabha are seen to motivate the other women to join the Gram Sabha. The elected women leaders stressed the issues of health & hygiene, open defecation free campaign, water supply and transparency in the governance. Construction of toilets, schools and quality education, water supply and bore-well construction, selection of Asha (Accredited Social Health Activist), health and sanitation are some issues added by women to the agenda of Gram Sabha. Most of these issues receive positive reaction from the other members. Trained women members effectively questioned the allocation of only 10 per cent of the Panchayat budget for women and 15 per cent of Panchayat budget for Dalit community development. Women have also discussed liquor prohibition & housing schemes in the Gram Sabhas. 21

22 It has been observed that women from 80 per cent villages positively contributed in the discussion, only because of the training received by them. Women members from 32 out of 47 villages have signed the proceedings only after it was read out by the Gram Sevak. The suggestion that the flag hoisting ceremony held on Republic and Independence Day should be done by the ten elected women leaders in schools and Anganwadis (government sponsored child-care and mother-care centres) was presented by women in Bori village in Gadchiroli. This suggestion received a negative reaction from the male members. Women raise sensitive and appreciable suggestions such as that the Gram Sabha should be called keeping in mind the convenience of the women in the village. The elected women leaders have also received a very positive response to their suggestion that Below Poverty Line (BPL) lists should be revised as the existing lists were fraudulent.. With the participation of elected women leaders in Gram Sabhas cases of domestic violence against women have also been brought up. The discussion in Gram Sabha effectively raised awareness and support for such women. The Mahila Gram Sabhas are being held in most of the villages where the Hunger Project partner the Mahila Rajsatta Andolan (MRA) is active. The response to Mahila Gram Sabhas is observed to be increasing in the intervened villages. However, the maximum potential of Mahila Gram Sabhas still remains unutilized. In Bihar, discussions in Gram Sabhas has been limited to different schemes like Indira Awaas Yojana (housing scheme), Old Age Pension Scheme, NREGS and BPL job cards. Issues related to social development are rarely raised though the elected women leaders from marginalised groups have started raising their concerns in Gram Sabhas in the different districts. There is also increased participation of Dalit elected women leaders in Gram Sabhas because of The Hunger Project s engagement with marginalised communities. An example of the increased awareness is the Up-Mukhiya (Vice-President) of the Kalpa Panchayat of Jehanabad Block who refused to sign on the register unless the proceedings were documented. Another positive effect of the continuous capacity building of the elected women leaders is that they have started to demand that the proceedings of the last Gram Sabha be read out and discussed in the present one. 22 The male members feel that the participation of women creates a different environment in Gram Sabha. It interrupts their freedom and creates disputes. They feel strange when literate and nonliterate elected women leaders not only present their concern in Gram Sabhas, but also mobilise other women to participate in the same. The male ward members do not show much interest in attending the Gram Sabhas these days, but the husbands of the ward members sometimes accompany them in order to observe their wives participate in the Gram Sabha. s

23 The Gram Sabhas held in Madhya Pradesh high light the conundrum of external factors like caste differences, feudalism and dominant tribal identity, political pressure, apathy of government machinery and lack of political will. Due to the increased presence of vocal elected women representatives Gram Sabhas have shown improvement. One of the strategies adopted by the federation members in the third Gram Sabha of year 2008 has been to chart out a separate agenda in consultation with women Self Help Groups and various people s groups prior to the actual Gram Sabha. About 23 per cent of the women surveyed also felt that there should be a separate Gram Sabha for women as in Maharashtra However; there are regular instances where women haven t been allowed to speak. There have been arguments and disagreements and gender based biasness have also been observed. Many women, trained by The Hunger Project are forthcoming during the deliberations and bring qualitative changes in Gram Sabha. They have managed to bring out issues related to social development in the open for discussion and action, united community members across caste and class divides on issues like education, brought about transparency and ensured accountability in Employment Guarantee Schemes (EGS). The role of elected women leaders in increasing the participation of women in the Gram Sabhas is also an established fact. A Glimpse into the agenda of Elected Women Representatives Pass book for social security schemes for the elderly to be issued by the relevant authorities Closure of liquor shops in villages Inclusion of women in EGS lists (NREGS)/ Timely payment of wages under EGS Opening of schools for girls/ Up gradation of existing schools for higher education Selection of social security schemes through transparent method in the Gram Sabha Regular opening of health centres Construction of dry toilets at home/ Construction of public toilets Availability of job opportunities at Panchayat level to arrest migration Availability of water/ Alternative arrangements for drinking water Transferring land in women s names Monitoring of Mid-Day Meal Scheme Discussion on Public Distribution system Functioning of Anganwadi 23

24 In Orissa, elected women leaders have found it difficult to hold Gram Sabhas due to lack of cooperation from their own Panchayat officials, and the people in general. Only the ones in February and June elicit some interest in the people as new plans are made in these. But there s scant interest in following up or evaluating these plans/projects among the people. Political divisions among the Panchayat representatives and clout of local strongmen also discourage people from participating in these meetings. Hence, Gram Sabhas are reduced to mere formalities with little or no attendance of the people. In Kalahandi, Rayagada and Anugul, several elected women leaders participated in a Gram Sabha. The women Sarpanches presiding over these Gram Sabhas needed support in conducting the meetings. Though the general atmosphere is not overtly hostile, it was not encouraging either thereby hampering elected women leader s active participation in such meetings. In Kalahandi when a woman ward member tried to suggest the name of a beneficiary woman under the Old-Age Pension, she was instructed by some men to wait till the more important issue of road construction in the village was discussed. In Anugul District, some of the The Hunger Project trained elected women leaders who had seemed upbeat about the Gram Sabhas backed out at the last moment citing non-cooperation of the Panchayat Secretaries and other rival (political) groups in the village. In most places there was no agenda decided for the meeting, and discussions if any, centred on the NREGS works, IAY houses, tube wells, and local law and order issues. In Tamil Nadu the Gram Sabhas are conducted regularly four times a year. In female headed Panchayats about per cent elected women leaders participated in , participation of SHG women is also high as they are comfortable with elected women leaders. The issues raised by them focused the insufficient wages in NREGS scheme and the implementation of Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam (All Village Anna Renaissance Scheme). In Vizhunthamavadi Panchayat of Keelaiyur Block, Nagapattinam District the Panchayat passed a resolution in the Gram Sabha to stop manufacturing illicit liquor within the Panchayat limits. Also issues of drinking water and toilet facilities in schools were predominant. Issues related to NREGS, the Forest Rights Act and other basic amenities were also raised by women. 24 Major Resolutions Passed By Active Participation of Women in Gram Sabhas Employment generation opportunities for women at Panchayat level Re working of beneficiaries list under different social security schemes Monitoring of different schemes for children and women Giving mid-day meal s responsibility to self-self groups Approving construction works of wells, hand pumps, ponds, school building, kitchen shed, primary health centre, opening of new school for girls Upgradation of schools to high school level etc.

25 PARTNERING WITH THE MEDIA Media workshops help to sensitize the media on the challenges faced by elected women leaders in the Gram Panchayats. It informs, educates and brings to focus their enormous achievements. A total of 18 media workshops and press conferences were organised by The Hunger Project in 10 States. In all, 400 journalists were sensitised in these workshops. In Madhya Pradesh, The Hunger Project gives annual media fellowships to journalists for report on issues of Women and Panchayats. In 2008, one fellowship was given to Ms Pallavi Baghela for reportage on elected women s role in bringing health and education in Panchayats and another to Mr Rajan Raikwar for reportage on violence against elected women representatives in the State. In Madhya Pradesh, The Hunger Project played an important role in developing NGO - Media partnership in the state. The state office partnered with DB-Star, a special edition of the Bhaskar group of newspapers to organize a meeting with prominent NGOs of Bhopal. The objective was to discuss the content of the newspaper, sharing of social responsibility and chiseling out development based reporting that the newspaper can further take on. The newspaper agreed to report in future on violence against women, street children, and homelessness, lack of creative space/platform for youth, sanitation, displacement, addiction and communalism. In another instance, The Hunger Project in India, along with its partner Vikas Samvad and other bilateral organisations such as CRY and UNICEF organised a three-day workshop on Dialogues with the Media in Bandhavgarh, Madhya Pradesh. Seventy five participants including reporters from leading dailies from six states MP, Bihar, UP, Delhi, Jharkhand and Punjab, women journalists, journalism students, and faculty members of journalism institutes attended the workshop. The workshop aimed to highlight social development and Panchayat issues in the print media. In Orissa, a district level media workshop was organized to highlight the consequences of Government imposed Two-Child Norm and other problems faced by elected women leaders. The workshop succeeded in making an impact on attending media and others, who vowed to cooperate with these brave leaders. Four new episodes of the now popular radio play, Amar Bahein Satyabati (the main protagonist - Satyabati is an elected woman representative) were broadcast by All India Radio, Bhawanipatna in Orissa. In these episodes Satyabati tried to solve various problems of her Panchayat like migration, violence against women, issues of governance etc. Hunger Project partner DAPTA continues to receive positive feedback from audiences of Kalahandi and Nuapada District through letters. In Karnataka, elected women leaders from block level federations of five districts called a Press Meet to raise their voice against the Government s proposal to curtail the powers of the Panchayats. Women leaders called for a protest against such notifications that questions the power and capacity of grassroots democracy and label the Gram Panchayat representatives as failures in implementing and executing the work in the Panchayats. The meet got extensive coverage in the English and Kannada newspapers. In Tamil Nadu, Hunger Project partner ARCOD, facilitated field visits of print media journalists to Thalli, Soolagiri, Uthangarai and Krishnagiri Blocks post the media workshops. Interacting with elected women leaders in their Panchayats, the journalists were able to print their success stories. 25

26 We want deeper sincerity of motive, a greater courage in speech and earnestness in action. Sarojini Naidu 5 Press conference called by elected women representatives 6Elected women leaders at SNP 2008 with the Finance Minister of India 26

27 SAROJINI NAIDU PRIZE The eighth Sarojini Naidu Prize ceremony for best reporting on Women and Panchayati Raj was held at the India Habitat Centre, Lodhi Road, New Delhi on the 2 nd of October The Sarojini Naidu Prize 2008 supported writings on two themes: Women in Panchayati Raj ~ Bringing Education to Every Child and Women in Panchayati Raj ~ Ensuring Primary Health for All. The numbers of entries received in 2008 were over 1400 articles. The Jury for the Sarojini Naidu Prize 2008 chairperson Dr George Mathew Director, Institute of Social Sciences members Mr. Alok Mehta Chief Editor, Nai Duniya & President Editor Guild of India Mr. Sashi Kumar Prof. Niraja Gopal Jayal Chairperson, Asian College of Journalism Chairperson, Centre for the Study of Law and Governance, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi My experience tells me that from the day a woman is elected, it s a struggle. What you have documented before you is the success stories of women who have struggled and eventually overcome their difficulties. Shri. Chidambaram, on the occasion of the 8 th Sarojini Naidu Prize 2008 The Honourable Finance Minister Mr. P Chidambaram was the Chief Guest for the occasion; Ms. Amita Devi, Sarpanch Gram Panchayat Dadar Kolhua, Kanti Block, District Muzaffarpur and Ms. Revathy, noted film actor and Director were the Guests of Honour. Elected women leaders from 14 states attended the award ceremony, which felicitated the journalists who write on the work done by them. The Prize winners: Mr. Radheshyam Jadhav for his article Women on Top published by The Times of India, Pune edition (English language category). Mr. Vibhash Kumar Jha, for his article In Chattisgarh, Women Panchayat Representatives Set New Records published by Varun Chattisgarh, Raipur (Hindi language category). Mr. Pon. Dhanasekaran, for his article in Tamil Bringing Education to Child Labourers An Achievement Amidst Obstacles published by Dinamalar (Other Indian language category). In addition, the jury also recommended a special jury citation for Mr. Akhand from Orissa for his Oriya article Another Rebati of this Century. 27

28 BUILDING ALLIANCES FOR ADVOCACY Building alliances for advocacy has been a major strategy of The Hunger Project. Both nationally and in the states, conventions have been organized by The Hunger Project, to enable federations of elected women representatives to come together as one. Conventions give elected women a space to learn and share from each other s experiences. Stories and experiences of courage and good governance inspire incumbent elected women leaders and give them hope to participate in institutions of democracy and governance, despite the odds of marginalization, patriarchy, feudalism, gender discrimination and gender based violence. Sharing the same space with elected members of the legislative council, senior bureaucrats and media professionals instils a sense of dignity and self respect amongst women. Conventions provide elected women a platform to advocate for women s political and social rights and plan for future advocacy campaigns and collective action. Conventions are also a time for solidarity, celebration and they build strong bonds across caste, region, religion and class amongst elected women. State level conventions were held in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, while in Orissa, a district level convention was held. Conventions The Hunger Project in Karnataka organised a convention in April 2008 in Bangalore, to launch the White Paper a document highlighting the need, vision, structure and mandates of the federation. This document was a consolidation of the federation building process of 53 blocks in Karnataka. The white paper is a document, which was developed after a lot of ground level discussion and deliberations by 53 blocks in Karnataka, All the ideas on the vision, mission, objective, structure, roles, membership etc were discussed in the white paper workshops at the block level. The outcome was prepared and consolidated by partners and The Hunger Project as the white paper document. Two hundred and fifty elected women leaders participated in this. Karnataka Federation members advocating for rights of Gram Panchayats 28

29 The aim of the convention was to share the consolidated white paper with all the elected women leaders from all blocks and with civil society groups. The convention also enabled the formation of the steering committee at the state level. A district level convention of elected women representatives was organized in Orissa in November, in Bhawanipatna. The convention was attended by 260 elected women leaders and 70 others from SHGs and other organizations, from nine Blocks of Kalahandi. Unanimous in their support for an exclusive elected women leaders federation, assembled elected women leaders participated actively in the convention, sharing their experiences and the negotiations made by them to function as effectively as possible. Another district level convention on federations was held in Dhenkanal in November. A Convention was held in Gujarat to federate the women trained by The Hunger Project under the intervention funded by Forum Syd. More than 400 women attended this convention. The convention reiterated the collective strength of women and supported them to move from I Cannot to I Can and then onto We Can. It motivated the women to further strengthen their participation in local governance and take up development agendas in their constituencies. In Maharashtra, Hunger Project partner, Mahila Rajsatta Andolan (MRA) organized the Fifth Bi - Annual State Convention in Amravati. More than 4,000 elected women leaders who came from across the state attended the Convention. This convention is organized to strengthen the already existing mass base, create new alliances from the marginalised sections of society, enhance further participation in governance processes and build support across cross sections of society for women in governance. The two-day convention saw the elected women leaders participate in a wide variety of programmes, which included an open forum where elected women leaders came together to discuss their achievements, successes and the solutions for the daily hindrances that are put in their way. The Hunger Project supported Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra (RLEK) a nongovernment organization based in Dehradun, Uttarakhand for their annual programme - Open forum. Held in November 08, Open Forum is one of the activities carried out annually by RLEK. The idea behind the open forum is to create platforms for elected women representatives wherein they can directly intervene, deliberate and decide the governance and development process. Open Forum 2008 was a two day event, where elected women leaders interfaced with key government officials and ministers, deliberated on issues of Panchayats and challenges ahead, and worked towards building a Component Plan and Strategy. On the second day, a rally was also taken out. More than 800 elected women leaders across the state of Uttarakhand attended the Open Forum. Hunger Project partners and elected women leaders from Uttarakhand also participated. CAMPAIGNS & ADVOCACY The Hunger Project held a campaign-planning meeting to end the Two-Child Norm in Bhubaneswar, Orissa. This government norm is levied by the state as an attempt at population control. The Two-Child Norm is only imposed on Panchayat representatives and 29

30 is typically used to unseat only women. The Hunger Project aimed to broad base and build a united campaign against this norm and to place it on the agenda of policy makers as general elections were due in The campaign comprised of civil society organizations, the media, lawyers and key officers in the government. The Hunger Project has consistently raised awareness against this norm at various forums in all its working areas, independently, as well as jointly with other like-minded organizations for the past 3-4 years and was successful in initiating the procedure of repeal in Bihar. A core group of key stakeholders such as Hunger Project team members from the National Office, Orissa and Bihar along with members of leading NGOs and media persons attended the meeting, and drew up an action plan. It was also decided that the campaign headquarters would be housed in The Hunger Project state office in Bhubhaneshwar. The local vernacular and English newspapers gave the meeting wide coverage. A rally and public meeting against the Two Child Norm was also organised in Deogarh District of Orissa in February, Over 300 women comprising of elected women leaders, SHG Members, social workers, representatives of women s rights organisations and human rights activists joined the rally and congregated in a meeting, before presenting a ten point charter of demands to the District Collector, Deogarh. In Madhya Pradesh, the Citizen s forum for violence against elected women representatives was convened to fight for justice for the killing of Urmila Bai an ex-panch (ward member). Five meetings were held to check progress of the case and build mechanisms to see to it that the case reaches a conclusive end. 30 The Hunger Project in Madhya Pradesh undertook a research study on the impact of Section 40 of the Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act Section 40 of the Act provides for removal of an elected representative who is found to be not working in public interest, guilty of misconduct or failing to carry out the duties assigned. Sub Divisional Magistrates (SDMs) are empowered as the prescribed authority to take action under this particular Section after appropriate investigation. On the basis of reasonable evidence they may remove the elected representative from the post. Such a person is declared ineligible to contest for any post for a period of six years. The study shows that Section 40 has a disproportionate impact on Sarpanchs who belong to the marginalised sections which include the economically weak, Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST). Women Sarpanchs are the worst affected. Based on field-data, the study highlights that although people from the marginalised sections are increasingly being thrust into positions of authority in the Panchayati Raj system (due to the reservation policy), the dominant feudal and caste/class sections, who still reign supreme, manipulate them and ensure their own continued dominance over the state s politics and policies. In Karnataka a very structured campaign was organised at state level by all partners and civil society organizations, to protest against the governments notice to take powers away from Panchayats in the Ashraya Scheme. The Bill was finally taken back by the Governor under this sustained pressure.

31 NATIONAL PLATFORM TO PROMOTE DECENTRALISATION The National Platform to Promote Decentralisation (NPPD) is an attempt to tap and consolidate the various initiatives in local governance in the realm of democratic decentralisation by individuals, governmental and non-governmental agencies as well as international donors operating in India. The NPPD encompasses both action-oriented interventions as well as commissioned research studies to map, identify and document the best practices on the issues of decentralisation and devolution, and capacity building initiatives with regard to PRIs. The Ministry of Panchayati Raj (MoPR), Government of India and the National Institute for Rural Development (NIRD) have supported the platform. The Ford Foundation and the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation (SDC) offices in India have partnered with The Hunger Project in setting up and facilitating the NPPD. Currently, the Secretariat for the NPPD is housed at The Hunger Project. The Hunger Project India formally launched the National Platform to Promote Decentralisation (NPPD) in New Delhi in November This first National Consultation meeting was organised in partnership with the National Institute of Rural Development (NIRD), Hyderabad. There were more than 30 participants who included representatives from civil society groups, academia and government, multilateral and bilateral agencies such as The Ford Foundation, United Nations Development Programme, and the Swiss Agency for Development and Co-operation. The objective of the NPPD is to create a forum which brings together stakeholders, consolidate past and current learning, share experiences and insights on decentralisation and create a mechanism through which existing expertise can be used towards systemic reforms that would strengthen the voice of the poor within governance. National and State level dialogues are being facilitated to deliberate and build common advocacy strategies based on the issues of decentralisation / devolution and capacity building with regard to the PRIs. Simultaneously, short-term studies and adjunct interventions are being co-ordinated by the NPPD Secretariat. These are being conducted by researchers and are based on the themes of: (a) Effective capacity building of elected representatives, (b) Devolution and decentralised planning experiences with respect to PRIs, and (c) Impediments to implementation of the Panchayat Extension to Scheduled Areas (PESA) Act. 31

32 REBUILDING LIVES AFTER THE TSUNAMI The Hunger Project intervened in 17 Panchayats to try to strengthen local governance to address needs emerging from an unprecedented disaster like the Tsunami. It worked towards strengthening Panchayats and particularly women s participation in them, trainings of Panchayat members on PRIs, training of statutory committees, mobilizing youth, and SHG members on governance as well as Women s Leadership Workshops have been conducted. Sixty-five of the 71 elected women leaders in the 17 Panchayats participated in the Women s leadership Workshops. In the reporting period, the focus of the programme has been on consolidating and handing over different Centres, as the project closed in July 08. In Sembanarkoil Block, the Centre for the Specially abled, run jointly by The Hunger Project and SCORD was contacted for assistance by the district authorities to help them conduct a survey of all differently abled persons in the district. The centre undertook the responsibility and conducted the survey with the help of the elected women representatives in the block. Most of the elected women leaders involved in the process have been trained by The Hunger Project in the Women s Leadership workshops. In July 08, this Centre was handed back to the members of the community. In August, around two hundred people including Panchayat members gathered to celebrate the successful completion of the Tsunami Intervention Project. Members from the centres appreciated the work of The Hunger Project after the Tsunami of December Members from partner organizations- SCORD, Sevalaya and Reform Trust, along with members from Gandhi Gram University also participated and shared their experiences of the last three years. The Hunger Project continues to work in the District of Nagapattinam, continuing with its regular programme of capacity building of elected women representatives and will now be working in two Blocks of the District Sembanarkoil and Keelaiyur, which cover 84 Panchayats. Training of Standing Committees To strengthen Panchayats, trainings were organised for standing committees facilitate their effective functioning, to ward members on governance as well as male representatives were given training on gender to sensitise them. Given below is a list of the trainings: 32 Two-day training to each standing committee, followed by follow up workshops One day follow up training to Agricultural and watershed committee. Fifty members participated in the workshop. Follow up for the development committee in which 40 members participated Two-day training on Governance for ward members was organised Two-day training on gender and PRIs was held for the male representatives of the two Blocks- Keelaiyur and Sembanarkoil in Nagapattinam District

33 VIDEO DOCUMENTATION A 26-minute film- Turning the Tide capturing the process and impact of The Hunger Project s Tsunami Intervention programme has been developed. The film has been scripted in Tamil, and is also available with English subtitles. Contingency Plans in Gram Sabhas Panchayat level Contingency plans for disaster preparedness were prepared in consultation with all 17 Panchayats. These plans used by the Panchayat as planning tools for disaster preparedness. Copies of the plans were shared at the Gram Sabha by the elected women leaders. Dissemination of Contingency Plans An elaborate dissemination of the contingency plans was done with various stake holders in the Panchayat to ensure awareness about the plans. In each Panchayat, separate dissemination workshops were done with the following groups: Tsunami Valedictory Function in progress Panchayat level dissemination in Gram Sabha Dissemination with SHG members Dissemination in fishing hamlets Dissemination with youth Dissemination at school level In each session, the use of the maps and data in the contingency plans was explained and copies of the contingency plans were also provided. 33

34 SIGNIFICANT PARTNERSHIPS THE HUNGER PROJECT PARTNERS WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENSE FUND The Hunger Project and the US based Environmental Defense Fund have agreed to partner on the issue of climate change, specifically regarding its effect on the rural population in India. The Environmental Defense Fund works to solve environmental problems by working with businesses, governments, and communities to find practical environmental solutions. The project specifically targets women elected to village Gram Panchayats (local councils). The partnership is built around the production of a film Arohan (a new beginning), a docu-drama. Arohan will essentially be an introduction to climate change, the issues and debates around it, and will show how it is affecting the women and their villages, and how local solutions are needed to solve a global problem. THE HUNGER PROJECT PARTNERS WITH FORUM SYD The Hunger Project entered into a one-year partnership with Forum Syd (a consortium of 200 Swedish organizations working with international development cooperation and advocacy on global issues) to empower the locally elected women representatives in Gujarat through Women s Leadership and Follow Up workshops. Through this partnership The Hunger Project trained 618 elected women representatives in four districts across the State of Gujarat through 24 Women Leadership Workshops. The districts covered by this partnership were Kutch, Bhavnagar, Dahod and Ahmedabad. The districts selected have high concentrations of the marginalised and indigenous communities. THE HUNGER PROJECT S PARTNERS THE RIBBINK VAN DEN HOEK FOUNDATION The Hunger Project is partnering with the Ribbink van den Hoek (RVDH) Foundation for building elected women s leadership in the State of Madhya Pradesh for the next five years. Beginning January 2009, with the support of RVDH foundation, The Hunger Project will work on the up-coming SWEEP campaign in Madhya Pradesh. The work under this partnership will follow the Five-Year Cycle of Building Elected Women s Leadership over the next five years. 34 THE HUNGER PROJECT S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FORD FOUNDATION The Hunger Project is partnering with the Ford Foundation to facilitate the National Platform to Promote Decentralisation. The NPPD brings together stakeholders, consolidates past and current learning, shares experiences and insights about decentralisation and creates a mechanism through which existing expertise can be used towards systemic reforms that strengthen the voice of the poor within governance, especially engaging with federations of elected women representatives in Panchayats.

35 THE HUNGER PROJECT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ The Hunger Project signed a partnership with the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India in January 2008 to create media hubs to ensure dialogue between media and various stakeholders in Panchayati Raj. During this partnership, The Hunger Project has intensively worked with editors and held continuous talks, discussion and orientation programs with these high profile journalists and opinion makers have created noticeable impact on our partnership with the media. Hindi dailies in Madhya Pradesh have brought out special issues on drought, corruption, malnutrition and the role of Panchayats. The constant efforts to dialogue with them have ensured visibility of Panchayat related stories in the mainstream newspapers in both Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh. Another outcome has been the emergence of a positive relationship between the elected women representatives and the media. Both parties now do not view each other as enemies; rather they take each other s support in the hour of need. Elected women leaders at a convention in New Delhi 35

36 SIGNIFICANT EVENTS INVESTOR TRIP The Hunger Project office in Orissa had the privilege of hosting the first ever investor s visit to the state. A team of 16 investors from Sweden and the Netherlands were in the State and visited and interacted with elected women leaders in three districts. The investors also attended a District Federation Building Convention of elected women. With an attendance of over 100 elected women leaders, the gathering was addressed by ten women elected leaders who spoke of their experiences, reflecting on particular issues such as: The Two-Child Norm, low literacy, non-cooperation by male colleagues and officials, misbehavior and threats, etc. that affected them. ELECTED WOMEN LEADERS AT THE SWEDISH RIKSDAG (PARLIAMENT) Seven elected women leaders of Karnataka visited the Swedish Parliament in early March Seven partners and three The Hunger Project team members were also part of this delegation and were in Sweden as part of a study group to understand the Swedish political system and learn from their experience of local self governance. They visited the Swedish municipalities of Tyreso and Tierp and interacted with Swedish elected women politicians. The study tour was organised and hosted by SKL International, a partner of The Hunger Project in Sweden. In addition, an investor s meet was organized by The Hunger Project-Sweden in Sweden where the elected women leaders spoke about their leadership and their achievements. Elected Women Leaders outside the Swedish Riksdag 36

37 PANCHAYAT WOMEN LEADERS MEET THE UPA CHAIRPERSON Thirty Panchayat elected women representatives visited Ms. Sonia Gandhi, Chairperson United Progressive Alliance (UPA) at her official residence. They shared their work and talked of their achievements. Elected women leaders from 14 states informed Ms. Gandhi that per cent reservation of seats for women in Panchayats has enabled them to participate as candidates in the Panchayat elections. They also shared with her the challenges and impediments faced by them in order to successfully implement poverty alleviation programmes. Ms. Gandhi advised them to use the Right to Information Act as a tool to make the government officials accountable. She said they have to fight their way against gender and caste-based discrimination, and pointed out that there was no shortcut to success. DEPUTY DIRECTOR GENERAL OF SWISS DEVELOPMENT AID VISITS MAHARASHTRA The Deputy Director general of Swiss Development Aid attended a convention of federated elected women leaders held in Maharashtra. The delegation from Swiss Development Aid interacted and spoke with the elected women leaders who shared with them their triumphs, troubles and the ground reality of their every day struggles to make space for themselves as Panchayat leaders. NORWEGIAN PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT THE HUNGER PROJECT The Hunger Project hosted a high level delegation of Parliamentarians from Norway on a visit to India in their office. The Parliamentarians interacted with the team and were keen to learn of the work of The Hunger Project with Panchayat elected women leaders. They also shared their experiences as elected representatives in Norway. THE HUNGER PROJECT INVITED BY MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ AS BEST PRACTITIONERS The Hunger Project was invited to present its work on capacity building and leadership as best practice at a seminar organised by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India in New Delhi. The seminar was attended by senior officials from the national and state Institutes of Rural Development, senior bureaucrats from the State Ministries of Panchayati Raj, academics, civil society groups and elected women leaders from across the country. THE HUNGER PROJECT TEAM MEETS AFGHAN MINISTERIAL DELEGATION The Hunger Project was invited by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, Government of India to share as best practice the work of The Hunger Project on leadership building of Elected women leaders in Panchayats with the visiting delegation from Afghanistan headed by the Afghan Minister for Rural Rehabilitation and Development. 37

38 FINANCIAL FACTS FUND RECEIPTS DURING THE FINANCIAL YEAR Rupees Interest on FDR/Savings Grant Donation Others Total Receipts COST CENTRE-WISE EXPENSES FOR THE FINANCIAL YEAR Rupees Administrative Programme Programme Support Total Receipts

39 AUDITORS REPORT 1. We have audited the attached balance sheet of The Hunger Project India ( The Project ) as at March 31, 2009 and also the income and expenditure account for the year ended on that date, annexed thereto. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Project s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. 2. We conducted our audit in accordance with auditing standards generally accepted in India. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion. 3. Further, we report that : a) we have obtained all the information and explanations, which to the best of our knowledge and belief were necessary for the purposes of our audit; b) the balance sheet and income and expenditure account dealt with by this report are in agreement with the books of account; c) in our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the accounts give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India : i. in the case of the balance sheet, of the state of affairs of the Project as at March 31, 2009; ii. in the case of the income and expenditure account, of the surplus of the Project for the year ended on that date. Shukdev Sadhoo Partner For SMS & Associates. Chartered Accountants New Delhi

40 BALANCE SHEET AS AT MARCH 31, 2009 As at March 31, 2008 Rs. As at March 31, 2009 Rs. Rs. ASSETS FIXED ASSETS 8,137,320 Gross block 8,295,781 5,585,850 Less: Depreciation 6,253,458 2,551,470 Net block 2,042,323 CURRENT ASSETS, LOANS AND ADVANCES 12,508,904 Cash and bank balances 35,446,027 1,216,229 Loans and advances 1,055,620 16,276,603 38,543,970 LIABILITIES FUNDS 500,000 Corpus fund balance 500,000 - Add: Transferred from earmarked funds 8,000, ,000 8,500,000 General Fund Balance 1,389,498 Opening balance 1,389,498 11,638,315 Income and Expenditure Account 22,186,856 13,027,813 23,576,354 Unutilised earmarked funds for: Others: 1,156,114 Opening balance 798,720 41,285,638 Add: Transferred from income and expenditure account 32,004,826 (41,643,032) Less: Transferred to income and expenditure account (20,954,240) - Less: Transferred to Corpus Fund (8,000,000) 798,720 3,849,306 CURRENT LIABILITIES 1,950,070 Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 2,618,310 16,276,603 38,543,970 Notes to the accounts -Schedule -I Per our report attached For SMS & Associates Chartered Accountants Sukhdev Sadhoo Partner New Delhi / For The Hunger Project t r u s t e e s 40

41 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2009 Year ended March 31, 2008 Rs. Year ended March 31, 2009 Rs. INCOME 77,713,052 Grants and donations 92,278,807 1,301,579 Interest 1,777, ,694 Other income 278,511 79,152,325 94,334,385 EXPENDITURE 8,609,298 Administrative and general expenses 9,698,663 67,394,799 Other expenditure on objects of the Trust 70,368, ,674 Depreciation 667,608 76,808,771 80,735,258 2,343,554 Surplus/(Deficit) for the year 13,599,127 8,937,367 Balances brought forward from previous year 11,638,315 (41,285,638) Specific grants transferred to earmarked funds (24,004,826) 41,643,032 Expenses transferred from earmarked funds 20,954,240 11,638,315 Balance carried to general fund 22,186,856 Notes to the accounts -Schedule -I Per our report attached For SMS & Associates Chartered Accountants For The Hunger Project Sukhdev Sadhoo Partner t r u s t e e s 41

42 SCHEDULE 1 THE HUNGER PROJECT-INDIA NOTES ANNEXED TO AND FORMING PART OF THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, Significant Accounting Policies a) The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention on an accrual basis. b) Fixed assets are stated at cost of acquisition less accumulated depreciation. Cost is inclusive of freight, duties, taxes and incidental expenses. Depreciation is provided on the written down value method mainly at the following rates: Nature of Assets Rate of depreciation Percentage Computers 40 % Vehicles 25.89% Furniture and Fixtures 15% Office equipments 13.91% 2. The figures of the previous year have been regrouped/ recast to conform to the current year s classification. 42

43 GOVERNANCE Governing Council Kanika Satyanand Shankar Venkateswaran Rita Sarin Amarjeet K Ahuja Brinda Dubey Tara A Sharma National Team Rita Sarin Sriparna G Chaudhuri Ruchi Yadav Rohini Ghadiok Radha Khan Ruhi Deol Prita Dasgupta N. K. Malhotra Paritosh Sasmal Guneet Sethi Bharani Sundararajan Amit Goyal Eunice Thong Kanika Kaul Rimi Tadu Sourabh Ghosh Nidhi Kumari Subrata Sahoo Jesse Dhuka Hema Chetri State Team Aradhana Nanda Litali Das Bimal Kant Sujeet Kumar Verma Sandip Naik Neeraj Saxena Shibani Sharma Sriram Kevat Subhadra Gupta Shailaja S. Reshma D. Irudaya Rani Parigi Vedavyasa N. Lalitha E. Kamalakannan V. Latha Virendra Shrimali Interns/Volunteers Shreshtha Saraswat Nishant Sharma Auditors SMS & Associates 43

44 PARTNERSHIPS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS ANDHRA PRADESH 1. Mahila Margadarshi ASSAM 2. North East Social Trust (Nest) 3. Gram Vikas Manch 4. District Community Development Programme BIHAR 5. Nirdesh 6. Parivartan Vikas 7. Sakhiree Mahila Vikas Sansthan 8. Abhiyan 9. Bihar Sewa Samiti GUJARAT 10. Prayas 11. Kutch Mahila Vikas Sangathan 12. Mahiti HIMACHAL PRADESH 13. Sutra JAMMU & KASHMIR 14. Ladakh Development Organisation KARNATAKA 15. ODP 16. Orbit 17. Bharathi Welfare Society 18. Aseda 19. Sumana 20. Vikasana MADHYA PRADESH 21. Bhopal Rehabilitation 22. Gram Sudhar Samiti 23. IDYWC 24. Anupama Education Society 25. Congress of Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery, India 26. Sampark Samaj Sevi Sansthan 27. Om Shiksha Samiti 44 MAHARASHTRA 28. RSCD 29. Parivartan 30. Lok Panchayat ORISSA 31. Institute For Women Development (IWD) 32. Nari Surakhya Samiti 33. People s Cultural Centre (PECUC) 34. Ankuran 35. Ayauskam 36. Dapta 37. Pipar

45 RAJASTHAN 38. Cecoedecon 39. Humana People To People India 40. Jan Chetna Sansthan 41. Urmul Setu Sansthan 42. Sohard 43. Astha Sansthan 44. Mahila Mandal Barmer Agor 45. Santhi Maitri Mission TAMIL NADU 46. Ceda Trust 47. CEEMA 48. Arumbugal Trust 49. AREDS 50. Arcod 51. Island Trust 52. CSED UTTARAKHAND 53. RLEK 54. Arpan 55. Kasturba Mahila Utthan Mandal 56. Grameen Uttan Samiti 57. Sri Bhubaneswari Mahila Ashram(SBMA) 58. Mahila Haat 59. Sahayog 45

46 Directory THE HUNGER PROJECT NATIONAL OFFICE The Hunger Project Shaheed Bhavan 18/1 Aruna Asaf Ali Marg Qutab Institutional Area New Delhi India Tel: Fax: THE HUNGER PROJECT STATE OFFICES BIHAR OFFICE MADHYA PRADESH OFFICE The Hunger Project Mehman Sarai (First Floor) Behind Imarat Rizvi, Bank Road PATNA Bihar The Hunger Project A 450, Mansarover Colony Shahpur BHOPAL Madhya Pradesh Tel: Fax: Tel: / Fax: ORISSA OFFICE The Hunger Project C/- Mr. N. K. Das N-1/332, Behind Swapneswar Temple IRC Village BHUBANESHWAR Orissa KARNATAKA OFFICE he Hunger Project 316/E, 1st Floor 9th A Main, 40th Cross 5th Block, Jayanagar Bangalore Karnataka Mobile: Tel: RAJASTHAN OFFICE The Hunger Project A-3, Hawa Sarak Opposite Ram Mandir Near Yes Bal Mandir School Civil Lines JAIPUR Rajasthan Tel: TAMIL NADU OFFICE The Hunger Project House No 1, 2 nd Main Road Nehru Nagar, Adyar CHENNAI Tamil Nadu Tel: Alongside Hodri Bai 46

47 All the illustrations within this documents are interpretations from, and tributes to, commonly recognised folk art metaphors and themes. Chariot {rath} Goat Tree of life Fish Lady Harvest Tree of life Ebony Comb