THE HUNGER PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT 2013 / 2014
ABOUT THE HUNGER PROJECT THE HUNGER PROJECT (THP) IS A GLOBAL STRATEGIC ORGANISATION WORKING IN 13 COUNTRIES COMMITTED TO ENDING HUNGER. In India, it is committed to motivate and sustain the leadership spirit in women elected to village Panchayats. The 73rd Constitutional Amendment Act (CAA) mandated one-third reservation for women in all three tiers of the Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs), bringing more than 1.3 million women into public political life. In several states this reservation has been increased to 50 per cent. It is THP s conviction that the active participation of women in political and decision-making processes of rural local governance will help bring economic and social development to the villages of India. THP aims to strengthen the role of elected women representatives in grassroots governance so that they are able to exercise leadership within their constituencies and practice gender responsive governance and transformative leadership based on the principles of women s human rights and social justice. THP works across seven states in India. Through effective strategies and partnership with 41 civil society organisations (CSOs), THP has reached out to about 1,00,000 women representatives in the last 13 years. 3
TABLE OF CONTENTS ABOUT THE HUNGER PROJECT 03 MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR 07 PROGRAMME STRATEGIES 09 STRENGTHENING CAPACITIES AND LEADERSHIP OF EWRs 11 WOMEN S LEADERSHIP, FOLLOW-UP AND NEED-BASED WORKSHOPS TRAINING OF TRAINER (TOT) WORKSHOPS STRENGTHENING WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ELECTORAL PROCESSES (SWEEP) FEDERATIONS FOR GREATER VOICE EVENTS BUILDING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR EWRs 21 JAGRUK MANCH GRAM SABHA MOBILISATION INTERFACE MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS AND PANCHAYAT SECRETARIES PARTNERING WITH THE MEDIA THE THIRTEENTH SAROJINI NAIDU PRIZE ADVOCACY AND BUILDING ALLIANCES HIGHLIGHTS 2013-2014 29 PARTNERSHIPS 31 PARTNERSHIP WITH DONORS PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS FINANCES 33 GOVERNANCE 39 DIRECTORY 41
MESSAGE FROM THE COUNTRY DIRECTOR RITA SARIN GLOBAL VICE PRESIDENT AND COUNTRY DIRECTOR, INDIA I am happy to present our Annual Report 2013-2014. The backdrop for The Hunger Project s work during the past year was in a milieu where our work had a sharper focus on the new challenges and opportunities for empowering women and improving the lives of the communities they live in through their effective leadership. THP s strategy has two broad thrusts the first encompasses strengthening the capacities and leadership of elected women representatives in rural local governance; the second concentrates on building an enabling environment for them to function as effective leaders in grassroots governance. Our knowledge of women s roles in rural local governance and of the obstacles they face while getting elected was enriched further with the extensive ongoing pre-election campaigning through our SWEEP (Strengthening Women s Empowerment through Electoral Processes) programme in Uttarakhand. With an objective to encourage women to contest from every seat, even beyond reservation, we supported to increasing the visibility of women in the entire electoral process as citizens, voters, candidates, and electoral officers and agents. We continued to play a critical role in support of the National Coalition against Two-Child Norm and Coercive Population Measures. Our field experiences have shown how the Two-Child Norm is being misused to thwart the emergence of elected women representatives as effective leaders. Our support for the coalition is to endorse that imposition of the Two-Child Norm on Panchayat representatives adversely affects the lives and health of women in rural India. Women s participation in politics has added a gender dimension to the hitherto male-dominated public offices in rural India, resulting in acts of violence against them as they assert their identities as women and as leaders. Given the magnitude of the problem, THP s thrust was to continue with the campaign on the issue of violence against women (VAW) in the States where we work through the elected women representatives and their federations. The Hunger Project has also carried out mass awareness campaigns against malnutrition in selected Panchayats in two states Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. The campaigns that were spearheaded by elected women representatives spread awareness on malnutrition, linking it up with the larger issues of food security. In efforts to lessen the evident gaps in bringing effective governance, The Hunger Project is continuing to develop innovative tools and expertise, and constantly measures the impact of interventions on women s lives, families and communities in terms of their wellbeing, survival and dignity. Here, I would like to thank our supporters: UNDP, CORDAID, Forum Syd, Ribbink Van Den Hoek Foundation, The Asia Foundation, our investors from all parts of the world, and field partners without whom this work would not have been possible. It is my honour to work with a dedicated team at the national level and the state teams spread over six offices in seven states of the country. It is this dedication that has allowed us to carry out various intensive interventions aimed at strengthening and deepening democracy, and investing in the transformative leadership of elected women representatives in rural local governance towards addressing hunger, poverty and social justice. I thank them for all they do and the people all around the world who support us in so many ways. 7
PROGRAMME STRATEGIES Thp-india uses a multi-pronged strategy to strengthen the political leadership and participation of elected women representatives in gram panchayats. The strategies aim to build the capacities of individual EWRs and also offer an enabling environment for the EWRs to exercise their leadership successfully. THP s two overarching broad programme strategies are: 1. Strengthen capacities and leadership of EWRs 2. Build an enabling environment for EWRs The first strategy involves direct engagement with EWRs with a primary focus on strengthening the capacities and leadership of the EWRs in Gram Panchayats. The second strategy concentrates on building the support and engagement of stakeholders, and creating support structures for EWRs. The latter helps to build an enabling environment for the EWRs to successfully exercise their leadership. The strategies are implemented through the five-year tenure of the EWRs. THP s five-year cycle showcasing strategic yearly inputs: THP is committed both to staying the course with the EWRs in Gram Panchayats for the full five-year cycle and to support them in the next round. THP contextualises its strategies to meet the local needs and cultures of each state and region. While the overall strategies remain the same, processes on the ground have evolved organically through the five years in an election cycle. Year 1 is postelection when a woman is newly elected or re-elected and Year 5 is again pre-election year. THP works in the seven states of Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand with six state offices in Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chennai, Jaipur and Patna. The national office is in New Delhi. THP-India has been able to successfully fulfil its objectives with the support of institutional donors, government agencies and field-level partner organisations. Partnerships forged by THP in the past 13 years have had high standards, been fruitful, and have been the mainstay of its success. THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 9
STRENGTHENING CAPACITIES AND LEADERSHIP OF EWRs WOMEN S LEADERSHIP, FOLLOW-UP AND NEED-BASED WORKSHOPS Women s Leadership Workshops (WLWs) are three-day workshops for first-time EWRs, and manifest as the first major capacity building initiative of THP s five-year cycle. WLWs are conducted in a participatory manner primarily to build confidence among first-time elected women and provide them with information and knowledge about their key roles and responsibilities in the Panchayats. It is the first step towards transformative leadership. During the reporting period, 13 pre-wlws and 15 WLWs were conducted in Odisha and Tamil Nadu to train 852 EWRs. Although EWRs get to gain on understanding local government and decision-making systems, they continue to face challenges while endeavouring to fulfil their official responsibilities. Need for additional inputs are expressed by them during various meetings, workshops, and conventions. Accordingly, THP designs thematic Need-Based Workshops (NBWs) that focus on equipping the EWRs with the necessary skills to enable to them to address and resolve specific, often contextrelated issues. Some of the themes of the NBWs are food security and malnutrition, health and sanitation, Land and Forest Right Act, Right to Information (RTI) Act, implementation and monitoring of the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS) scheme, besides other government schemes. Altogether, 89 such workshops with 2,746 EWRs were conducted during the reporting period across the states of Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Tamil Nadu. WOMEN S LEADERSHIP, FOLLOW-UP AND NEED- BASED WORKSHOPS Many older people and widow sisters of our village are upset as they do not get the benefit of government schemes. We EWRs collect information from trainings and meetings and try to provide them the benefits of social security schemes. This is real leadership. Lailoon Devi Ward Member Biwi Bankatwa Gram Panchayat Bagaha-I Block West Champaran District Bihar TRAINING OF TRAINER (TOT) WORKSHOPS Training of Trainer (TOT) workshops are conducted by THP prior to each set of capacity building initiatives for EWRs. Trainers and field-level staff members of partner organisations of THP are trained in such workshops and their capacities are built on thematic issues. Contemporary debates and perceptions are taught, new information is communicated, and latest training skills and methodologies are imparted during the TOT workshops. Altogether 11 such workshops were organised during this reporting period in which 88 trainers, a majority of whom were women from THP s partner organisations, got trained. 11
STRENGTHENING WOMEN S EMPOWERMENT THROUGH ELECTORAL PROCESSES (SWEEP) We felt that our identity was just one vote which did not matter much and we never understood the importance of it. We realised the importance of voting for the right leader and the importance of our votes though the play. We also realised that women have an important role to play and if women wish they can do a lot. Rama Khandpal Kantola Gram Panchayat Block Takula Almora District Uttarakhand Sweep is an extensive pre-election campaign undertaken in the fifth and final year of a state s Gram Panchayat election cycle. This year, the SWEEP campaign was carried out in four districts of Uttarakhand. The key objective of SWEEP in Uttarakhand was to promote women s participation in the Panchayat elections as informed voters, polling agents, counting agents and proposers, and most significantly, to promote women s leadership. The campaign sought to encourage women to contest from every seat, even beyond reservation. Several interventions were designed and implemented to make the SWEEP campaign successful in Uttarakhand. Four district-level meetings were conducted to introduce the SWEEP campaign to the EWRs and government officials and inform them about the objectives of the campaign. As many as 33 Potential Leadership Workshops (PLWs) were conducted to build the capacity of potential women contenders. In total, 1,199 potential women leaders were trained in these workshops and 196 village meetings were held to build rapport with the community and provide information on elections. In all, 5,757 women including 493 EWRs and 1,859 men participated in the village meetings. In addition, 160 street-plays including puppet shows and 25 rallies were also held. 13
FEDERATIONS FOR GREATER VOICE I was scared to perform my activities individually as an EWR. Now, being in a federation, they are guiding, motivating and supporting me in all spheres to do things efficiently. Rangammal Vice President Pinnathur Gram Panchayat Palacode Block Dharmapuri District Tamil Nadu Federations provide EWRs a platform for sharing of experiences on common issues, collaborating on projects, advocating for women s political rights, fighting social injustices, and jointly lobbying against adverse policies and for initiatives that would benefit their communities. It is a platform for co-learning and co-sharing which encourages EWRs to work with each other to increase the impact on their communities and governance of Gram Panchayats. Earlier, THP facilitated federation-building processes during the third year of the five-year tenure of an EWR. However, positive feedback, consistent success stories of federations, and repeated requests on the part of EWRs for more and earlier coalition-building has brought federation-building into the agenda of the first year of the five-year cycle. Elected women have grouped together to form 122 block federations, with a total membership of around 10,000 EWRs. The EWR federations continue to forge ahead by building linkages with the state government, disseminating governance-related information to its members, and addressing issues of social and gender justice in Gram Panchayats. THP held 58 federationbuilding workshops and more than 843 federation meetings across state/block/cluster levels where 23,571 EWRs participated across seven states of India. Additionally, 15 federation conventions were organised that saw the participation of 1,803 EWRs. Some of the achievements of the federations include: Improved Public Distribution System (PDS) and midday meals through monitoring and intervention of EWRs, improved implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) and various social welfare schemes, campaign on malnutrition in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka, support to women candidates during Panchayat elections, decreased incidences of Violence Against Women (VAW) through intervention of Gram Panchayats, decreased incidences of women being subjected to alcohol-related abuse and violence, strengthened Panchayats through increased participation of citizens in Gram Sabha meetings, improved irrigation systems having positive impact on agriculture, and awareness generated on the Right to Information (RTI) Act and its use. THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 15
Events like food poisoning in schools are a common feature elsewhere in Odisha; but it is not so common in Balianta block, situated as it is on the outskirts of the State Capital of Bhubaneswar. FOOD POISONING IN SCHOOLS - COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP REDEFINED... That was a different time when women did not have a say in the affairs of the community and leadership was mostly confined to men. Today women are seen in the forefront of community leadership. Events like food poisoning in schools are a common feature elsewhere in Odisha; but it is not so common in Balianta block, situated as it is on the outskirts of the State Capital of Bhubaneswar. So when 15 small school children from one of the THP intervention villages fell sick after eating food under the Mid-Day Meal programme, it was big news. The situation might have been worse and proved fatal for 15 precious lives had timely and effective intervention by the ALIBHA federation not been there. As soon as Ashamani Sahoo, the woman ward member in Kakarudrapur Gram Panchayat in Balianta block of Khurda district, got information about the incident, she rushed to the school, took charge of calming down the mob of irate parents, called an ambulance and shifted all the children to the nearest Medical Sub-Centre. Leaving the children in the safe hands of the doctors, Ashamani coordinated with other ALIBHA federation leaders, and they decided to get the administration to look into the matter immediately. So, the Sub-Collector, the BDO, Child Development & Protection Officer, Block Chairman, and even local media persons were informed about the incident by ALIBHA members and requested to highlight the issue so that it did not go unnoticed or unaddressed. While all the 15 children were recovering from food poisoning, an immediate enquiry was set up in the presence of the Sub-Collector to find out the cause so that this kind of incident does not happen in the future. The issue resolved, the ALIBHA members got immense praise from the community and authorities alike for their timely action. This has proved their credibility and raised their esteem in the eyes of the local community. THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 17
EVENTS Sammelans (conventions) play a significant role in building and strengthening the networks of EWRsof Gram panchayats within the state. These conventions not only help the EWRs build alliances with their peers beyond the block and district levels, but also help them to communicate and interact with block, district and state-level government officials. These conventions also serve as platforms for identification of issues for advocacy at the state level, and for developing a collective understanding on the future course of building federations. The JAGRITI (Awakening) federation of EWRs of Gram Panchayats in Madhya Pradesh was formed in 2011 and since then has served as a strong support structure for its members to withstand the pressure from dominant and oppressive sections of the society. Over the past four years, the JAGRITI federation has galvanised and encouraged communities, local bureaucrats, media and the State Government to engage with them. On 21-22 December 2013, a two-day State Convention of 200 EWRs from JAGRITI federation, representing the voices of 1,700 EWRs from the eight districts of Satna, Rewa, Sidhi, Chattarpur, Shahdol, Katni, Jhabua and Harda of Madhya Pradesh, was held in Bhopal. The convention provided a platform for the EWRs to share their journey as members of the federation. The broad objectives of the convention were to develop a collective understanding of the overall achievements and the present challenges of the JAGRITI federation and strategizing for further advocacy. The participating EWRs spoke about how leadership of elected women has rightly worked with the strategy of having a federation that has further helped them to achieve a number of feats that was earlier unthinkable. The EWRs highlighted the priorities of the federation e.g., providing sanitation and clean water facilities in their communities, and their shared actions to address those needs, despite the government s apathy in working towards a solution. To further share the understanding and knowledge on sanitation in the communities, the JAGRITI federation facilitated a panel dialogue that discussed gendered approaches to sanitation and on how to use the local governance framework more effectively. In addition, seven EWR federation mini-conventions were organised at the block level in Madhya Pradesh. THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 19
BUILDING AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR EWRs COMMUNITY IS STRENGTH I had never been to the Panchayat office. Even after getting elected as the ward panch, I didn t know about the working of the Panchayat. With village women, we formed a federation and organised meetings on different issues. THP helped us and gave the required and necessary information and guidelines. With support of the women, I overcame my fear of attending Panchayat meetings. In earlier days, people used to say she roams worthlessly. Today I am complimented as Sarpanch, says Vimla Devi. JAGRUK MANCH Jagruk Manch, initiated by THP, functions as a platform for elected and non-elected women at the Gram Panchayat level to not only support the work of the EWRs, but to strengthen the participation of women in Panchayats as informed citizens. It also provides a platform for women citizens to engage with issues of governance and a space to help build their understanding of politics, rights roles, responsibilities and duties of elected representatives and the local bureaucracy. The Jagruk Manchs have not only strengthened the role of EWRs as decision-makers in the community, but have engendered sustainable democratic governance processes as well. Through the Jagruk Manch meetings, EWRs have been able to address myriad of issues pertaining to VAW, female sex selective abortion, child marriage, education, scholarship schemes for children, equal wages, implementation of MGNREGS, entitlements to beneficiaries under various social welfare schemes, right to property, etc. At the Gram Panchayat level, 1,447 Jagruk Manch meetings have been held in Karnataka and Rajasthan with the participation of 4,581 EWRs and 39,551 nonelected women citizens. Vimla Devi has earned this compliment after devoting long hours honestly to development work in her area. One day a villager informed Vimla Devi that at the construction site of Rajiv Gandhi Seva Kendra, work was not up to the mark. She went to the construction site and found the information was correct. She took a sample of bricks and cement and went directly to the SDM s office. By the orders of the SDM, officers of the Panchayat rushed to the construction site and ordered the contractor to replace the material and restart the work. This is a glimpse of Vimla Devi s dedication. She never allows corruption to grow. In her ward, street-lights and drinking water is available. She is engaged with Jagruk Manch and is fully informed. Villagers believe that only she can solve their problems. Once a ration dealer had refused to distribute PDS wheat to the villagers. He gave an excuse that the government had not supplied the ration for that month. He had planned to sell the wheat in the open market in Tijara. Villagers rushed to Vimla Devi and asked her to help. She was helpless as this matter related to another ward, so she asked them to go to the Sarpanch. They urged that she was Sarpanch for them. She called a meeting of Jagruk Manch. The Sarpanch and other ward members are members of the Jagruk Manch. She raised the matter in the meeting and forced the Sarpanch to call the dealer to the meeting to sort out the mater. When the Sarpanch called the dealer, he said that he was out of town. He realised that he could not fool the people any longer since they had organised themselves and agreed to distribute the wheat. This was a victory of the faith the villagers had in her. Vimla Devi proudly boasts that now women in her village are empowered to face their drunkard husbands. They resist and their husbands dare not beat them. On a demand from the villagers, she got approved a handpump for Ward No. 11 of her Panchayat. The Up-Sarpanch conspired to get the handpump set up in his premises. Vimla Devi complained to the SDO. She had to combat all the male ward members who were against her. Finally, the handpump was set up at a mutually agreed place. Vimla Devi Yadav Ward Panch Virampur Gram Panchayat Tijara Panchayat Samiti Alwar District Rajasthan THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 21
GRAM SABHA MOBILISATION A Gram Sabha constitutes all the adult citizens of a village having the right to vote. It is a constitutionally mandated mechanism through which grassroots constituencies hold Panchayats accountable. In order that women s leadership is effective in rural local governance and in other aspects of community life, having them participate and speak in the Gram Sabha meetings is extremely crucial. Accordingly, 22 Gram Sabha Mobilisation (GSM) workshops have been conducted by THP with the support of EWRs and partner organisations in Rajasthan. INTERFACE MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS AND PANCHAYAT SECRETARIES THP organised 14 interface meetings between EWRs and legislators in Karnataka which saw the participation of 651 EWRs. These interface meetings serve as a platform where the EWRs can directly bring to the notice of the legislators/parliamentarians the challenges that affect their respective Gram Panchayats, thus demanding good governance. THP also organised 10 block-level interface meetings between EWRs and Panchayat Secretaries in Rajasthan. A total of 201 EWRs participated in these meetings. The main objectives of these interface meetings were to orient the Panchayat Secretaries on their roles and responsibilities, especially towards the EWRs, and to provide a platform for the EWR federation members to share their work-related challenges with the Panchayat Secretaries. PARTNERING WITH THE MEDIA Partnerships with the regional and national media have been an integral part of THP s programme that has helped in changing the cynical and negative opinion regarding women s leadership in Gram Panchayats. Working with the media enables EWRs to tackle particular issues in a more systemic way. A total of 35 media workshops were organised by THP across the states of Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand during the reporting period. In addition, 11 media workshops were organised as an integral part of the VAW campaign in Bihar and Karnataka. A state-level press conference, as part of the VAW campaign, was also organised in Bihar. THE THIRTEENTH SAROJINI NAIDU PRIZE In 2013, the thirteenth Sarojini Naidu Prize (SNP) was awarded. The Prize, instituted by The Hunger Project- India in 2000, was first awarded in 2001 to mark the beginning of a partnership with the print media. Given annually For Best Reporting on Women and Panchayati Raj, it was launched to promote and encourage sustained reporting in the media on the issue of women s political participation in Panchayats and foster an environment of positive opinion that supports their leadership. This year 1,925 articles on EWRs 1,111 in English, 765 in Hindi, and 49 in regional languages were submitted for SNP 2013. Awarded to journalists in three language categories English, Hindi and other regional languages it encourages the press to prominently and actively report on the breakthroughs and success stories of women s leadership in local governance in India. The winners, selected by a panel of eminent jurors, receive a cash prize and a personalised citation. THE WINNERS 2013 ENGLISH Ms. Naina J. A. for her article Trash to Treasure, Kadaba GP Shows the Way, published in Deccan Herald. HINDI Ms. Khasti Bisht for her article Women Panchayat Representatives are Proving Themselves Better than their Male Counterparts, published in Uttar Ujala. OTHER INDIAN LANGUAGE Mr. R. Samban for his article in Malayalam Women s Empowerment, Diversing Mofussils, published in Yojana Monthly Magazine. 23
Section 40 of Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act ADVOCACY AND BUILDING ALLIANCES Two-child norm In Delhi, on the eve of World Population Day, THP participated in a media dialogue organised by the National Coalition, against two-child norm and coercive population policies. A detailed discussion was conducted on the issue of Population and Family Planning: Contemporary Issues and Realities. The expert panelists included Mr. Colin Gonsalves (senior lawyer and Director, Human Rights Law Network), Ms. Fredrika Meijer (Country Representative, UNFPA), and Ms. Usha Rai and Ms. T. K. Rajlakshmi (senior journalists). The linkage between small families and the steady decline in sex ratio, citing the pervasive experience of China s onechild policy, was also discussed at the media dialogue. With the purpose of firming up the existing understanding of partners on two-child norm, its genesis, and its different implications, a one day re-orientation workshop was conducted by Dr. Abhijit Das (Director, Centre for Health and Social Justice, New Delhi) in Udaipur, Rajasthan. The workshop, aimed at strengthening the ongoing advocacy against the norm in the state, saw the participation of 25 staff members of THP s partner organisations from Rajasthan. In September 2013, EWR federation members in Rajasthan raised the issue in an interface with Ms. Aparna Arora, Commissioner, Panchayati Raj, Rajasthan. Similarly, in Odisha, during the 16 days of Activism-VAW campaign, petitions were submitted by the ALIBHA EWR federation demanding the removal of the norm from the Odisha Panchayati Raj Act. In Panchayati Raj, persons having more than two children are not eligible to contest for elections. This rule does not apply for State Legislative Assembly or Parliament elections. This law should be reformed and applicable for all elections without prejudice. When I contested for election I had two children. One of my children was adopted by my relative. Meanwhile, I had one more child. Now people want me to resign. This is injustice to me. Yashoda Devi Sarpanch Khusiyara Gram Panchayat Sahabad Block Baran District Rajasthan Sustained efforts undertaken to advocate and lobby against Section (40) of the Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act has yielded some significant outcomes. In October 2013, representation from the JAGRITI EWR federation lobbied with two major national political parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Indian National Congress (INC) for removal of Section (40) in their respective party manifestos for the upcoming State Assembly Elections. The same got reflected in the Madhya Pradesh Congress party s manifesto with the promise to review Section (40) in the context of its use and its application. In addition to this initiative, THP along with JAGRITI federation members, actively contributed in the preparation of a people s manifesto by a consortium of civil society organisations (CSOs) and advocacy groups in the state. Inclusion of Section (40) as a pertinent issue hampering women s leadership in local governance was successfully advocated for. Section (40) of the Madhya Pradesh Panchayati Raj Act provides for the removal of an elected representative who is found not to be working in public interest. The enforcement of Section (40) has disproportionately affected the marginalised and poor, women, and often those belonging to Scheduled Castes and Tribes. Advocacy against Maryada Abhiyaan in Madhya Pradesh The Madhya Pradesh government recently introduced a women-led total sanitation campaign called Maryada Abhiyan. The guidelines of the campaign deemed gender biases discriminatory and humiliating with the negative portrayal of women as passive recipients of all development inputs. THP, along with other CSOs, formed an action group to lobby with the government for withdrawal of the controversial guidelines. As a result, a high-level committee was constituted by the government with a revised set of guidelines issued. Advocacy on Sumangali in Tamil Nadu In Tamil Nadu, particularly in the THP working districts of Tirupur, Erode, Virudhnagar, Madurai, Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri, the Sumangali scheme has been a contentious issue. The scheme was introduced in the early 1990s and goes by various names in the South Indian textile industry (e.g., camp coolie system ) and is said to have originated in spinning mills around Coimbatore for the poor families in the neighbouring districts. THP s advocacy is aligned with the ongoing campaign against the Sumangali scheme undertaken by various other organisations in the state. Previously I was in a desert. Now I feel like being in an orchard due to the federation. K. Renuka Devi President V. Kuttapalam Gram Panchayat Chennimalai Block Erode District Tamil Nadu 25
16 Days of Activism: VAW Campaign In their resolve to address the different manifestations of VAW in local communities and building on the previous year s campaign, EWRs and their federations in the states of Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, undertook the 16 Days of Activism a campaign on the issue of VAW. The campaign activities in the four states covered a total of 1,166 Gram Panchayats across 92 blocks in 38 districts and involved the participation of around 3,175 EWRs. The campaign kick-started with press conferences being organised at district and state levels to highlight the most pertinent issues concerning VAW (in the context of the state) perpetuated in the public and private domain. In Odisha and Karnataka, district-level conventions were organised where the EWRs apprised the government of the existing situation of VAW at the district level and urged the state machinery to take positive steps to mitigate the same. In using the governance framework and through a number of measures and initiatives such as interface with local government functionaries, blocklevel advocacy meetings with members of the village courts, village level meetings, Panchayat-level rallies led by EWR federation members, street-plays, mobile van campaigns, media interactions, and film screenings, the campaign has grown from the one undertaken in 2012. The campaign saw non-elected women, EWRs, relevant stakeholders, and other community members getting involved in the activities and speaking about VAW. At the National-level, THP participated in the National Consultation on VAW held in Bhopal as well as the launch of the campaign held in Delhi in December 2013. Other advocacy issues In Bihar, in December 2013, at a state-level interface of APARAJITA EWR federation members with the Minister of Panchayati Raj, Bihar, Dr. Bhim Singh, the minster declared that legal recognition to Ward Sabhas in the state will be given, with the necessary amendment made in the Bihar Panchayati Raj Act, 2006. This has been one of the longstanding demands of the state, with sustained advocacy, yielding a positive outcome. In Karnataka, in response to the amendments proposed by the State Government in the Karnataka Panchayati Raj Act, members of SUGRAMA, the state-level EWR federation, undertook intensive advocacy efforts on issues that would have hampered the leadership of elected women in Panchayats and which went against the spirit of decentralisation that the 73rd amendment is based upon. A press meet was organised by SUGRAMA members to share these concerns. Further to the advocacy undertaken, a memorandum was also submitted to the Chief Minister and the Panchayati Raj Minister of State voicing their concerns. In Madhya Pradesh, federation members actively participated and observed the National Nutritional Week organised by the government from 1-7 September, 2013. Several programmes by the Ministry of Women and Child Development were organised at the Panchayat and block levels with participation from 546 federation members. Awareness programmes were conducted under the banner of JAGRITI federation in 52 Gram Panchayats. At the National-level, THP participated in the National Consultation on VAW held in Bhopal as well as the launch of the campaign held in Delhi in December 2013. THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 27
HIGHLIGHTS 2013/2014 01 THP participated in UNFPA-ICRW sharing meeting on a recently concluded study titled Masculinity, Son Preference and Intimate Partner Violence in India. 02 In May 2013, the National coalition against Two-Child Norm held a meeting with Mr. Keshav Desiraju, Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in which the concerns around the Two-Child Norm were presented. The meeting was successful in galvanising the Ministry to look into the harmful implications of Two-Child Norm as conditionality in accessing basic services. The Health Ministry issued a government order where removal of Two-Child Norm as a conditional measure in Janani Suraksha Yojana was passed. 03 To further influence public discourse on VAW, THP participated in the Gender Justice and Criminal Law Reform Conference, organized by Harvard University, South Asia Institute. 04 THP was also invited to participate in a consultation on recommendatory role for local governments to address violence against women, organized in Jaipur by UNDP. The consultation was organised to help chart recommendations for addressing VAW through local governments. 05 THP actively engaged in preparation for India s alternate report being prepared by CSOs by submitting inputs specifically on the issue of VAW. 06 In Delhi, THP participated in the press briefing organized by the advocacy alliance (called alliance for 33 per cent) formed to demand for the passage of 33 per cent reservation of seats for women in Parliament and state legislatures. THP, as a long standing member of this alliance, reiterated and reinforced the urgent need for the government to pass the bill immediately. 07 In January 2014, THP was invited to participate in a National Consultation organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Panchayati Raj Sansthan (of Indian National Congress, specifically looking at issues of local governance). THP led the delegation, with participation and representation of EWRs and local partner organisations from all seven states in the meeting. The National Consultation was organised to seek inputs for the preparation of the Congress party manifesto. The meeting included an interaction with Mr. Rahul Gandhi (Vice President of the Indian National Congress and Member of Parliament). 08 In February 2014, THP hosted a delegation from Afghanistan and Yemen comprising of 41 persons. The delegation consisted of members of CSOs, NGOs, networks, etc. The primary purpose of their visit to THP-India office was to learn about the work undertaken by THP to build women s leadership and political participation in India. 09 THP conducted mass awareness campaigns on malnutrition and health in selected Panchayats in the states of Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka. The EWR-led campaigns mobilised community members, Anganwadi workers and Gram Panchayat members, and spread awareness on the issue of malnutrition, linking it up with the larger issue of food security. The campaigns also spread awareness on child and maternal health programmes like the Janani Suraksha Yojana, Integrated Child Development Services scheme, etc. leading to increased access of various provisions under such schemes. 29
PARTNERSHIP WITH CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANISATIONS PARTNERSHIPS PARTNERSHIP WITH DONORS In this reporting period, THP-India has partnered with the following donors to implement the programme at the grassroots: CORDAID for strengthening women s leadership to eliminate hunger and poverty in Madhya Pradesh and Tamil Nadu Forum Syd for facilitating federations in Uttarakhand and Odisha Ribbink Van Den Hoek Foundation to Strengthening Federation of Elected Women leaders towards advocacy and action in Madhya Pradesh The Asia Foundation for 16 Days of Activism on VAW in Bihar and Odisha UNDP for strengthening women s political leadership in local Governance building capacities and facilitating an enabling environment in Odisha and Rajasthan STATE BIHAR KARNATAKA MADHYA PRADESH ODISHA RAJASTHAN TAMIL NADU UTTARAKHAND ORGANISATION IZAD ABHIYAN LOK MADHYAM PARIVARTAN VIKAS NIRDESH JANA SHIKSHANA TRUST (JST) SUMANA VIKASANA SAMARASA ORGANISATION OF DEVELOPMENT OF PEOPLE (ODP) ACTION FOR SOCIAL AND EDUCATIONAL DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION (ASEDA) MAHILA SAMITI MANAV JEEVAN VIKAS SAMITI OM SHIKSHA SAMITI GRAM SUDHAR SAMITI SAMAVESH SAMPARK SAMAJ SEVI SANTHAN ANUPAMA EDUCATION SOCIETY PEOPLE S CULTURAL CENTRE (PECUC) PEOPLE S INSTITUTE FOR PARTICIPATORY ACTION RESEARCH (PIPAR) DEVELOPMENT AGENCY FOR POOR AND TRIBAL AWAKENING (DAPTA) AYAUSKAM NARI SURAKHYA SAMITI (NSS) INSTITUTE FOR WOMEN S DEVELOPMENT (IWD) CECOEDECON ASTHA SANSTHAN SOCIETY FOR ALL ROUND DEVELOPMENT (SARD) ALWAR MEWAT INSTITUTE FOR EDUCATION & DEVELOPMENT (AMIED) JAN SHIKSHA EVAM VIKAS SANSTHAN JAN CHETNA SANSTHAN JATAN SANSTHAN VIKALP SANSTHAN CENTRE FOR EDUCATION AND EMPOWERMENT OF MARGINALISED (CEEMA) DEVELOPMENT EDUCATION AND ENVIRONEMNT PROTECTION SOCIETY (DEEPS TRUST) SOCIAL EDUCATION ECONOMICAL DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY (SEEDS) EKTA RESOURCE CENTRE FOR WOMEN (EKTA) VELICHAM TRUST ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL PLANNING AND ACTION (ARPAN) GRAMEEN UTTHAN SAMITI (GUS) KASTURBA MAHILA UTTHAN MANDAL (KMUM) LAKSHMI ASHRAM SELF AWARENESS RESOURCE AND LEARNING TRUST (SARAL) 31
FINANCES FINANCIAL FACTS INDEPENDENT AUDITOR S REPORT TO THE TRUSTEES OF THE HUNGER PROJECT - INDIA Report on the Financial Statements 1. We have audited the accompanying financial statements of The Hunger Project India ( The Project ) which comprises the Balance Sheet as at March 31, 2014 and the Income and Expenditure Account for the year then ended, and a summary of Significant Accounting Policies and other explanatory information. Management s Responsibility for the Financial Statements 2. Management is responsible for the preparation of these financial statements that give a true & fair view of the financial position and financial performance of the trust in accordance with the Accounting Standards as prescribed by ICAI. This responsibility includes the design, implementation, and maintenance of internal control relevant to the preparation and presentation of the financial statements that give a true & fair view and are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. Auditor s Responsibility 3. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements based on our audit. We conducted our audit in accordance with the Standards on Auditing issued by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Those Standards require that we comply with ethical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free from material misstatement. An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The procedures selected depend on the auditor s judgment, including the assessment of the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments, the auditor considers internal control relevant to the preparation and fair presentation of the financial statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances. An audit also includes evaluating the appropriateness of accounting policies used and the reasonableness of the accounting estimates made by the management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our audit opinion. Opinion In our opinion and to the best of our information and according to the explanations given to us, the financial statements give the information required by the Act in the manner so required and give a true and fair view in conformity with the accounting principles generally accepted in India: (a) in the case of the Balance Sheet, of the statement of affairs of the Project as at March 31, 2014; (b) in the case of the income & expenditure Account, of the surplus of the Project for the year ended on that date; Place: New Delhi Date: 06.06.2014 33
BALANCE SHEET AS AT MARCH 31, 2014 INCOME AND EXPENDITURE ACCOUNT FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014 Notes to the accounts - schedule 1 Per our report attached to the Balance Sheet For The Hunger Project Trustees Notes to the accounts - schedule 1 Per our report attached For The Hunger Project Place: New Delhi Date: 06.06.2014 Trustees Place: New Delhi Date: 06.06.2014 35
NOTES ANNEXED TO AND FORMING PART OF THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR ENDED MARCH 31, 2014 1. Significant Accounting Policies a) The financial statements are prepared under the historical cost convention on an accrual basis and are in accordance with the Bombay Public Trust Act, 1950 and rules made thereunder. b) Grants & Donations are accounted for on receipt basis and expenses to the extent ascertainable are being accounted for on accrual basis. c) 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: 2. In view of the stay order granted by Hon High Court of Mumbai and on the basis of information gathered from various sources, in respect of payment to be made, to the Commissioner Charity, the trust has not made a provision @ 2 % for the amount being an uncertain / unconfirmed liability. 3. There are no commitments or contingencies outstanding except the stay order granted by Hon ble High Court of Mumbai, in respect of payment to be made, to the Commissioner, Charity, Mumbai, as at 31st March, 2014. 4. The figures of the previous year have been regrouped/ recast to conform to the current year s classification. For The Hunger Project Trustees Place: New Delhi Date: 06.06.2014 37
GOVERNANCE GOVERNING COUNCIL NATIONAL TEAM STATE TEAM AUDITORS Ms. Kanika Satyanand Ms. Rita Sarin Ms. Amarjeet K. Ahuja, Ms. Brinda Dubey Dr. Sanaya Nariman Ms. Namita Gautam Ms. Rita Sarin Ms. Ruchi Yadav Mr. N. K. Malhotra Mr. Paritosh Sasmal Mr. Darshan S. Ms. Bharani Sundararajan Ms. Veda Bharadwaja Ms. Eunice Thong Mr. Shiw Shankar Mahato Mr. Amit Goyal Ms. Nidhi Kumari Mr. Subrata Sahoo Mr. Jesse Dukha Mr. Kamal Giri Mr. Bhushan Giri Mr. Upender Narayan Singh Mr. Bimal Kant Mr. Bimal Kumar Sahu Ms. Ganga Gupta Ms. Gayathri M. S. Ms. Irudaya Rani. D Mr. Justin Johnny J. Mr. Kamalakannan. E Ms. Kamla Bhatt Ms. Litali Das Mr. Mahendra Kumar Patodia Mr. Mithlesh Yadav Ms. Natasha Sharma Mr. Parigi Vedavyasa Ms. Ranjana Vaishnav Ms. Sanju Devi Ms. Shahina Perween Ms. Shibani Sharma Mr. Sriram Kevat Mr. Sujeet Kumar Verma Mr. Sukanta Mohapatra Ms. Swetarupa Kapuri Mr. Virendra Shrimali Mr. Vinayaga Murthy. E SMS & Associates 39
THE HUNGER PROJECT NATIONAL OFFICE Ms. Rita Sarin Global Vice President & Country Director DIRECTORY The Hunger Project Shaheed Bhavan 18/1, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg Qutab Institutional Area New Delhi 110067 P: 011 41688847-51 F: 011 41688852 E: india.office@thp.org THE HUNGER PROJECT / ANNUAL REPORT 2013-2014 41
THE HUNGER PROJECT - STATE OFFICES BIHAR OFFICE Mr. Sujeet Kumar Verma Programme Officer The Hunger Project Krishna Kanan A Ramsuchit Mishra Path Off Boring Canal Road Patna 800001 P: 0612-2521705 KARNATAKA OFFICE Mr. Justin Johnny Programme Associate The Hunger Project No. 4, 2nd Floor, Berlie Street Cross Opp. Ganeshpuja House Langford Town, Shanthinagar Bangalore 560025 P: 080 22224580 RAJASTHAN OFFICE Mr. Virendra Shrimali Programme Officer The Hunger Project A-5, Hawa Sarak, Opposite Ram Mandir Near Yes Vidya Mandir School Civil Lines Jaipur 302006 P: 0141-2223123 MADHYA PRADESH OFFICE Ms. Shibani Sharma Programme Officer The Hunger Project A-450, Mansarover Colony Shahpura Bhopal 462016 P: 0755-2424736 F: 0755-4246259 TAMIL NADU OFFICE Ms. Gayathri M. S. Programme Officer The Hunger Project No. 53-A, Church Street Thangam Colony, Near Immanuel Church Anna Nagar West Chennai 600040 P: 044-42695225 ODISHA OFFICE Mr. Sukanta Mohapatra Programme Officer The Hunger Project Flat No. D-701 Rajendra Vihar Apartments Forest Park Bhubaneswar 751009 P: 0674-2596601 43
THE HUNGER PROJECT ANNUAL REPORT 2013 / 2014