Women's groups
Recognizing the important contributions made by women towards
economic and social life, CREDA has established Women's
Groups to enable women to make claims on the system that governs
their lives. These groups meet to discuss and address issues concerning
the schools, the difficulties faced by the children and other
social issues that may be otherwise difficult to discuss in the
four walls of their homes.
Broadly speaking there are two ways women are organised under
the programme.
Mothers' groups
At least 100 mother's groups have been established. These groups
are loosely structured with no formal leadership. The basic
condition for membership is mothers should have children enrolled
in the community schools. Mothers are encouraged to discuss
a number of issues that relate to their situation and observe
their child's performance through songs and plays.
The women in the villages had never before organised themselves
in groups and they appreciate this initiative. Due to the prevailing
cultural traditions, women would seldom speak out in front of
men and would often veil their faces in front of men other than
their husband or kin.
Group formation has helped enhance the image of women and create
awareness of practices and traditions that discriminate against
them. For example,
meetings with some groups raised issues like the consequences
of the dowry system which tend to perpetuate early marriage
practices. Minimum wage issues are also discussed.
Mothers' groups exist parallel to Parent's Association, which
in this case really means fathers.
Self-Help Groups
In the project area, traditional moneylenders have a lot of
power and charge exorbitant interest rates. The poor and the
SC/ST have virtually no access to commercial banks. Borrowers
get trapped into debt from which there is no escape. The debt
spiral is exacerbated because loans are often not used for income-generating
purposes, but for festivals, marriages and payment of illegal
dowries.
The social consequence for children can be grave. Parents often
find themselves in a situation where there is no other alternative
than to send the child to the looms or other work in bonded
arrangement. The child is thereafter obliged to work to repay
the parents' debts- not necessarily to contribute to daily expenses.
Often, the child is unaware of the amount of money that has
to be repaid. Illiterate parents may also easily be lured into
contracts in which the child actually receives very little money
in cash.
A new form of women's group has been introduced in some of
the villages. The long- term objective is to create Self-help
groups that among other tasks will operate savings and credit
schemes for micro-enterprises/ economic activities. 100 such
groups have been formed in the project area in Lalgaj and Halia
blocks. CREDA's plan is to form another 200 such groups. Each
group has been provided Rs. 10,000 as initial capital to take-off
economic activities.
So far CREDA does not require the groups to operate according
to any strict rules, management and other regulations. Community
schoolteachers arrange the meetings and take careful minutes
from the discussions. Though there are not many economic opportunities
for small-scale activities in the project area economic empowerment
of women through groups is a very important strategy. CREDA
is looking into whether micro
enterprises such as embroidering, tailoring, poultry raising
and food processing are also economically viable in the remote
areas.
Women's groups ensured their participation with block level
government officials to ensure widow pension and old age pension
and made efforts to improve upon public distribution system.
Early childhood...
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