gender perspectives to access development entitlements and review women's programmes

Gender Perspectives to Access Gender Perspectives to Access Development Entitlements and Development Entitlements and Review Women's ProgrammesReview Women's Programmes

Gramya Resource Centre for Women,Hyderabad

Dr V Rukmini Rao

December 13, 2010

Right to Life Women's entitlements to development and better

quality of life need to be understood in the context of existing gender inequalities produced by social norms, customs and state policies

Increasing vulnerabilities of women, poor and marginalized in a globalizing world need to be addressed by all to reduce gender gap

In India 40 millions women are missing/killed either due to female feticide, infanticide, neglect by the family and the State

Sex Ratio 933 women to 1000 men

Right to Food Access to Food has decreased in the last decade;

availability reduced from 485 grams per day per person to 419 grams per day in spite of high growth rates

Currently BPL Card holders quota provides for 16% of family needs

Agriculture in which majority of people work – incomes reduced by 14%. Agriculture labour feminized

Shift from Self provisioning by small and marginal farmers to market dependency

Shift from Nutritious Millets to rice and wheat

Right to Food Women Farmers Need to gain control over their own

seeds Access low input sustainable agriculture – Knowledge

and policy support required Create autonomous markets of and for the poor Women farmers need fair farm gate prices National right to food campaign demands: 14 kilos of

cereals per month per person at Rs. 2/- a kilo; 1.5 kilo pulses at Rs. 20/- per kilo and 800 grams of cooking oil at Rs. 35/- per kilo (under negotiation)

Half the entitlement for children

Right to Food Demand to recognize women as head of

household on ration cards Demands from the Millet Network : Millets to be

distributed through the PDS Political leadership to debate and promote

programmes to increase millet cultivation Recognize the ability of millets to mitigate

climate change and provide nutritious food Women are in the forefront of the struggle Issues of single women to be discussed separately

Health Status

The health of Indian Women is linked to their status in society

Strong son preference High dowry cost for daughters – resulting in low

status Women have little autonomy and decision-

making over health related decisions Poor health, results in inadequate child care and

affects economic well being of the household

Women’s Health determined by Low Wages and Fertility to a great extent

High levels of infant mortality combined with the strong son preference, force women to bear high numbers of children

Numerous pregnancies and closely spaced births result in premature births, low birth weight babies, and also increase the health risk for mothers

Small Family Norm

Fertility rates for literate women are 2.2 while for non literate people it is 4

While knowledge of family planning is universal, only 36% of married women aged 13 to 49 currently use modern contraceptives

Place of residence, education and religion are strongly related to both fertility and contraceptive use

Government programmes push female sterilization at an young age 97%

Maternal Mortality Rate

MMR National Average is 254 These are preventable deaths Developed countries MMR - 4 to 7 Main cause lack of access to food and

healthcare 37% of all pregnant women receive no

prenatal care Women in rural areas less likely to receive

care : 42%

Maternal Mortality Rate

Three quarters of all births took place at home

2/3rds of all births were not attended by trained medical personnel

Focus on hospital deliveries, reduced community skills - TBAs

Violence Against Women is also a Health Issue

Estimates for dowry deaths are 25,000 a year Increase in reported level of crimes against

women Much of violence is faced at home Large number of Rapes go unreported 30% of all reported rapes girls aged 16 and

younger Women struggle to access Prevention of

domestic violence law. Inadequate budget to implement the law

Infectious Diseases

Malaria & Tuberculosis endemic among indigenous community and the poor

HIV/AIDS epidemic is spreading and will increasingly affect women’s health and mounting social problems

Lack of clean drinking water and sanitation – a major issue in the country

Right to Education At the time of independence National Female Literacy rate

was 8.9% Today access to primary schools has increased though millions of girls continue to be out of school

Gender gap continues to remain. MDG unmet – all girls in primary school

Special focus required to bring girls to school

Vulnerable sections continue to be in agriculture - girl child labour picking cotton and helping families; girls from Muslim community; girls from extremely poor and migrating families; older girls who missed primary education and girls from indigenous and dalit communities

Entitlements Flow From

Education for all 1986, modified in 1992; Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan EFA 2001

42nd Constitutional amendment brought education into concurrent list

Right to Education Act came into force 1st April, 2010 provides for free and compulsory education from the age of 6 to 14 years

RTE provides for 25% seats for poor children in private schools (government to pay according to their own costs)

Budgetory Constraints

Women's movement has demanded 6% of budgetory allocation for education

Private schools in the country 19.44% of total; Aided schools 5.67%; Unaided 13.77%

10 million children estimated to be migrating with their families with girl child facing increasing vulnerability

Current year budget Rs. 33, 214 Crores (marginal increase over last year)

In AP alone World Bank estimates school infrastructure costs more than at 1 billion rupees

Right to Work

70 million people out of work according to 55th National Sample Survey (7.2%)

52% self employed; 33% workers in casual employment;

Share in organised sector declining along with deterioration in labour standards

Women workers face retrenchment, casualisation of work, work place pressure, subject to sexual harassment and forced to live in unsafe unsanitary conditions.

NREGA Government responds by creating MNREGA

Women working in large numbers estimated 40%

Issue of low wages and irregular work continue

NREGA not an individual entitlement but household based

In export industries

Demand for floor wages in export industries such as garments

Unionization to be supported

Basic social security to be provided to all workers – Welfare boards for unorganised sector to be activated

Right to Natural Resources

Access and control over agriculture land; gives women an opportunity to farm and feed their families

Family law does not provide for equal rights to men and women

Contract farming creating increasing vulnerabilities Biofuel production likely to compromise women's

access to marginal lands / other enclosure processes SEZs and Irrigation projects leading to large scale

displacement / struggle to implement adivasi rights and recognise R+R independently

Review of Women & Child Welfare Programmes

SGSY programme by government organises SHGs of women to overcome financial, market and technical constraints to set up micro enterprises – budget for 2010 – 11, Rs. 2984 Crores.

With an investment of Rs. 25,000/- per person expected to generate income of Rs. 2000/- per month

It is well known that loans do not lead to overall well being of people but there is a need to invest in healthcare and capacity building / new skills

Safety net or spot running?

Entitlement to Economic Resources Rashtriya Mahila Kosh

For the year 2010 – 11 RMK sanctioned loans Rs. 280.03 crores and disbursed Rs. 233.70 crores, benefiting 6,58,746 persons

Microfinance Companies have an outreach to 2.7 crore people and estimated investment Rs. 11000 Crores loans mostly given to women

Microfinance related deaths 56 people in Andhra Pradesh

The government currently recognizes that the poorest of the poor have been left out of the process of SHG formation

Demands by the Women's Movement

Success indictors to include

Expenses on self-food, clothes, health and reading material

Improvement in nutritional status

Mobility

Ability to articulate views and communicate

Understanding issues of gender, class, caste, religion etc

Bodily integrity including but not limited to control over fertility

Access to media and technology

Political Participation

Central Sector SchemesMinistry of WCD

Mid Term Review 11th Plan

Creches Scheme – Number of beneficiaries 7,92,950

Due to lack of funds no new creches are sanctioned from 2008 onwards

Last year NREGA investment Rs. 16,000 crores but worksites are not providing childcare facilities – lessthan 5%

NIPCCD trainings – upto 11th plan midterm review 6,979 – relevance to be reviewed.


Integrated scheme for street children – number of beneficiaries 32,588. 61 street children projects & 153 childline projects assisted

Shishu Graha Scheme - 1150 abandoned children supported - Cradle scheme designed to save the girl child

Unforseen consequencies – Parents feel enabled to throw away their girl daughter

Mothers threatened to give away daughters or else!

Women forced to become baby making machines to produce boys

Irresponsible social norms created


Central Adaption Resource Agency [CARA] – Planned adoptions for three years are 13,200; 6197 adoptions achieved

Dhanalakshmi Scheme to protect / insurance for girl child - Review yet to take place

Women Development

Working women's hostels 11 – mostly located in urban areas

STEP – 1,10,000 planned beneficiaries – achieved 70,920


National Commission for Women: Seminars, public hearings, legal awareness camps etc. Planned – beneficiaries not clear

Swadhar Homes for Women: Number of new homes planned only 46 and achieved 81 – beneficiaries 15,360

Ujjwala Scheme : To be discussed later – reported beneficiaries 3950 (trafficking issue)

Relief and rehabilitation of Rape Victims – Scheme being planned


National Commission for Women: Seminars, public hearings, legal awareness camps etc. Planned – beneficiaries not clear

Swadhar Homes for Women: Number of new homes planned only 46 and achieved 81 – beneficiaries 15,360

Ujjawala Scheme : To be discussed later – reported beneficiaries 3950

Relief and rehabilitation of Rape Victims – Scheme being planned


Support to Voluntary Organisations – Short Stay Home, Condensed Course of Education for adult women, Awareness generation programmes etc.

Main Issue of follow up – Central Social Welfare Board have become parking slots for politicians. No efforts have been made to professionalize these Boards nor it is able to move from welfare agenda to empowerment (Subhash Mendhapurkar)

Nutrition Education Scheme – Ongoing, but outreach limited


ICDS - Outreach to 330.34 lakh children and 143.31 lakh women for supplementary nutrition

Seven main services for child development and to enhance the capability of mother to look after health, nutritional and developmental needs of the child through proper community education

Recent study carried out in Madhya Pradesh highlights following: -


Inspite of Supreme Court Orders that all seven services must be provided universally. Ministry report shows that still 60% children and more than 73% eligible women beneficiaries are out of focus

Exclusion of children and women from ICDS services on the basis of caste and community continues

Most centres lacked their own building

Services are to be provided for 300 days in a year but in practice this is not so


Most centres lacking basic facilities. 58% lack utensils, 56% lack safe drinking water, 76% lack toilet facilities, 60% lack playing kit and preschool education, 89% lack medical kit.

Quality of supplementary nutrition poor – only 28% providing hot cooked meal. 44% providing good quality nutritious food

Growth monitoring not carried out, lack of equipment – 72% of the studied centres had salter weighing machines, only 66% centres have adult weighing machines.


58% had growth registers – there is a shortage of field functionaries – CDPOs, ACDPOs etc.

Though the state claimed it was spending Rs. 2/- per beneficiary detailed analysis shows that only Rs. 0.84 was allocated for beneficiaries

As per budget allocated supplementary nutrition is available only for 126 days in a year and not 300 days in a year

Entitlement for Poorest of the Poor Not Met

Ownership of assets – including common property resources

Focus on grants for survival needs, not credit Focus on primitive tribal groups and Maha dalit

groups Sustainable livelihoods to be promoted

Non representation in political power Women used as pawns to uphold “culture” Indigenous people disproportionately displaced Operation Green hunt creating civil war like

situation, new vulnerability of internally displaced persons

Increasing Vulnerabilities Religious and Linguistic Minorities


Identity related issues: Muslims carry a double burden of being labelled anti-national and as being appeased

Women wearing burqa ill-treated Women housebound with reduced education and

work opportunities Gender based fear of public spaces Lack of credit, skills, markets

Security related: Delay in police action during riots; loss of life and property

Now true for Christian Community in Orissa North East region in turmoil Equity related: Poor civic amenities in Muslim

localities (old city areas); Poverty main cause for lower educational levels Loss of traditional Muslim livelihoods


Current programmes for rural women stress SHG as a means to climb out of poverty productive

We need programmes for productive asset building Skill development related to organic farming,

market access to credit, dairy / to increase productivity

Urgent need to provide education to left out young women

Basic social security for all women

Future Directions

gender perspectives to access development entitlements and review women's programmes

Documents

literate women

force women

millions women

married women

struggleissues of single

health risk

householdwomens health

low wages