Women
Empowerment
From the very beginning, MARAG has been
making efforts to mobilize the women with a view to empowering
them to play a decisive part in the development process. MARAG
decided to focus on women realizing that women suffered the
most on account of the prevailing feudal and patriarchal society
and in times of natural calamities like drought, floods and
earthquake.
MARAG
believes that women must be at the center of policy-making
bodies as also in the implementation of the various development
programmes meant for them. They must have a say at each stage
of decision-making and implementation, failing which gender
equity cannot be achieved.
Though women of marginalized communities play a key role in
managing the affairs of their family, shouldering more responsibilities
than the men, they have virtually no say in decision-making.
We decided to provide a common platform where the women can
get together, discuss their problems and find solutions. The
idea of forming Women Groups was implemented in Kutch and
Surendranagar districts. MARAG has supported formation and
strengthening of Women Groups with a membership of around
women. Moving one step ahead we have supported formation of
Village Development Committees (VDC) where women have equal
representation.
Women
have been at the center at all levels of decision-making and
implementation of all of MARAG’s interventions, be that
the livelihood restoration programme, rehabilitation of earthquake
victims, water distribution, dairy promotion and natural resources
management etc.
Women
Change Social Customs- A Case Study of Samuh lagn
The coming together of women for a common cause under a common
platform of Women Groups, has set the process of open discussion
among women about the various social issues confronting the
Maldhari community that are hampering their progress. A major
social evil was that of child marriage and the practice of
bride purchase.
MARAG
helped set up the ‘Maldhari Vikas Manch,’ a forum
for the community leaders to discuss ways and means to get
rid of the evil practice of bride purchase. A series of conventions
were held by the manch to discuss the issue. The participants
were unanimous in their views that the practice was economically
ruining the community as each marriage was costing anything
between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 200,000. The community leaders
also took note of the fact that this practice had gained currency
in the last two to three decades only. Earlier, the community
used to have mass marriages whereby several couples used to
get married at a common function.
The
community leaders agreed to revive the age-old practice of
community marriage. There was initial hesitation but soon,
several people volunteered to offer their daughters for such
a marriage. After several rounds of meetings and door-to-door
campaigning, a committee comprising representatives of 12
villages was formed to organize community marriage. The committee
collected a fund of Rs. 164,729, which was spent on the community
marriage (Samuh Lagn).
Significantly,
women formulated the norms for spending money and giving gifts
to the bride and bridegroom as well as the number of guests
to be entertained at the community marriages. This was for
the first time that the Maldhari community members did not
leave such an important decision to their religious heads
and instead willingly accepted the suggestions from women.
A
sizeable number of Maldhari women have become sensitized about
such critical social issues as untouchability, dowry and child
marriage after they came in contact with MARAG and started
taking part in various development activities.
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