Utthan Development Networking and Advocacy Effort

Promoting gender equity, women’s empowerment, communal harmony

Coordinators : Bala, Chandrika

Background

Bhal Region in Ahmedabad Issues :

Shortage of drinking water Large wasteland areas(50% uncultivable) Government Indifference Exploitative socio-economic structure Poor health and education Migration

Gujarat State Map

NGO

Utthan started in 1981 From ASAG, an action committee

evolved a plan for development of Bhal Region for the government

Utthan started from the ASAG committee

Bridging information gap between village people is the step towards solving major problems and developing equitable society

Two tiered NGO structure

Utthan – State level resource group Provides support structure Evolves block level plans Techical resources

Mahiti – Local Volunteer Group Made of local community Implemented block level plans Creating social pressures for solving

issues

Women’s empowerment

Solving women’s issues and creating a framework for women’s involvement in decision making process

Drinking water – Pani Samiti, Watershed committees

Self Help Group –Mahila Samiti Health and awareness camps – Mahila Samiti Building bridge between community and

government – Gram Sabhas, District Officials, Panchayats

Women Empowerment (Contd)

Involve men in the women’s empowerment Yuvak samiti

Provide a forum to engage in issues of the village

Draw the positive energy of the youth towards social development and communal harmony

Successes

75% out of 108 villages became water self sufficient

Reduced migration in the villages Pressure on local municipality to

support local watershed Money lending system in the region

was successfully dismantled. Women engaged in electoral

process

Utthan from 1994

Mahiti became self sufficient in 1994

Tribal Development Program (Dahod)

Coastal Area Development Program (Bhavnagar, Amreli)

National and International engagement

Utthan – Core values

Equity – a commitment to work for an end to caste, class, gender & other forms of discrimination.

Honesty – a commitment to openness & transparency, and to end dishonesty and corruption.

Secularism – a commitment towards building a culture of secular democracy and mutual respect for all religion.

Team Work – a commitment to participation and team work.

Individual Freedom – a belief that everyone has the right to be free from excessive controls, through acting within a responsible framework.

Excellence – a commitment to work efficiently and effectively, and to constantly strive to improve.

Utthan’s interventions

Natural Resource Management Gender Equity and Empowerment Health and Sanitation Networking and Advocacy Disaster management

Proposed Program

Goals Gender equity in access and ownership

of water resources Women’s empowerment through

capacity building Communal harmony Networking and advocacy Process Documentation

Proposed Program

Where 15 villages in 3 districts (Amreli, Bhavnagar, Dahod)

Activities Year 1 – Planning, Demonstration, Awareness

Building, Committee Formation, Leader building

Year 2 – Capacity building, planning, training Year 3 - Implementation, need-based training

and identification and evolution of institutional framework

Documentation and communication material

Networking & Advocacy

Network village institutions and NGOs, governments and international bodies

Media advocacy – Use mainstream media to promote equity and communal harmony

Budget

A Program Activities Training and capacity building

Training workshops Rs 50,000.00 Advocacy meetingsRs 60,000.00 Melas, Exhibition Rs 50,000.00

Media Comm. & Doc. Rs 40,000.00 Resource Persons Rs

15,000.00

Budget

B. Salaries & TA/DA Coordinator Rs 96,000.00 Research & Doc. Asst Rs 72,000.00 Field Officer Rs 60,000.00 TA & DA (3 Persons) Rs 36,000.00

C. Administration(10%) Rs 47,900.00

Total Rs5,26,900$11,454

Proposed Indicators

Representation of issues in caste panchayat

% of women in various administrative structures

Levels of women involvement in decision making

Asset ownership Water security