report on thematic convergence project on women's

Report on Thematic Convergence ProjectOn

Womens Empowerment

District Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P.)11 March 2014

By

Social and Development Research And Action GroupURL: www.sadrag.org

The Background:

Social and Development Research and Action Group In partnership with National Mission for

empowerment of Women, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Govt. of India initiates

Thematic Convergence Project for Womens Empowerment in District Gautam Budh Nagar,

U.P.

The said Project would entail the following activities in the District in partnership with the

various government departments, agencies and the police.

Mapping of Gautam Budh Nagar district for information on the Nature/kind of VAWoccurring in the district, Identification of crime prone pockets/areas, Safety Audit to

identify violence prone areas, build a robust Complaint redressal system for women,

bring about a sensitized Police-victim interface, documentation of Safe Noida Booklet

Bring about Crises Mitigation via Technology through a dedicated 24 hours Conventionallandline phone for women in distress, Monitoring and Complaint follow up. Making a

Mobile Application on womens safety in the district. The App would have GPS service

to pin point the exact location of caller, List of danger areas of the city along with their

location, In-built sound facility and a prompt SOS calling to police/selected contacts in

case the woman feels any kind of danger

Create Enabling Environment through Discussions and Consultations with stakeholders Create Enabling Environment through Discussions and Consultations with stakeholdersfor the operationalization of District level operations

Awareness Generation on issues of Womens Safety through Online Campaign andOffline campaigns on violence against women via Street shows at Malls, Multiplexes,

educational institutes etc.

Gender budgeting for the Review of Financial Component of district level budget forwomens safety and security provisions

SADRAG celebrated The International Womens Day in partnership with International

Recreation Parks Pvt. Ltd. on 11 March 2014 at The Great India Place (TGIP), Noida. (U.P.).The

said venue, TGIP is situated in Sector -18 in Noida and was primarily chosen because it is the

most sought after place for the youth, men and women to hang around and spend time with

family and friends.

The Day was marked to generate awareness on issues of womens safety along with the formal

initiation of the Thematic Convergence project in the district in the presence of government

2|Page Social And Development Research And Action Group

officials and several key members of the civil society, general public that thronged the Mallduring the evening hours.

The Days Proceedings:

The event began at 5 in the evening with a Magic Show organized by TGIP. The Show broughttogether a lot of people who were visiting the Mall during that time of the day. The peopleenjoyed the magnificent magic tricks showed by the Magician. Alongside was shown thedocumentary films on gender issues that had been made by children under the Adobe YouthVoices programme implemented by The American Foundation. SADRAG is an implementationpartner of this programme.

Taking advantage of a huge crowd gathered there for Magic Show, an Open House Session- NariKi Chaupal was conducted by the students of IP College, University of Delhi. Nari Ki Chaupalwas an interactive session on womens issues with members of civil society gathered at thevenue.

Nari Ki Chaupal -The Open House Session:

An open Chaupal kind of environmentwas created when young girls from Indraprastha Collegefor Women, University of Delhi spread around in a discussion modeto exchange perspectiveswith civil society over the issue of violence against women especially when there has been anunprecedented increase in such cases. The people who gathered for the Magic Show, were ropedin to discuss the serious issue of violence against women. With comments exchanged and viewexplored, Nari Ki Chaupal made each one present there speak out on the issue.

An open Chaupal kind of environmentwas created when young girls from Indraprastha Collegefor Women, University of Delhi spread around in a discussion modeto exchange perspectiveswith civil society over the issue of violence against women especially when there has been anunprecedented increase in such cases. The people who gathered for the Magic Show, were ropedin to discuss the serious issue of violence against women. With comments exchanged and viewexplored, Nari Ki Chaupal made each one present there speak out on the issue.

The President, Abhivayakti Dramatics Society, IP College, University of Delhi led theproceedings with the help of her colleagues, Radhika Dua, Dhun Chhokar and Mehak Aneja.

The discussion that lasted for about 25 minutes, revolved around the following concerns:

Ques. Why do you think VAW occurs at all?Ans.Its basically because the girls are physically week that they become vulnerable to violenceand men can overpower them. The women tend to tolerate violence quietly so the men areencouraged to perpetuate it against them.

Ques.Can you list probable reasons for VAW?Ans.The peoples thinking and perspective over the womens status makes the women prone to


violence. They assign a lower status to women. The mentality of people is the main cause forVAW.

Ques. What type of VAW generally occurs?Ans. The violence may occur in the form of dowry death, kidnapping & abduction, rape, crueltyby husband & relatives, molestation, sexual harassment and indecent representation of women inmedia and otherwise.

Ques. Where do you think VAW occurs the most?Ans.VAW occurs everywhere, be it home, office or any other public place.

Ques. Is VAW limited to any particular age group?Ans. Women may face violence despite the age group they belong to.

Ques.Do you think women are more prone to violence vis a vis men?Ans.Yes, Statistics show that there are more instances of crime against women than against themen. Right before the birth of a girl child to her marriage and after marriage, instances ofviolence may be seen in the form of feticide, infanticide or dowry death.

Ques Do you think Noida is a safe place for women? Yes / No, Why do you say so?Ans.Its generally felt that women feel unsafe in Noida because of the environment around. Itsthe mixed culture here that makes women and young girls feel unsafe.Ans.Its generally felt that women feel unsafe in Noida because of the environment around. Itsthe mixed culture here that makes women and young girls feel unsafe.

Ques Where do you experience or witness VAW - bus stands, markets, Malls... where?Ans. Bus Stands are the major places where cases of VAW are seen. In any case, it is generallyfelt that VAW can occur anywhere at any time.

Ques Whichpublic places do you think are more liable for instances occurring againstwomen?Ans.The local transport such as bus, rickshaw and markets are the places where young girls feelthat they can experience violence like stalking, eve teasing etc.

Ques.What kind of instances usually occurs with women and young girls in public spaces?Ans. The commonly occurring instances are that of molestation, oral comments, indecent actsetc. The young boys whistle, pass comments and make indecent gestures.


Ques Do you agree that girls invite violence due to revealing dresses? If not, Pleasevoice

your concerns.

aAns.We do not agree with it. It all depends on a persons mentality. The girls insalwar kameezs

are also molested. It is just an excuse saying that those who wear covered dresses are not

fmolested. Any girl in any kind ofdress may be molested at any point of time.

Ques What is the role of our male counterparts in containing VAW?

Ans. Men have to make sure that girls get an equal opportunity in every sector. There should be

rreservation for women in every area of work. The institution of family should revive its

responsibility not to discriminate in gender based discrimination at home. The sons and

edaughters should be treated equally. The perspective towards women should change to

positivism and respect.

The people felt that girls and women should be groomed well so that they can take decisions for

their own selves.

Nari Ki Chaupal in progress

oNari Ki Chaupal ended on the note that with changing times, role of women have diversified so

tthe issues concerning their growth, safety and development should now take a centre stage. The

rrole of men is very important here. The youth would have to take the lead in thisendeavour.

5|Page Social And Development Research And Act ion Group

About the Women Empowerment Project:

Spilling over Nari Ki Chaupal, the Director, Dr. Mala Bhandari, SADRAG, deliberated upon the

Womens Empowerment Project. She began with the VAW statistics in the state of U.P. She said

that the state of U.P. contributes around 9 percent to all India crime figures against women.

Referring specifically to district Gautam Budh Nagar, she said that with the population of 16,

74,747, it is one of the 260 gender critical districts identified in the country (Census 2011). In

terms of critical indicators such as overall sex ratio, child sex ratio (CSR), Female literacy and

dfemale work participation, the district shows a considerably low status in comparison to other

mstates. It is with these things in mind that the Womens Empowerment project has been initiated

by NMEW, Ministry of Women & Child Development, Govt. of India.

Dr. Mala Bhandari, Director, SADRAG talking about the Project

jDr. Bhandari added that the project is a unique attempt at the convergence of stakeholders such

as district administration, government departments, educational institutions, civil society,

icorporate and the police with a single mission to address the issues of women with focus on their


safety and security in the district. The project would address all categories of women and younggirls living in rural pockets and around the twin cities of Noida and Greater Noida, thosestudying in educational institutes and those working in Corporate, manufacturing & othersectors. She also talked about the initiatives that SADRAG has already taken. A few suchinitiatives have been documenting Safe Noida Booklet and orientation workshops in thecorporate sector.Dr. Bhandari there upon invited MrsRashmi Singh,Executive Director, National Mission forEmpowerment of Women, WCD, Govt. of India, Mrs Deepa Jain, Principle Judge, Family Court,district Gautam Budh Nagar, Rupa Gupta, President, Mahila Shakti Samajik Samiti, GreaterNoida (U.P.) and Mr Ashish, Senior Manager, International Recreation Parks Pvt. Ltd. for thelighting of lamp. Lighting of lamp in unison signified togetherness and a collective effort toaddress issues of womens concern.

After the lighting of lamp, Ms Rashmi Singh, Executive Director, NMEW, WCD, Govt. of Indiaaddressed the gathering. Her talk comprised the following main points.

While talking about the social roles and responsibilities of women, Ms Rashmi Singhemphasized the following concerns:

Discussion on Violence against Women: Ms Rashmi said that there was a need todiscuss issues of violence against women with civil society especially when we all knowthat legislation alone cannot curb violence against women. It is through open discussionswith civil society that we can move towards a change in traditional mindsets and womencan get their Rights and entitlements.

Discussion on Violence against Women: Ms Rashmi said that there was a need todiscuss issues of violence against women with civil society especially when we all knowthat legislation alone cannot curb violence against women. It is through open discussionswith civil society that we can move towards a change in traditional mindsets and womencan get their Rights and entitlements.

Innovations in approach:Ms Rashmi Singh said that the government desired to bring inthe component of flexibility in women empowerment projects. The innovativeapproaches and strategies from NGO partners and civil society are welcomed for newideas and solutions to the concerned issues. They must share stories and experiences tobring a long term change in the society.

Anticipation of constraints: Ms. Rashmi Singh said that SADRAG needs to beprepared for challenges that are bound to crop up during the execution of the project.

Gauzing the problem: Ms. Rashmi Singh said that prior to project initiation,measurement of the problem is very important. In the similar vein, the measurableoutcomes add authenticity and objectivity to a given problem. In this context she quoted,

What can measure get done!In other words, if the problem is not measured, the outcomes are likely to be fazed.


cMs. Rashmi Singh, Executive Director, NMEW, addressing the participantscMs. Rashmi Singh, Executive Director, NMEW, addressing the participants

a The Process Documentation: Ms. Rashmi Singh said that process based documentation

uis very important. It should be done on a monthly or a quarterly basis so that the results

land outcomes can be analysed and we can reach to the reason of the problems.

a Documentation for awareness: Ms. Rashmi Singh said that documentation of essential

information in clear and straight words is very important if we want each and every

person to know his/her rights and entitlements. The women should know as:

In case a problem occurs, where and how to register the FIR? If FIR has already been registered by women, what is the action taken by Police

gand Mahila Aayog?

How many women register their complaint with Police and Women Helpline?m If a particular complaint remains pending, where is the problem?

Development of appropriate tools: Ms. Rashmi Singh emphasized the need to develophsafety audit tools for the said district. For instance, in case of thespecific Mobile

Application,the aim should be to make the women aware of her immediate surroundings

Sat a particular location. She should also know how effectively she can use such tools for


her own safety. She said that safety tools should be developed soon sothat everywomantrusts that the system really cares for them.

Fight for the Rights: Ms. Rashmi Singh said that each woman is strong enough to faceall kinds of adverse situations. The women should not be scared. They should recognizetheir inner strengths and fight for their Rights. The women should trust the Police andWomen Helpline for seeking help in any case of violence against them.

Ms. Rashmi Singh concluded her address by reciting a few lines as below:

,

After Ms. Rashmi Singhs address, Mr.Mohammad Azahar, from the National Mission forEmpowerment of Women, addressed the gathering. He shared the few lines to express hissupport for womens empowerment:

"

The participants clapped when Ms.Vaishali, a young girl from village Nithari, Noida came up onthe dais to present Saksham Suta, a poem written by her. The poem, Saksham Suta (CapableWoman) depicts how a woman needs to recognize her own power and strength within and bringa change in her life through her own initiative. No woman is week if she learns to recognize herinner strengths, learns from examples around and moves together with others. However,collective efforts would not work if a woman does not gather her own strength so move on andtake all others along


SMs. Vaishali Sharma presenting her Poem, Saksham Suta

lVaishali, 19 years old lives in village Nithari in Noida. She is studying in first year of Graduation

acourse in distance mode. Vaishali has 5 brothers and sisters. Her father worksas a gardener in

Forest Department, Gautam Budh Nagar. The whole family lives in a rented room in village

Noida.

Vaishali is the youngest member of her family. She is not allowed to go out of home at all. All

mshe has been allowed by her family is to teach small children at home itself, anactivity that she

mhas been doing for the last one month. We convinced her parents to send her totake training in

Ydigital literacy through Adobe Youth Voices. She grabbed the opportunity andbrought out her

feelings and emotions through the medium of poetry composition.

nVaishali yearns to be independent fend for herself through hard work and dedication.

gShe wants to get formal trainingin beauty culture so that she can practice the skill and earn a

.livelihood on a sustainable basis.

A thunderous applause followed when Vaishalicompleted her poem.

10 | P a g e dSocial AndDevelopment Research And Ac tion Group

This was followed by an address by Mrs Deepa Jain, Principal Judge, Family Court, District

Gautam Budh Nagar.

iMrs. Deepa Jain, Principle Judge, Family Court, Gautam Budh Nagar (U.P.)

Ms. Deepa talked about the social roles and responsibilities of women in multiple identities that

aof a mother, sister, wife and daughter. She deliberated upon the following points during her

address:

1. Gaps in laws implementation: There are existing laws aiming specifically to curb incidence

oof violence against women. However, VAW cases are on a constant increase. These points

towards not only inadequate coverage under the law but also towards the non-implementation of

existing laws.

D2. Multiplicity of Laws: Ms. Deepa said that there are too many laws for handling the cases of

VAW. She said this particularly in the context of POCSO law that has come into effect for the


victims of sexual assault under the under the age of 18. The fact remains that there is anincreasing number of cases coming in judicial courts. Therefore instead of creating new laws, wehave to ensure proper implementation of existing legislation.

3. Root cause of violence against women: Ms. Deepa talked about the need to look at the rootcause of violence against women. She said that unless we analyse the root cause as to why crimeagainst women occurs, we would not be able to address the same. She emphasized the need tostudy the male psyche since they are majorly the perpetrators of crime against women.

4. Role of family: Ms.Deepa drew the attention of the audience towards the crumbling role offamily as an institution that is important to cater for the needs and requirements of children. Shesaid that when the children ask questions, the parents have no interest, time and inclination toanswer. As a result, the children especially the girls learn to remain silent. They do not sharetheir fears and concerns with the parents. The family shirks away from the responsibility ofproviding information to the children. Here, the awareness on safety of girls is the worst hit.

5. Status of woman at home: Ms. Deepa said that in cases of inadequate housing in lowersocio-economic strata, children see only three roles of a woman, that of reproduction, sexual useand domestic work. They find the status of woman so demeaning that their perceptions towardswomen remain at a very lower level. In this situation, violence against women is liable to notonly happen but occur with high incidence.

5. Status of woman at home: Ms. Deepa said that in cases of inadequate housing in lowersocio-economic strata, children see only three roles of a woman, that of reproduction, sexual useand domestic work. They find the status of woman so demeaning that their perceptions towardswomen remain at a very lower level. In this situation, violence against women is liable to notonly happen but occur with high incidence.

6. Influx of Live-In relationships: Ms. Deepa said that these days, there are many cases comingto her court where boys and girls having been in live-in relationships report of violence and filecomplaints against each other. She said that this is a new kind of violence which may not haveour societys sanction. We need to be cautious about such cases where the situation becomesvery difficult to handle in the absence of any legal sanction to such relationships.

7. Inner strength of women: Ms. Deepa said that women are known for their inner strengthsespecially when they have been acclaimed for handling multiple roles very successfully. Theyhandle professional, social and family roles so well that their contributions to national economyand international scenario is well applauded. Its time that women recognize their inner strengthsand keep themselves away from vulnerability to violence and abuse.

The words alone are ineffective unless expressed through popular media. The media that appealsall is that of Nukkad Natak. This medium was used to convey the message on violence againstwomen and their safety.

The students of Abhivayakti Dramatics Society, IP College, University of Delhi took over theMall premises by a storm. Around 20 girls gave such an energetic and lively performance that

12 | P a g e Social And Development Research And Action Group

people from all around were eager to engross the message given by them. The Natak revealed a

number of situations that addressed issues like girls in modern clothes, traditional mind sets,

hindulgence in activities outside home and mingling in public spaces. There wasa mockery made

mon our age old notions that hamper womens growth. The Natak gave a callto provide a fair

oopportunity to young girls to grow at par with boys.

Nukkad Natak by Abhivayakti Dramatics Society, IP College, University of Delhi

The discussion in Nari ki Chaupal got strengthened through Nukkad Natakthat provided women

activists a platform to highlight plight of women. MrsRupa Gupta, President, Mahila Shakti

Samajik Samiti, Greater Noida (U.P.) shared her views on crime against women in general. She

said that sexual harassment of women occurs everywhere, be it an office or a home. The women

are neither safe inside nor outside the house. She added that no legislation, no programme can

help women unless they themselves improve their own selves. They need to recognize their inner

strengths and be prepared to fight for their Rights. She said that they have trained local women

eand young girls in self-defence techniques as a preventive measure for their safety.

uAs we know, acid attack is a gruesome form of violence against women. To highlight this issue,

ha Street Play was presented by the students of School of Social Work, GautamBudh University,

pGreater Noida (U.P.). The play portrayed the pain and agony of women who become victims of

acid attacks.


Motivated by the environment, Ms. Naseema Khan, Criminal Lawyer, District Courts, Gautam

MBudh Nagar, recited a poem, Maa, written in her own words. She dedicatedthe poem to her

imother as a tribute to her contribution in her life. The last lines of the poemechoed her inner

feelings as -

xThe event concluded with an exclusive street play by community women andSADRAG team

nmembers. The play aimed at sensitizing the people to issues of violence against women and to

generate awareness on various laws and women Helpline services for women in distress.

Nukkad Natak by Community Women and SADRAG Team

The event ended with a renewed energy to work in the area of VAW in Gautam Budh Nagar

district.


The Way Ahead

Following the project event, the stage has been set to take up the various activities as plannedunder the Womens empowerment project. These have been mentioned in the initial pages of thisreport.

To quote, Swami Vivekananda,

Arise awake and stop not until the goal is reached, we stay committed to the cause womensempowerment.

_____________________________


The Participants List

s.n Name Designation organisatio Contact e-mail IDo n number1 Ms Rashmi Executive NMEW 011- [email protected]

Singh Director, 23743980NationalresourceCentre forWomen

2 Ms Deepa Principal Gautum 98374100 -Jain Judge Budh 04

Nagar,DistrictCourts

3 Ms Naseema Criminal Gautum 92108340 -Khan Lawyer Budh 08

Nagar,DistrictCourts

4 Ms Usha Women Pravasi 99111056 -Thakur Activist Mahasangh 77

Noida2 Sadhna Joint MSSS, 9278140515 [email protected]

Sinha Sceretary GreaterSinha Sceretary GreaterNoida

3 Rupa Gupta President MSSS, 9250190832 -GreaterNoida

4 Shikha Ghai Sr. Manager IRPPL, TGIP 9811802602 [email protected] Dr.Poulomi Senior NMEW 9811752627 [email protected]

Pal ResearchOfficer

6 Dr.Arvind Research NMEW 9910518203 [email protected] Assistant

7 Mohammad Research NMEW- 9990184242 [email protected] Assistant MWCD

8 DR.JHUPKA Senior NMEW 9811538635 [email protected] Research

Officer9 MEENAKSHI Senior NMEW 991028461 [email protected]

RATHORE ProjectAdvisor

10 ASHISH G.M RETAIL TGIP 9899763457 [email protected]

11 MEHAK STUDENT ABHIVYAKTI 9654198298 [email protected] , IP

COLLEGE,


DU12 SHIBIKA ABHIVYAKTI 9811595617 [email protected]

SWESH , IPCOLLEGE,DU

13 SANJANA ABHIVYAKTI - -BHALA , IP

COLLEGE,DU

14 BHAGYASHR ABHIVYAKTI - -EE NAIR , IPCOLLEGE,DU

15 BHAVIKA ABHIVYAKTI - -ARORA , IPCOLLEGE,DU

16 ASTHA ABHIVYAKTI - -MADAN , IPCOLLEGE,DU

17 DHUN ABHIVYAKTICHOKKAR , IP 999803060 [email protected]

COLLEGE,DUCOLLEGE,DU

18 ARUSHI - -ARORA19 ADITI JAIN - -20 ANGDH - -ATRIPATHY21 ASNITA - -MUSHRA22 ANSHIKA - -ARORA23 CHHAYA - -DABAS24 DEBUSMITA - -DAON25 ISHITA - -PAHoJA26 JASMINE - -BHATIYA27 LUBHAVNI - -RANA28 RADHIKA - -

DUA


29 SIMRAT - -KAUR

30 SOUMYA -SHARMA31 DR BHADRA FACULTY DEPT. OF 9560824557 [email protected]

SUBHASIS GBU SOCIALWORK

32 Dr. SIBGATH 9818851746 [email protected] RAVINDRA SDICT 9718186585 [email protected] SEEMA STUDENT GBU [email protected] ANU TYAGI GBU [email protected] NITI [email protected] SANJU FACILITATOR SADRAG 9313681519 -38 SANTOSH FACILITATOR SADRAG 8802855343 -39 REENA FACILITATOR SADRAG 0120- -

326431340 ANU FACILITATOR SADRAG 0120- -

326431341 ABHINAV PROGRAM SADRAG 0120- -

ARAN COORDINAT 3264313OR

42 BANDANA CONSULTAN SADRAG 0120- [email protected] BANDANA CONSULTAN SADRAG 0120- [email protected] T 3264313

43 LAL SINGH TEAM SADRAG 0120- [email protected] 3264313

44 SHALINI PROGRAM SADRAG 0120- -COORDINAT 3264313OR

45 AARTI PROGRAM SADRAG 0120- -COORDINAT 3264313OR


In Media:


A few Glimpses of the Event

Nari Ki Chaupal in action

20 | P a g e Social And Development Research And Ac tion Group

Nukkad Natak by Abhvayakti, IP College, DU

tNukkad Natak by community women - SADRAG


Distinguished guests at the event

uDiscussion during Nari Ki Chaupal


Nukkad Natak by community women - SADRAG


report on thematic convergence project on women's

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