Aim :

Women are changing governance  in India  being  elected to local governance  in unprecedented numbers  as a result of  73rd  Amendments  to the Constitution , 1992  which mandate the reservation  of seats for women in local government. They  are changing  governance rather  than  men , are  evident in the issues they choose to tackle ; water , sanitation ,alcohol abuse ,education , immunization , family planning , SHG formation  and domestic violence .Women rather than men also express different values. Women value proximity , whether it to be a drinking water source , a fuel source , a crèche , a health centre , tree plantation , a court of justice or an office of administration..But still  in rural India the communities have a strong division between men and women, defining and regulating their roles, responsibilities, benefits, privileges, punishments, opportunities, access and control over resources and decision making processes. To create a critical mass of women and men with dynamic leadership from women, it is crucial to explore, understand the gaps between women and men in accessing and controlling resources, decision –making processes. Accepting the reality and planning on the basis of that analysis will be able to establish a strong foundation for the achievement of goals:

“When development is not en-gendered it is endangered.”

Objectives of the Cell:

Gender Resource Centre &    Women  Study  Cell of   SIPRD  is working in Capacity building of Women  representatives  of  PRIs  since 1993 , just after the 73rd Amendment of the Constitution in 1993 . During 1993-98 and  1998-2003 the  cell concentrated only on the capacity building of  Women Office bearers ( lady Pradhan , lady Sabhapati,  lady Sabhadhipati , lady Karmadhyakshas etc.). But 2003 onwards the cell has concentrated on the following objectives :

• Gender mainstreaming for all the elected representatives
• Imparting the training on the  importance and analysis of the Gender  concept & empowerment ,  probabilities and Constraints of the Women empowerment .
• Special Motivational  Training programme on duties and responsibilities of PRIs towards the Gender equality and  women empowerment
• Collection of  Cases on  best practices on Gender
• Collection of  Cases on  best practices on Gender
• Preparation of special field based training material ( Video-clippings,interviews of the stakeholders etc. )
• Preparation of  books on Gender  and Women
• Preparation and Analysis  of  manual of meetings and  agendas done by the Lady Karmadhyakshas.
• Monitoring the performance of the Women Panchayat functionaries  and documenting as cases.
• Conducting one or two days awareness generation workshop on various pertinent issues for EWRs.
• Formation of State level federation as well as district , block and GP level association of EWRs and  EYRs.
• Action Research Programme on Gender and Women and Publication
• Strengthening the  State  Support Centre for Women

Target groups of the Cell:

• All  Elected Women Representatives
• All  Women  Sabhadhipatis  & Sahakari Sabhadhipatis
• All  Women  Sabhapatis  & Sahakari Sabhapatis
• All  Women Karmadhyakshas
• All  Elected  Youth  Representatives
• All  Panchayat  Functionries.

Performance of the Cell

• Gender sensitization  programme  had  been  taken place in the district of  Bankura  for  ZP functionaries  for PS functionaries  and GP functionaries  .

•  Pilot  field testing  of  the  Modules prepared  for Gender training & EWRs training  at  Jalpaiguri  and at Raigunj , Uttar Dinajpur.

• Trainers’  Training  for  implementing   PMEYSA  covering  8 districts  (Cooch-behar , Jalpaiguri , Uttar Dinajpur , Dakshin Dinajpur , Murshidabad, Birbhum , Bardhaman , Paschim Medinipur  and Purba Medinipur ) has been  completed.

• A  special  training  for  133 EWRs  and their  Husbands  of  Islampur subdivision  is over.
   
• The work  of   sensitisaion    of   conducting  Mahila Sansad   in two  backward  sansads  of  Moynapur   Gram Panchayat  in the  district of  Bankura  has been done   and  Successful  implementation of  Pilot  First Mahila Sansad  of West-Bengal  followed by a  Special Gram Sansad  on  10th , 11th, 12th and 13th  May , 2010 respectively  is over.

• About  1482  EWRs  covering  7  districts  have  been  trained  against PMEYSA.

• Gender Resource Centre & Women  Study  Cell has already conducted  several  one or two days awareness generation workshop on various pertinent issues for EWRs , such as Women empowerment and politics , Women empowerment and Education : Role of Panchayats , Women empowerment and economic freedom , Women empowerment and flow of information , Women empowerment and supply side support etc.

• Under  Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Avijan  (PMEYSA ) , this Cell   has initiated to form 23  GP level association of EWRs in Mal Subdivision , though it has not been registered yet.

• Gender Resource Centre & Women  Study   Cell  had already done five Action research for Women ( Base line survey , SHG in Gram panchayats , Women in Gram Panchayats , SHG of  North Bengal , Women participation in NREGA etc.).

• Several books have been prepared and published by the Several books have been prepared and published by the Gender and Women Study Cell , SIPRD. Very recently , Narir Kshamatayan , Sussshan O swashasan Pratisthar Lakshye Samajik Lingabhader Dharana , Samajik  Baishamya etc few books have been prepared for Gender sensitization.

• On the basis of performance of  Gender   Resource Centre & Women  Study   Cell , SIPRD  has been  selected as  State Support Centre of PMEYSA.  Smt. Suparna Ganguly  has been selected as  Convener  of the State Support Centre.

Future Plan:

Gender Resource Centre & Women  Study   Cell  has the following plan  to do  in coming   future :

• An initiative  towards  the  legal sanctity  of  Mahila Sansad   in West-Bengal  by gathering  the opinions of Opinion-leaders has been taken by the Cell.

• Pilot  preparation of  Gram  Panchayat  Plan  with special emphasis on Women Component plan in  the Moynapur GP of Bankura district is targeted to be  held in coming November , 2010.

•  Pilot Gender  Budget Analysis  would be  done by the ZP members of  the district of Bankura  and their  Sensitisation programme  regarding  Gender Budget analysis  is over . But  the dates of  final  experiment is yet  to be fixed.

• The  Cell  is going to initiate  one  Pilot  Nari-Adalat  at  Moynapur Gram Panchayat , Bankura. 

• The  Cell , SIPRD   has been trying to do the followings :     
  •  to open one toll free Help-desk and
  •  To publish one monthly magazine  only for women
• The  Cell  has taken  an  initiative to  publish the training  material ( Books , Leaflet , Posters , Brochures etc. )  in Hindi , Nepali  and  English.

• Gender Resource Centre & Women  Study   Cell  has taken an  initiation abou