What is the initiative and where is it implemented (city or country, for example)?
In 2016, the non-profit development organization Pragya initiated a 3-year project called the Comprehensive Primary Prevention Programme Addressing Violence against Ethnic Minority Women, with the support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women. The project addressed the discrimination and violence against ethnic minority women in India. The goal of the project was to devise a programme to prevent violence against tribal women, promote gender equity, empower tribal women to stand up for themselves, increase their awareness of their rights and encourage the involvement of organizations at a local and national level. Ten tribal-dominated districts of five Indian states, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Bihar and Assam, were selected to implement the programme. Around 3000 women benefited from the initiative (Panda, 2019).
How was the initiative established? How was it implemented?
In 1995, the Pragya organization was funded to serve tribal communities populating remote rural areas. Pragya has implemented various programmes to address social and gender issues; it raised awareness of the problems in tribal communities and highlighted their needs, paving the way for development and improvement of quality of life.
To address the issue of violence against women in tribal communities in India, Pragya implemented the Comprehensive Primary Prevention Programme between 2016 and 2018. The organization's previous projects, carried out in hilly, forested areas of tribal and border districts, helped develop significant knowledge and understanding of these communities and provided a prerequisite competence in addressing the target group. The Comprehensive Primary Prevention Programme aimed to initiate changes in the communities.
Interventions included creating networks for evidence-based advocacy, appointing women counsellors and incorporating Socio-Legal Kiosks established in collaboration with local civil society. Legal literacy programmes were launched alongside helplines for women that ensured access to lawyers, shelters and healthcare (Panda, 2019).
Which stakeholders are involved in the design and/or implementation of the initiative? Which sectors do they represent?
The primary stakeholder of the initiative is its implementing organization, Pragya. Over three years, Pragya has collaborated with various stakeholders representing public and private sectors, including women’s councils and leaders, local civil society organizations and NGOs. Projects were supported by the United Nations Democracy Fund and other benefactors. Government officials were responsible for decision-making and policy implementation; village councils and community members fought against prejudices and promoting attitudes of acceptance and equity. Lawyers, district level law enforcers and responders were essential to successfully implementing the programme (Panda, 2019).
What are the impacts of the initiative in terms of facilitating lifelong learning? Who does it benefit and how?
More than 3000 women of tribal communities were divided into 100 groups to raise awareness and assert rights. The programme provided an excellent peer networking opportunity for the target group. The overwhelming majority of women and girls who participated reported satisfaction with the project. They reported that the initiative addressed the community’s problems with care and attention, establishing new support networks for long-term work on gender issues. The helplines were reported to be effective in assisting victims of violence and abuse. The project initiated a significant change in behaviour in the members of targeted communities.
The programme contributed to lifelong learning in the sphere of social issues by creating a network of educators who shared their knowledge with the population. Village council leaders and mentors later used the information gained to guide the community. Volunteering staff brought gender-based violence to the attention of leaders and mentors and highlighted specific needs of the communities. Authority figures realized their potential as leaders based on the knowledge and skills they gained. Several Empowerment Centres were created to encourage the assertion of women’s rights further. More than 300 community leaders were trained in gender-related issues. Networking community leaders, representatives of law enforcement agencies and Civic Society organizations in all five states formed Inter-Agency Task Forces and conducted monthly meetings to devise action plans to address the issue of violence against women. There were learning workshops conducted in different districts to raise awareness on preventing violence and reporting abuse (Panda, 2019).
References
Panda, M. 2019. Comprehensive primary prevention programme addressing violence against ethnic minority women in India. End of project evaluation report. New York, UN Women [Online] Available at: https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20untf/publications/2019/final%20evaluations/pragya%20ca.pdf?la=en&vs=2146 [Accessed 5 November 2021].