Women Empowerment, Capacity Building and Development

Objective | Development Model | Report | Impacts

  Development model

The three steps of Parivartan Model is as following:

• To form Mahila Samitis or women's collectives called the "Parivartan Mahila Swavalamban Samitis" (PMSS) for gender solidarity and empowerment.

• To organise income generating activities for women through collectives.

• To provide support services such as health care, education, childcare, savings and credit facilities, awareness and organisation building.

Management Structure of development project

In the CSR development projects, the flow of information and communication is between the central office in New Delhi and the operational office at the district level and community /village level.

Reporting/Monitoring and Evaluation

Between the Project Site and the Delhi Head office

Monthly reporting system

The information flow from the project site to the central office and vice versa is maintained through regular reporting (oral and written). The written reports are based on formats which are regularly reviewed and revised to make the reporting mechanisms as effective as possible.

From the project site, reports of the last month including monthly expenditure statements reach the Delhi office before or on the 7th of the month. This is the responsibility of the district coordinator.

Also plans for the next month are sent. These include expectations regarding income generating and supportive activities, problems foreseen and expected input from the central office.

The monthly reports give an overview of the progress achieved, problems faced and solutions found. It also reports on the performance of the field staff. The monthly expenditure statement includes a justification of the money spent. Together with the statement all vouchers are sent.

Project money for expenses including salary, is not remitted unless the head office receives the monthly expenditure statement. 

Explanation has to be given by the district coordinator in respect to under/over expenditure as compared to the budget figures. In case additional financial requirements are needed for the coming month, a request has to be sent to Delhi before the last day of the month. Any inquiries from the head office relating to the monthly expenses are answered in writing and sent to the head office before the end of the month, otherwise money not remitted for the next month.

Annual meetings

During the yearly meetings of project coordinator, district coordinator and financial manager, an annual budget and outline of activities is prepared, on the basis of which the field staff prepares monthly plans.

Annual planning meetings are held (either in Delhi, or at the project site) in which the director projects, the projects coordinator, the district coordinator and the financial manager plan the activities and decide on allocation of the finances for the next year. If needed, the project advisors attend these meetings as well.

This information provides input for the project coordinator and the field staff (district coordinator and field organisers) to further plan their monthly activities and decide on monthly expenditure. The project coordinator supervises this process.

The district coordinator distributes the tasks amongst her staff in such a way that there is no excess burden of time on any individual staff member. It is also that the project staff can perform the activity properly and timely and that the available time is used efficiently.

The annual meeting take place in the last month of the annual reporting period so that plans are be ready before the next year starts and the discussions also provide additional input for the project coordinator in writing the annual report and for the financial manager in compiling the annual budget.

If needed, more meetings in between can be called by the project coordinator, district coordinator or project advisors teams.

Trainings/ Workshops/ Seminars/ Exposure Visits

Training programmes for field organisers and CLVs on the issues ranging from Reproductive Child Health, AIDS, hygiene and sanitation to gender sensitization, legal and political rights were organised by hiring resource persons from outside from time to time. These enabled them to spread the outreach of the information on these different aspects either by disseminating it in the PMSS meetings or by organising one or two day awareness generation programmes. Training of the CLVs and PMSS members was done in such a way that PMSS members could resolve their household conflicts at their level. However, if they were unable to do so, bring CLV and other members of PMSS together to put pressure on the disturbing elements. This enables them to fight against oppressive factors like alcoholism, wife battering etc. on their own which is very essential for the sustainability of the programme in the long run.

Besides, the regular interaction by the staff members along with PMSS members with the local authorities at the district, block and village level gives the members are identity and the courage to follow up the development activities on their own for their accomplishment and upgradation of their living environment.

Advisors and Consultants of the development Project

The project activities are implemented along with the local governmental and non-governmental bodies. Partial support and subsidy is available at the district, block and village level.

Developmental Agencies

- Non Conventional Energy Development Authority (NEDA) (subsidy 'smokeless chulhas')
- Water Corporation (Jal Nigam) (handpumps)
- Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) (for promoting drudgery reducing technologies)

Governmental Bodies

- Rural Development Department and District Administration for overall support and advise
- State Electricity Board (electricity)
- Department of Sanitation & Waste disposal (latrines)
- Department of Irrigation & Energy (lane drainage)
- Social Forestry Department (plant nursery)
- Ministry of Cooperatives
- Insurance campaigns and financial institutions

Organisations

NGO AIDS Cell
- AIDS Awareness Group (AAG )
- MAMTA Health Institute For Mother & Child
- World Health Organization, New Delhi
- Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, New Delhi.
- Parivar Sewa Sansthan,
- State Resource Centre, Jamia Millia Islamia University, ..New Delhi
- Lok Chetna Samiti
- Peoples Union for Civil Liberties(PUCL)
- UP Voluntary Health Committee(UPVHA)
- ASMITA
- National Bir Abdul Hanif Foundation
- Shanti Samiti
- CERT
- Federation of OBCs of India
- GSS
- Human Rights Watch Committee
- Human Rights and Development Society
- Gond Mahasabha
- Adi Shakti
- ASU Society
- Voice of Partners
- Shikhar Prashikshan Sansthan
- Child Relief and You (CRY)
- Chauhan Sabha
- Dahej Nivaran Manch
- Gudiya Sangharsh Samiti
- SAARC
- Samanvay
- Sajhjhha Snaskrit Manch
- Dr. Shambhu Nath Singh Research Foundation
- Prerana Kala Manch
- Parivar Paramarsh Kendra
- Rashtriya Vir Abdul Hamid Foundation
- Mahila Chetana Samaiti
- Mahila Sahabahagita Sansthan
- Nari Ekta
- Sarvadhik Pichhchada Manch
- World Literacy of Canada
- GRAMYA
- CRAFT
- Mahila Adhdhyayan Kendra
- Jan Mitra Nyas
- Vanangana
- Shikhar Prashshikad Sansthan
- Bachpan Bachoa Andolan
- Jeevan Dhara
- Man Shakti Darpan
- Sangathan Samajwadi Parishad
- Jagrit Samajik Sangathan
- Mahila Samakhya
- SIFPSA
- DUDA
- Vasant Kanya Mahavidyalaya
- Kashi Hindu Vishwa Vidyalaya
- Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth
- Canara Bank and State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, SBI, Varanasi
- Kashi Gramin Bank, Varanasi
- National Bank for Agricultural & Rural Development, Varanasi
- United India Insurance 

- Citizens Front

Parivartan Mahila Swavalamban Samiti (PMSS)

The Parivartan scheme was started in February 1993. It was initially introduced to bring women together to meet as groups and to discuss issues related to their problems. To begin with, CSR started these Samitis in Jaunpur, which have gradually extended to eight more districts of Uttar Pradesh (in all its project intervention areas) and Delhi. Parivartan Mahila Swavalamban Samiti (PMSS) is a base for the CSR’s development model. In the present scenario socio-economic norms of the society are impediments in the of women’s progress. Hence, a change (Parivartan) in the social economic structure is very much needed for any kind of improvement in the condition of women.
CSR recognises and emphasizes the triple roles - reproductive, productive and community management played by women and believed that woman's subordination and subjugation can be removed only through organised efforts of strengthening women's organisations at the grassroots levels. An important strategy followed in this regard was the formation of women's collectives known as the "Parivartan Mahila Swalamban Samitis" for gender solidarity, empowerment and community participation.
Each village has village level committees who elect their own convener and these convenors constitute the team at the project level. They are the ones who work with the project coordinator. These collectives organise monthly village level meetings and provide a platform to women for sharing their views on local issues and problems. Important issues such as health, employment, legal rights etc are discussed from time to time and then developed into action-based programs. The members meet regularly to discuss and work out solution to their problems collectively.