Looking for empowerment

... On the one hand, advances in agricultural technology have increased the potential for improving living conditions in the rural area...

8220;8230; On the one hand, advances in agricultural technology have increased the potential for improving living conditions in the rural areas. On the other hand, in many countries, environmental degradation poses a grave threat to the livelihood of the rural population. While these processes are not new, their pace and reach are often greater than ever. So is the scope for public action to influence and re-shape them,8221; writes Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen.

It was not just another day for the 500-odd women descending to the marriage hall at Choufula, which falls on the route to Solapur. For sure, none of them had ever heard of Sen or his contribution to development economics. Yet what they were involved in was a distinctly Sen-like endeavour.

They had come from small, dusty villages. Married, unmarried, mostly farm labourers and some school- and college-going students. They competed with each other, sang together, presented their problems through skits most of them unwritten and impromptu and spoke about their day-to-day experiences 8211; their wife-beating husbands, their problems in a society biased against women8230;

The ire was evident. This is all one contestant had to say in the elocution competition. Her topic: 8220;If you were a husband, what would you do you? 8220;I would have gulped lots of liquor and beaten my wife black and blue!8221; was her answer. While it evoked laughter, it also struck a chord amongst those who had either experienced this first-hand or seen it happen to others.

The Choufula experiment, as organiser and managing trustee of the Pune District Agricultural Development Foundation Sushama Deshpande calls it, was a major step in the Foundation8217;s ongoing efforts towards women empowerment through village-level self-help groups SHGs. This, Deshpande believes, would encourage their participation in decision-making processes at the village level.

Most of these women are illiterate and were travelling out of their villages for the first time. It was also the first time they stood on stage and presented their views before others through songs or skits or other presentations.

8220;They enjoyed it,8221; Deshpande said. For her, the competitions were an exercise to make the women realise their inner strength. They were held on two levels. The elimination rounds were conducted at their villages. The finalists were then selected. Deshpande observed, 8220;By the time they gathered for the finals, their confidence level had increased enormously.8221;

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This was seen in almost all the competitions, especially the skits. Even though they confined themselves to alcoholic husbands, greedy ma-in-laws and occasionally touched on issues like eradication of superstitions.

8220;Actually, the rural womenfolk are now busy with harvesting and pre-tilling activities, yet they came without being offered compensation for their daily wages. Therein lies the success of the Foundation8217;s efforts,8221; Deshpande stressed. Knowing that engaging women in economic activities outside their homes has helped serve their cause, the Foundation has endeavoured to give them smaller credits along with training.

The Choufula experiment was preceded by a three-day camp for women from various talukas of Pune. The camp was conducted by women who shared their views on forming smaller savings groups and the need for credit. They interacted with people like Superintendent of Police Suresh Khopde, officials from lending agencies providing finances at the village level, Foundation seniors like Vitthal Maniyar and Dhanaji Jadhav and even Appasaheb Pawar, the moving spirit behind an agricultural revolution in the eastern Pune district.

8220;This taught the women a lot,8221; Deshpande said. Indeed it did!