EMPOWERING WOMENS POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN PANCHAYAT RAJ

1. Name of Contact Person S.M.Shanthi 2. Address for Correspondence No.59, Gopalapuram 3rd street, Mannarsamy koil, Marakkanam Road, Thindivanam-604002. Villupuram District, Tamilnadu, India. Email Id :solidarity_org@hotmail.com Phone no :+ (91) 9894313074 3.If you are awarded a grant, to whom should the cheque be made payable? We have the foreign contribution number, 80g and 12A certificate also for Tax exembtion. Send the cheque in the name of Solidarity Trust For women development SB A/C No-504363315 Indian Bank,Jayapuram Branch (T098) Thindivanam,Villupuram District. Pincode : 604002-Tamilnadu India. 4.Name of Group: Solidarity Trust For Women Development is Registered Trust. Foreign Contribution Registration Number - 076100039. 5.Are its members women only, or women and men? Women only and Women Headed Trust Solidarity Trust For Women Development is a voluntary Social Service Trust. Non profit-Non political women Development Trust. Its specification is that it focuses on equipping girl children, young girls and women with self assertive skills.

Back ground Solidarity for women started with women team. We all joined to work together for women empowerment and development. TRUST Team Members Ms.S.M.Shanthi Ms.B.Kavitha Ms.A.Sharmila Ms.J.Amutha Ms.M.Shakaralakshmi

Managing Trustee Financial Trustee Trustee Member Trustee Member Trustee member

Vision To Promote and protect gender justice , human dignity and the human rights of girl children, young girls and women. Mission Facilitating and providing awareness and empowerment of girl children young girls and women assert their right through Education, Economic, Social and cultural development by means of women and childrens clubs, groups, federation, network and coordinating with organization work similar objects. Objectives: To facilitate girl children, women, young girls to work joining for their development. To enable and enhance the socio-economic, Political empowerment of women in the society. To bring out relevant publication in the area of children and women rights, gender, health and Sanitation,Panchayatraj, Domestic Voilence Act and Social issues. 6.What does the group exist to do? We are going to do work for the gender awareness and womens role in Panchayatraj, Local self governmence with elected women panchayat raj at leader, ward members and gramasabha members through, i. TRAINING ii. PUBLICATION iii. CAMPAIGN

PANCHAYAT RAJ Women and the New Panchayat Raj If the panchayats in general are wrought with such serious problems challenging the notion of decentralized democracy, the actual conditions of the dalits and minorities in relation to the new panchayats deserve serious attention. As per the new Panchayat Act, separate reservations are provided at six levels: village ward members, village panchayat presidents, union ward members, union chairpersons, district ward members and district presidents. Reservations for dalits and tribals are made in proportion to their population. Women have thirty-three percent reservation in the general category. In addition, within the reservation for dalits and tribals, thirty-three percent of the seats will be reserved for women from these communities. No.Of seats allotted for weaker sections in TamilNadu Seats assured for tribals (Out of this, 274 reserved for tribal women) Seats assured for dalits (Out of this, 7808 reserved for dalit women) Seats assured for women altogether Womens Role in Panchyatraj Case study :1 The Story of Sakthi, Arasur, Thiruvennainallur Block, Villupuram District Sakthi was elected from her panchayat as the president with the support of the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Her opponent was another dalit woman, sponsored by the local MLA. Sakthi managed to achieve several things for her panchayat before trouble started to brew when she began to mobilize resources from the cormnon properties of the panchayat. When she auctioned off the tamarind produce from the public trees, she had to face the wrath of the local MLA who instigated opposition to Sakthi through her opponent during the election. Tension was built consciously and the MLA succeeded in orchestrating a riot among the dalits that destroyed 64 dalit houses and 3 BC houses. But the Police, instead of acting against the perpetrators have filed false cases agains t 107 people who had nothing to do with the arson. Of the 300 dalit families in the village, leaving sixty-four, all the rest of the families work in the fifty acre farm of the MLA. All the 64 families not working for the MLA have been evicted from their houses and were forced to move out. Sakthi herself has been forced to stay out of the panchayat, in Villupuram. When she tired to convene the gram panchayat council, the MLA 815 23,414 30,458

obstructed all the other members from attending the meeting. The Police, whose help Sakthi sought to attend the council meeting stood as mute witness to the abuse rendered by the MLA on Sakthi. IN fact, the MLA has even succeeded to pass a resolution in his own version of the gram sabha that anybody who has anything to do with Sakthi will be fined Rs. 500 Sakthi, until today stays out ofthe villa e, not being able to function as the elected leader of the Panchayat. All this situation we need to work with elected women presidents, ward members and with community and SHG women mostly elected women Panchayat leaders are is not representating as a leader role, behind that their husband, or son or brother is implementing the leader is implementing the leader and word members role men are dominating women, its gender issues. Women also need aware about their leadership role and functions. They to need information, knowledge regarding on Panchayatraj Act and to take political power in their panchayat. Secondly in the grama sabha also women are not representating and their husband also not allowing them to participate and planning the programme for womens development. So we planned to give training for elected women panchayat leaders ward members and also ensuring womens 100% participation in Grama Sabha. Training: One day training for women Panchayat leaders and word members in mailam block and vanoor block its cover 100 leaders and 200 ward members. We will organize 6 prgrammes including their husband also to know and awareness about gender and equity for women in their family and equality for women in the society. Publication: For the Training as a supplementary material we will provide for Panchayta leaders and ward members to improve their legal knowledge on panchayatraj Act and also important of implementing the panchayat leaders, ward members role in panchayat. Campaign: Empowering community based rural women to participate in the Gramasapha and planning for their village and women development programme. Create a awareness on gender among community it will help the women panchayat leaders, ward members to implement their role successfully.

BUDGET Training : 300 members 6 Training Food Expenses Rs.50 x 300 members Tea and snacks Rs.20 x 300 Nos Note Book, Pen Rs.20 x 300 Nos Resource person Lawyer -Travel &Food 500 Rs. Honorarium 2000 Rs. 2,500x6 programme Printing booklet on Gender awareness and Panchayat raj Rs.30x300 copies

15,000 6,000 6,000 12,000

9,000

Compaining the important of womens participation in Grama sabha Contacting 30 Villages Covering 15,000 people in 30 Villages Printing phamphlets 2000 copies Rs.3 x 2000 copies Food and Traval expenses Rs.500 x 30 village Training Publication Campaign local contribution (-) 6,000 15,000 39,500 9,000 21,000 69,500 13,500 56,000

We Need grant Rs.56,000 Indian Rupees only. We will give programme Report, Photos, Bills (Xerox copies) within project periods sincerely. We accept yours rules and conditions and following it properly. Yours Truly, M.S.S.M.Shanthi.