• Encourage women to take lead, initiative and participate in local governance (Panchayat) and highlight women’s issues
• Discourage “Proxy Leadership” of women by promoting shared leadership
• Empower women elected representatives (WER) to become confident, gender just & inclusive leaders through workshops & handholding processes
• Make the local rural governance to become responsive to gender issues through gender responsive planning & budgeting

Achievements of WER

• The women elected representatives whom we work with, show an increase in confidence and self-esteem; have better contact with the voters especially women voters in their constituencies by organizing effective gram sansad sabhas in 65% of sansads where ERs are women. (2019-20)
• Many WERs who did not get a nomination from the political party in the last election, continued their association with the (NJCs) and promoting women’s rights in their locality.

Strengthening Social Mobilisation, Institutional Development & Social Entrepreneurship in the community through Nari Jagaran Committees (NJC)

We focus on Social Mobilization & Institutional Development in the community to

• Strengthen women by activating their understanding of gender equality, governance and rights to enable them mobilize themselves into Community Watch Committees popularly called Nari Jagaran Committees in order to stand by the side of women/children facing violence and promote rights issues of the marginalized.
• Enable them to become active voters and demand for their entitlements & accountability from the local self-governance particularly in terms of addressing issues of violence & gender inequality and push for their inclusion into Village Council Annual Plan and Budget.
• Encourage self expression through creation and strengthening of Theatre Groups and any other form that community women bring forward. The ultimate goal will be for these Committees to emerge and evolve as an independent mass organization in the community promoting rights of women, children and the marginalized.

Some Highlights of our work with NJCs

In some GPs, NJCs formed an integral part of the planning team and played a significant role in conducting neighbourhood meetings with women and youth to enable them to raise issues in gram sansad sabhas and get them reflected in Gram Panchayat Annual Plan and Budget.

In 65.5% of the total sansads where we work, effective gram sansad sabhas take place with women voters outnumbering the men. NJCs organizes awareness meetings/camps on women’s rights and handle cases of gender-based violence.

The NJCs play a key role in undertaking survey of vulnerable groups and women during natural calamities and their aftermath, identification of the most vulnerable beneficiaries in need of support and advocate with the Gram Panchayat for their inclusion in schemes and entitlements

NJCs also play a central and critical role in rebuilding community resources post natural disaster. Eg- pond and canal cleaning