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We can, we will: women's empowerment and
DWRCA programme
This paper presents the experience of SEWA (Self Employed
Women's Association), an Indian female labourers' civil society
network, in facilitating the implementation of the DWCRA (Development
of Women and Children in Rural Areas), a government-directed
poverty alleviation programme.
It remarks that, although the government has committed considerable
funding to poverty alleviation, projects often turn out to
be wasteful or irrelevant. The involvement of civil society
networks empowers the stakeholders to influence the formulation
and implementation of the programme. In other words, the network
plays a crucial role in linking the policy-process to the
experience of the poor women themselves.
The paper notes: 'The single government department may not
be able to perform the multiple roles needed for the viability
of the programme such as organising, selection of activity,
linking with the markets. However, the non-governmental organisations
working for these objectives, functioning in rural areas,
and working with poor women and communities can perform these
roles. They can establish rapport with the women, leading
to group formation without much difficulty and the economic
activity; voluntary organisations should be involved more
in the implementation of the programme. For the rural, poor,
illiterate women it becomes extremely difficult to organise
on their own to fight the social, political and economic forces
at the local level. It is difficult for them to come out of
the village and approach the block level offices and organise
on their own. Therefore, it is the duty of the Government
to facilitate the groups in establishing backward and forward
linkages. SEWA has prepared the guidelines for involvement
of NGOs in implementation of DWCRA programme at the instance
of the State Government, which highlights on some of these
important aspects. The Government should accept full and comprehensive
involvement of the NGOs. The NGOs may strengthen the programme
by taking up [various specific measures].'
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