Organisation : Ministry of Panchayati Raj
Scheme Name : Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan PMEYSA
Home Page : https://panchayat.gov.in/
Terms & Conditions : https://www.statusin.in/uploads/22830-PMEYSA.pdf
PMEYSA :
The objective of the Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan is to enable women Panchayat leaders to come together to :
Related : Ministry of Panchayati Raj Gram Uday Se Bharat Uday Abhiyan : www.statusin.in/22827.html
i. Articulate their problems as women Panchayat leaders,
ii. Discuss issues regarding the institutional mechanisms for their empowerment ,
iii. Come up with a charter of issues to be mainstreamed into policy and advocacy support so that their concerns are addressed by the process of development adopted by the State and the three-tier PRI system, and
iv. Form an association of the EWRs with elected office bearers and with cascading representation of EWRs from the district level and divisional level EWRs organizations.
The activities planned in this programme are designed to reduce the gaps in accessing opportunities between the male and female elected representatives.
The modus operandi of the PMSA is to organize 2 or 3-day large scale residential camps or Sammelans of the EWRs such that they forge a sisterhood based on their newly acquired identities.
Formation of Core Committees :
Each State Government will constitute a Core Committee comprising activists, feminists, social workers, NGO workers, EWRs and those interested in issues of participatory governance who should first meet, discuss the issues relating to the EWRs and draft a Women’s Charter listing both their commitments, their issues and their demands.
The State specific charter will lay down the road map for taking forward the Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan in the State.
(a) Role of the Core Committee : Once the sammelan is concluded the Core Committee will steer the momentum generated to assist in creation of an association of EWRs, if not formed during the sammelan, of both past and present representatives.
The Core Committee ceases to exist after one year (2008-09) so as to allow the Associations to exercise power and authority. During this period (2007-09) in each State, the Core Committee will convene two meetings annually to assist the Association, provide knowledge and networking support and provide mid course correctives.
(b) Role of the Convener of the Core Committee : The Convener of the PMSA Core Committee will act as a bridge between the Elected Representatives and the State Government as well the Ministry of Panchayati Raj.
She/He has the responsibility to organize the Core Committee meeting in coordination with the State Government to facilitate the drafting of the State Charter.
The Convener is also responsible for preparing the agenda for the meeting, capture the discussion during the meeting, and prepare the report or minutes of the meeting and circulate it among its members.
During the state level sammelan it is the duty of the Convener to manage the sessions with the help of the Core Group members as well as the State Government.
After the state level sammelan, it is also the responsibility of the Convener to organize regular meetings so as to facilitate the formation of Association at the State level
State Sammelan :
A State level Sammelan will be organized in each State where the elected women representatives will assemble together for 2-3 days to debate, discuss and deliberate on the issues that affects them as Panchayati Raj representatives.
The sammelan would be a residential event in each State wherein all the EWRs (Zilla Pramukhs, Panchayat Samiti Pradhans and at least 5-10 women Sarpanchs) from every district of the State will be represented.
The initial day would be reserved for women sarpanchs from districts to meet, gather and speak in an atmosphere of informality and warmth.
On the second day, the group will be joined by women Pradhans (Panchayat Samiti) and Women Zilla Pramukhs who will join together to finalize the draft charter of EWRs of the State.
(i) Formation of Association :
One of the major outcomes of the State level Sammelan is the formation of the State level Association with elected office bearers amongst the EWRs.
Due representation will be given women belonging to SCs/STs/OBCs in the Executive/Management Committees of the Association. The Association is to provide the main knowledge support to the EWRs during times of uncertainty and knowledge gaps.
The Association would hire some minimal knowledge support workers who can fill the knowledge and information gap for EWRs when they require the same, help trouble shoot, help as resource persons and provide information on attendant issues like free legal aid, accounts and record keeping support, techniques of social audit etc.
There will be an elected Executive Body of the EWR Association, elected during the sammelan, or just subsequent to it, which may register itself, decide on its institutional form, charge membership fees, and decide on the detailed activities which it may undertake in order to fulfill its mandate.
The Executive Body of the Association will also prepare a structure for the Association e.g., State Management Committee, Divisional and District Committees, etc. and mentor the same.
The Executive Body of the Association will also manage the State Support Centres with the support of and experience of persons from the open market and implementing voluntary organizations as well as the NYKS and Youth Associations.
The above Committees are not parallel bodies/committees to undermine the functioning of the Panchayati Raj Institutions.
The State, Division and District level Committees mentioned above will facilitate the creation of a network of elected women representatives who would improve the functioning and viability of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) through their influence and vantage position over policy decisions.
The objective is to create a forum where the EWRs can freely talk about issues faced by them as elected representatives, which will in turn enable them to voice their ideas, concerns and priorities in the local panchayat meetings with greater efficiency and to use the strength of the women collectives to improve gender relations within family and society as also increase the bargaining power of the EWRs.
Since the panchayats have to be actively engaged in local level plan formulation and implementation, discussions on alternative development models on gender etc. will help the EWRs to be creatively engaged in discussions and decision-making.
The effort is to create a broad based leadership of women at the Panchayat level for the success and efficacy of democracy at the village level.
(ii) Role of the Association :
** To raise the collective voice of EWRs against gender injustice, child exploitation, untouchability, land alienation and acquisition, encroachments etc. and other relevant issues.
** To forward the resolutions passed by the EWR Association to the State government for necessary action.
** Participate in seminars organized by the State government or other agencies and disseminate the knowledge therein
** Prepare action plans to strengthen the Association including the process of election of the Association for democratic participation of the EWRs.
** Provide knowledge support to the EWRs as well as handholding support as and when required through the State Support Centres.