Delhi Govt Portal

Project Stree Shakti is an attempt of the Government of N.C.T. of Delhi to empower women, specially those belonging to the economically weaker section of the society. It is an integrated capacity building project through �Bhagidari� with NGOs to strengthen the ability of women to participate equally in the mainstream of society. This project has prioritised for intervention in the first instance, three areas which significantly impact the process of empowerment of women. These are :

The status of women�s health substantially influences the overall health status of a community. Surveys and studies including the NFHS II have highlighted five major issues of women�s health:

The second area of significant impact in empowering women is improving the literacy rate amongst the economically weaker women. Presently, the Adult Education Branch of the Directorate of Education operates 35 Social Education Centers in the rural areas of NCT of Delhi. One of the main activities of these Centers is conducting adult literacy classes for women. In addition, under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, eleven NGOs are running adultliteracy centers in JJ clusters among socially and economically weaker sections. However, the effort of providing functional literacy to the women of the target group needs to be greatly expanded.

The third area of significant impact in empowering women is the need to provide vocational training to the women of the target group. Economic empowerment is perhaps the most effective means of social empowerment. Presently, the Training and Technical Education Department has 38 institutions/production centers that are imparting income generating skills. These centers will be able to provide around 100 training centers at their own premises and at the extension centers attached to these institutions. Every center would be able to train approximately 30 women. Assuming a duration of each session to be 3 months and that the Center operates two shifts/day, it is expected that over 24000 women can be provided vocational training under the present facilities in a year.

To achieve the objective of the Project Stree Shakti, two intervention mechanisms are presently planned to be used :

The proposed Gender Resource Center in the Department of Social Welfare is intended to be a central focal point for all issues relating to the empowerment of women in general and concerning health, literacy and income generation in particular. The activities of this Center can be broadly described as under:

- Dissemination of the Data directly and through grassroot level NGOs to the target groups.

- Acting as a bridge between the agencies of the Government providing services/administering programmes and the community members using them.

- In the subsequent phase district wise sub-centers of the Gender Resource Centre can be established in the entire NCT of Delhi as also the GRC can undertake direct funding of relevant projects to the grass root level NGOs.

Having identified health, literacy and income generating skills as the three significant components impacting empowerment of women, it is necessary to ensure that existing health care facilities are availed by the target group of women and the existing literacy and income generation activities are brought to the notice of these women.

In the conventional approach, the expectation is that the members of the target group would reach the institutions/programmes. In the camp approach, the underlying concept is that these institutions/programmes would reach the target group at almost their doorstep within a period of two years. Hence the one day Stree Shakti camps are proposed to be held all over the NCT of Delhi, closer to the communities, nearer to the target group.

Since the institutional framework is already being utilized by section of the population, it is expected that the left out ones will be catered by the camp approach after suitable awareness process is initiated. Therefore out of target group of 10000 in the locality/project area about 1000 women are expected to visit the camps on scheduled day.

These camps would have three components discussed earlier namely : health, literacy and income generation skill. The detail of the components are as per attachment I.

Apart from low socio economic status of women, other factors like economic opportunities, provision of civic amenities, availability of space, housing projects migration etc. also contribute to urban growth. So the data about health status, literacy rate, skills level generated through camps in these areas mentioned above will be an important factor for comparison with data collected from the low growth rate districts and other areas within the districts. Therefore, the other districts and also other areas of these districts are also proposed to be covered under the proposal.

It is proposed that the Stree Shakti project will be implemented as the overall �Bhagidari� Scheme of Government of NCT of Delhi. Accordingly, the implementation of the project will be jointly managed by various departments/agencies of the Government of NCT of Delhi and field NGOs. Also Umbrella NGO/Nodal Agency will be coordinating and over seeing the work of the grassroot NGOs as well as act as a bridge between them and the Government of NCT of Delhi.

(a) Identify locations for holding camps- Social Welfare Department & Health Department.

(d) Sensitization and mobilization of beneficiaries in ICDS Project areas-Social Welfare Department + NGO

(e) Registration of beneficiaries for Health Checkup-Directorate of health Services along with NGOs

(f) Screening of beneficiaries and issuance of referral cards where required : Directorate of Health Services.

(g) Registration and counselling of the beneficiaries wih regard to literacy and skill development programmes-Education Department/Directorate of Training and Technical Education/NGOs.

(h) Food and Nutrition Classes during the day of the camp- Social Welfare Department

(j) Treatment of patients issued referral cards during the camp at designated hospitals of Govt. of Delhi/ Health institutions- Directorate of Health Services

(l) Holding of skill development classes/courses for beneficiaries identified during the camps- Directorate of Training and technical Education/NGOs

(n) Supervision of post camp action by NGOs/Agencies identified by Social Welfare Department.

For better coordination , monitoring and evaluation, the implementation of the Project is divided into following stages:

(a)	Stages I	Pre Camp Awareness generation Programme Mobilization.
(b)	Stages II	Camp Registration Screening
(c)	Stages III	Post Camp Institutional support to beneficiaries
(d)	Stages IV	Evaluation of target group in terms of Health Status and enrolment in gender resource centres.

To deprive optimal benefits from these camps, the crucial task is to create wide spread prior awareness of the Stree Shakti Programme, including the concept of preferential treatment at government health institutions, in the selected community and equally important , to ensure that the results of the Camps are followed up in terms of the progress of the individual and it is reported to the appropriate agency for evaluation and corrective action. The institutional mechanism best suited for this task seems to be the grass root NGO having close rapport with the communities concerned. However, in order to utilize the existing organisation of ICDS for reasons of economy, the task of creating awareness is being entrusted to the ICDS Staff in ICDS Project area. For other areas the grassroot NGOs will be responsible for the same.

Nodal agency can provide 15 Volunteers per camp for operating registration counters established at the Camp. These Volunteers will be recruited and trained by Nodal Agency for the tasks at these camps. As the same volunteers are expected to be working throughout the duration of two years for 200 camps, it would be necessary to train a fresh batch for every camp.

Within the framework of the policy objective of moving towards an electronic government, it is planned to use computers for collecting, analyzing and circulating data related to the beneficiaries of the Stree Shakti Camp.

Nodal agency will develop an information system, which will record the relevant data will respect to the beneficiaries . The actual format can be designed based on the requirement of data of Health, literacy and income generation.

The following factors, crucial for successful implementation of the Project need to be identified and paid special attention;

(a) Selection of field NGO and Mother NGO to be done ensuring their capability to deliver the services earmarked for them.

(b) Governments continued commitment for multi sectoral initiative both in terms of budgetary commitment and man power involvement.

(c) Over selling of the project leading to over expectation and subsequent decline in interest which is to be avoided. Awareness campaign therefore should be well designed with suitable inputs from the service providers.

(d) The feed back provided by field NGOs and mother NGOs during the third stage should be treated as authentic and at par with official documentation so that the NGOs can act as effective monitoring tool at the field level.

(e) The feed back provided by field NGOs and mother NGOs during the third stage should be treated as authentic and at part with official documentation so that the NGOs can act as effective monitoring tool at the field level.

(f) The concept of �Bhagidari� with NGOs is different from �Bhagidari� with RWAs since the NGOs are not direct stake holders in the project. Therefore, their role should be assigned different status from that in Bhagidari scheme with RWAs.

The Department has successfully implemented the project �Stree Shakti� by means of

Organising the camps � So far six series of �Stree Shakti� camps have been organized on 17.2.2002, 28.4.2002, 02.06.2002, 07.07.2002, 11.08.2002 and 15.09.2002. A total of 62 �Stree Shakti� camps with the coverage of over 60,000 beneficiaries in all the 9 districts of Delhi have been completed successfully. 45 Grass-root NGOs having close rapport with the concerned communities have been involved in pre-registration of the beneficiaries. However, the staff of ICDS Projects is also optimally utilized for creating awareness in the community. Besides these, other agencies such as AIDS Control Society, Legal Aid & Advice Board (Patiala House) and Delhi Commission for Women have also participated in Stree-Shakti Camp.

GENDER RESOURCE CENTRE � SINGLE WINDOW INFORMATION AND FACILITATION CENTRE

Setting up of Gender Resource Centre is one of the new projects initiated by Govt. of Delhi as a follow-up measure of Stree Shakti. To consolidate upon the gains achieved through the Stree Shakti Camps a long term strategy is being evolved for sustainable empowerment of women in the form of �Stree Kosh Project�, i.e. a name given to Gender Resource Centre.

The Chief Minister of Delhi inaugurated the first Stree Kosh (Gender Resource Centre) on 18.9.2002 at Shahbad Daulatpur, Delhi (NW-District).

The Center is situated on a 1200 sq. mtr. plot of land with a two storeyed building with 500 sq. mtrs. floor space. Library and information-cum-facilitation center have been started. Along with training for skill development like beauty culture, photography/videography has been started. Health clinic and legal counseling on bi-weekly basis have also been started.

The Stree Kosh, Gender Resource Centre will be the converging point of all activities/programmes concerning women being implemented in the district. It would act as single window information and facilitation center for the women.

The Stree Kosh (Gender Resource Center) at Shahdbad Daulatpur has initiated the following activities at the district level:-

a) Stree Shakti camps have revealed that large number of women in the slum resettlement colonies are suffering from Reproductory Tract Infections (TRI) and Sexually Transmitted (ST) Diseases. Regular check up and follow up of medication through Gynecologists and Physicians is required to reduce such instances. This regular check-up is to be coordinated with the help of NGOs.

b) General lack of awareness and poverty leads to deficiency diseases and malnutrition. Therefore periodical health camps for Eyes Check up, T.B., HIV cases etc. is required.

c) Urbanisation and migration leads to rapid social changes within the community and family. The relationship both social and economic, requires reorientation since the women are adversely effected during changes . Counselling for assertion of her rights as well legal backing is a felt need. Therefore, free legal counselling and assistance for women facing domestic violence, rape, intimidation and other legal problems is required.

d) Since number of agencies are providing welfare programmes, the women are to visit number of offices/sites for availing benefits. Therefore, Information and facilitation center and data bank is being operated by Social Welfare Department and Nodal NGO for providing Single Window Service.

e) Mostly women from semi rural background are familiar with crafts skills which are obsolete now. In order to enhance their employment status, new skills and employment generating programmes need to be promoted. Therefore, Technical Training Center to promote skill development, self employment through NGOs under supervision of the Government is planned.

f) Nutrition and health awareness programmes through Nutrition Board and field NGOs for combating deficiency diseases and making gainful use of available cheap food for balanced diet.

g) Training of trainers and orientation courses for NGOs through Social Welfare Department in collaboration with Institutions like NIPCCD ( National Institute of Public Cooperation & Child Development), NISD (National Institute of Social Defence ) and GOI etc.

Apart from carrying out the above activities at the district level, the Center is acting as a Sub-Center for the villages/areas in the neighbourhood and carrying out the following functions:-

a) The beneficiaries being mostly from low income group find it difficult to obtain loans from Financial Institutions. Financial Institutions also do not find them as viable for securing their loans. Therefore, the beneficiaries require to consolidate on their meager savings through micro crediting. Promote micro crediting among women�s Self Help Groups so that they are able to create wider network of Self Help Groups and finance self sustaining development.

b) Identify micro enterprises and encourage Self Help Groups to participate alongwith NGOs for community based enterprises and also for marketing of their products.

c) Large number of girls drop out due to economic problems at home. They are a viable work force provided they are imparted some education. Therefore, non-formal educational classes are a priority.

f) Carry out skill development classes like computer courses, motor driving, plumbing, electrician and other non-traditional skills apart from the traditional ones.

g) Opening of outlet by Khadi Board to promote their products and also impart training for development of skills because marketing of their products is essential.

In order to ensure that the programmes/trainings being carried out by the center at Shahbad Daulatpur is accessible to beneficiaries residing in the other areas within the district, eight sub centers have been identified in the district namely:-

They will also carry out similar training classes and programmes for girls/women staying in the vicinity.

The overall supervision and control of the Center rests with the Social Welfare Department. However, in order to carry out the plans and programmes, a very strong community participation is a must.

We are also seeking the cooperation and the involvement of the United Nation�s Women Development Fund (UNIFEM), NIPCCD and Seoul Metropolitan Government for implementation and monitoring of the project by providing suitable inputs in terms of human resource from time to time. Training by experts from other Asian countries with similar background and experience will be encouraged to develop the Center on international standards.