Mahila Samakhya Andhra Pradesh National Evaluation 2004

Abstract

From Introduction: The Mahila Samakhya Programme was initiated in 1989 in response to the National Policy on Education, 1986. It envisaged education as a means to empower women in a few districts in the states of Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh. It is currently prevailing in nine states. The Andhra Pradesh Mahila Samatha Society was formed in 1992. It started its activities initially in two districts viz., Medak and Mahbubnagar in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh. The Telangana is one of the three regions of Andhra Pradesh and in terms socio-economic development is poor compared to the other two viz., Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions. This region consists of districts that have been facing drought conditions for several years that resulted in severe hardships for small, marginal farmers and landless labourers. There are poor infrastructural and very little industrial development in this region resulting in high levels of poverty, adverse literacy and health status indicators as compared to districts in the other regions. It is however important to point out there are sub regional variations even in the relatively prosperous regions of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra.