Annual Report 1999-2000 Mahila Samakhya Karnataka: Together Towards Freedom and Dignity

Abstract

From Preface: Important changes have taken place in the MS Karnataka programme in the past year. The strenuous efforts of the previous years are showing results - sangha women are meeting regularly at ghataka level, (ghataka is a cluster of 10 MS villages) to share information and plan strategies. Women are taking the responsibility of identifying their problems at sangha level, travelling to the ghataka meeting despite their heavy work burden and working with women from other sanghas in their cluster. At the sangha level, women are sharing responsibilities by forming issue-wise committees. Two women committees take up tasks related to each of these issues - sangha self-reliance and sustainability, education, health, panchayat raj, legal literacy, gender, EDP. The sanghas are reaching out to more women in the community and to teenage girls. These efforts are highlighted in chapter 3, Sangha women have participated in a big way in the Karnataka grama panchayat elections held in February 2000. They have participated as voters, as campaigners, as candidates. They have selected their candidates through sangha discussions, interacted with those standing for election, negotiated spaces for themselves as citizens of the country (chapter 5). Sangha women are working hard to assist enrolment and retention in schools; they are members of the Village Education Committee in several villages. Their work in this area is highlighted in chapter 4. New initiatives in healthcare training have been taken up.