Committee on Gender Awareness and Mainstreaming in PRIA (CGAMP)

PRIA's vision of a desirable world is where relations across individuals and families, communities and nations are characterised by equity and justice. Besides socio-economic equality, PRIA believes in gender justice as the cornerstone of such relations in the family, community and society. Its mission directs it to work towards promotion of policies, institutions and capacities that strengthen the voice and participation of the poor and the marginalised in democratic governance in society.

PRIA's analysis of the existing situation of discrimination in society provides the basis for identifying the poor and marginalised, especially women. It believes that gender discrimination necessitates focusing upon changing women's roles and status, as agents and leaders of change. PRIA's core values that inform its interventions, therefore, include mainstreaming gender-justice and equity through analysis of social reality, organisational policies, systems and structures, and programme priorities and plans, as integral to its vision.

Adhering to its commitment to gender-justice PRIA formed a Committee Against Sexual Harassment (CASH) in December 1998. This decision was also in response to the Supreme Court guidelines to constitute a committee against sexual harassment. CASH in PRIA was in existence for two years (till 2001). It then evolved into becoming the Committee on Gender Awareness and Mainstreaming in PRIA (CGAMP).

The Committee has well-defined Terms of Reference which act as guidelines to its functioning.

STRUCTURE OF CGAMP
Constituion

Membership Criteria

For nomination to CGAMP, the staff should meet the basic minimum criterion for selections.

They should:

Tenure of CGAMP

CGAMP has a tenure of two years. After two years a review is conducted to assess its work. The newly constituted CGAMP then build on this assessment exercise.
Of the seven members of the Committee, one-third of them are replaced to lend continuity to the efforts of the group. Only in exceptional circumstances more members can be replaced.

Functions of CGAMP
The functions of CGAMP have been broadly divided into three categories:
Institutional Function

CGAMP works towards ensuring that all staff policies, service rules and regulations of the organisation are gender sensitive. Periodic reviews of the same are done through a gender lens to ensure gender sensitivity. The policies include recruitment and induction, performance review, and creating and promoting a gender sensitive work environment within the organisation and its field offices.

Internal Function

CGAMP works to create a gender-sensitive environment and approach at PRIA. Through internal training programmes and exposures, the staff is sensitised to issues of gender in the context of personal lives and professional roles, as well as gender issues in society. These capacity building interventions take place regularly in the head office and the field offices of PRIA.
CGAMP also addresses complaints relating to sexual harrassment of or by staff members. It has created structures and systems where staff members are free to seek redressal of their complaints.

External Function