Date: 24^th – 26^th September 2010

PRIA is working for social inclusion of Dalits in developmental programmes in three states (Rajasthan, Haryana and Bihar), supported by DVV International. In Haryana, the project activities are spread across five districts, and are aimed towards engaging Dalit women in the development process as active change agents. The programme facilitates the creation of a network of Dalit women (focusing on young Dalit girls) who can assume a leading role in grassroots action and interface with government officials for policy level advocacy, thereby contributing towards the overall development of Scheduled Castes in the state.

As part of the initiative, PRIA in collaboration with the Centre for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Studies of Kurukshetra University organized a training programme for young Dalit women at Kurukshetra University in Kurukshetra, Haryana from 24^th –26^th September 2010. The training programme was aimed at building the participants’ understanding about caste-gender discrimination practices in Haryana, to provide knowledge on the available benefits and schemes for Dalits (especially Dalit women), to contribute towards their self-development and to build their capacities as leaders. Prior to training programme a training need assessment done across 5 districts of Haryana. The resource material and session designs were designed on the basis of the findings of the study.

There were sessions on concept and practices of caste and gender based discrimination, promoting inclusiveness- efforts and initiatives, building leadership, Self Development and Communication and Working as Change Agents at local level: Opportunities and Challenges, Participatory Action Research, Domestic Violence Act. An effort was made to make the sessions participatory by using various participatory methodologies like Focused Group Discussions.

A follow up of this training workshop would be done in October 2010 and around 10 participants will be involved in an action research that would be jointly organized by PRIA and Centre for Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Studies. Towards this end, they would be given specific inputs and knowledge on the ways, methodologies, tools of data collection and analysis related to participatory research.

The workshop was attended by 30 young Dalit women from 7 districts of Haryana (Sonepat, Mahendragarh, Panipat, Ambala, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra).