May 2009- December 2010

The project proposes to enable community action so as to significantly reduce the incidences of female foeticide. Community networks to act as a monitoring mechanism in tandem with the State machinery to stop female foeticide. The targeted intervention will act as a catalyst to activate existing monitoring structures and government schemes. It will also bring together a wide range of stakeholders to develop and act on new and existing policies (PC PNDT Act). In the long run the community level cluster teams will also regularly counsel individual couples and mobilize the community so as to bring about attitudinal changes towards female foeticide. This will be done through intensive gender sensitization on the effects of adverse sex-ratio and build inter-linkages at different levels, within the community and the government.

To generate positive actions in community, that will significantly reduce incidences of female foeticide, and enable district and community-monitoring systems (mechanisms) at various levels to sustain these actions.

At a National level, in keeping with Article 2 of the Indian Constitution which enumerates the State obligation towards gender discrimination, the project shall strive towards the following at a local level:

1. To establish cluster teams of community level stakeholders who are able to put a brake on female foeticide cases in communities and are simultaneously able to bring about attitudinal changes for pro-female preferences among families.
2. To strengthen the district level monitoring mechanisms and provide support, direction and guidance to cluster teams.
3. To provide a common platform to a wide range stakeholders in districts and through them develop and new and relevant policies.
4. To strategise on using learning as a tool for Policy Advocacy at the State level.

State: Haryana, District: Sonepat   Block: Sonepat & Ganaur
Sonepat Block (Villages and Wards):

• Cluster –1(Badwasni, Chitana, Hulheri, Kilodh, Bhatna, and Mahra)
• Cluster –II (Garhi Haqiqat, Khizarpur Jat Mazra, Ratan Garh, and Machri )
• Cluster –III (Ward No. 22, 23 and 29)

Ganaur Block (Villages and Wards):

• Cluster –IV (Kami, Bhuri, Rajpur, Choti Garhi and Raglu Garhi)
• Cluster-V (Rehmana, Dabarpur, Sitawali, Purkhas Rathi and Purkhas Dhiran)
• Cluster VI (Ward No 1, 2 and15)

In regard to community mobilisation, PRIA has been able to cover around 6000 households from the target villages and wards through door-to-door campaign against female foeticide. Around 500 village youths were part of the programme apart from 500 college youths and university students that were oriented on gender, female foeticide and PC PNDT Act. Around 700 village elders, Elected representatives, traditional and informal leaders were sensitised on the issue of female foeticide at the village and ward level. PRIA also sensitised some religious leaders, but very difficult to reach out to them (they are in a defensive mode that they do not encourage female foeticide).

The district level monitoring group have been built through these years with inclusion of various stakeholders in the programme. PRIA’s cluster members, District Advisory Committee, Media, Academicians, college youths, health workers, CBOs, NGOs and elected representative have become part of the monitoring group as all of them are advocating against female foeticide in Sonepat district

There has been strong formation of women’s coalition group (cluster members) in the villages and wards. They also belong to Sakshar Mahila Samooh, Mahila Mandal, Self Help Group, ANM and Asha workers. These women’s group are acting as support systems for women in the villages and wards. They can be approached anytime for intervention when required.

PRIA will become member of District Advisory Committee in 2011 and good collaboration between PRIA’s cluster members and DAC have been built to work together further on this issue.

Health Workers- ANMs, Asha, Multiple Village Health Workers have been part of various gender sensitisation program and trainings of PRIA to advocate on gender issues and female foeticide.  They have been sensitised to keep regular track of those families that are likely to go for female foeticide and maintain records of pregnancy in the villages and wards.

Academicians have been sensitised on this issue and made them realize their importance as stakeholders in stopping female foeticide in Sonepat. They have started organizing activities and programmes related to female foeticide in colleges. One academia will also become a member of DAC and they will continue attending DAC meetings.

Media has been a very important stakeholders in the programme as it highlighted and covered the programme events and activities. They have been made part of every event and activity; however, they do not sit for the programme. Therefore, keeping in lieu of their importance as a stakeholder of the project, PRIA organized workshop mainly for media persons of Sonepat and District Advisory Committee, they were invited to build collaboration between themselves. Through this gender sensitisation workshop in Sonepat, It was decided that DAC will invite the media to the meetings for coverage as well as for their contribution in the meeting.

In the villages and wards, celebration of the birth of girl child has started. PRIA’s cluster members have taken lead roles in doing so and the attitude towards birth of girl child is changing. Instead of looking like a funeral, now they is joy and celebration in birth of girl child. Around 200 families have been celebrated.  Change in mindset of the community towards girl child is seen though it is slow process.

In the initial days of the project implementation, wives (cluster members) were not allowed to attend meetings or activities of PRIA as husbands thought that women should not go outside of their village. Initially, when animators organized meetings with women in the villages, men folk from the village were very keen to know what the women’s group were discussing as they thought women’s group are plotting against men. Now, even husbands encourage their wives to continue attending programmes and meetings as they have realized the importance of such meetings. Some of the women cluster members felt shy to even speak; now they have become very outspoken and bold towards the issue.

UNFPA funded project. PRIA implemented through Women Power Connect (WPC)

• There is a need of massive intervention at the village and community level- organizing meetings with decision-makers and door-to-door outreach is a must to bring the change in community
• There is a gap between District Advisory Committee (DAC) and community.  Therefore, village CBO’s should become a member of DAC to represent voice of grassroots and interior areas
• Police should also become a member of DAC; it is their duty to keep vigil of illegal clinics and mobile vans. Doctors have limitations in doing so as they have their own duty as a doctor.
• In every schools and colleges, gender sensitization course or programme should be included. There is a need of gender sensitization in schools and colleges
• There is a need of presence of vigilant group in the villages and wards on this issue
• There is a need of mechanism how villagers or others can inform DAC when they get to know of illegal clinics or mobile vans because many are scared of consequences that can occur
• Even the educated, rich, middle or low class- there is a need of gender sensitisation as they still consider women and men differently even if they say both are equal verbally
• There is a need of target on religious leaders that propagates in support of female foeticide and teaching on cultural and traditional views that works against women should be stop at the earliest
• The caught doctors tend to get away easily due to money and power. Therefore, there is a need of addressal of   such cases at the higher level.
• A mechanism has to be created to change the patriarchal mindset of the society towards girl child or women. Until and unless, we change the mindset of the society, the status of women will not improve
• Women should be allowed to carry forward family’s lineage and inheritance rights should be enforced. It is there in the paper, but many women do not claim to avoid disputes with their brothers. Parents and society do not view women as valuable as they do not carry forward family’s lineage and women should also be allowed to support and take care of their parents when their parents grow old. Women being viewed as others property should be stop.
• All stakeholders should be sensitised and involved to stop existing female foeticide- CBOs, NGOs, Civil Society Organizations, Women’s group and networks, Media, Academia, health workers, DAC, youths etc.
• Haryana being an agricultural state that has huge farmlands, many fear of losing it, if they have daughters. Therefore, daughter should be allowed to inherit and not go to husbands. It should be in her control.
• District Advisory Committee (DAC) should be made functional and there’s lack of monitoring from the central level too.