The Concept Note on Social and Economic Development of Girls and Women through the Agro-based Income Generation Programmes

Profile the Organization:

People's   Action for People in Need (PAPN) was established in the year 1982 by a few young social activists and the professionals from different walks of life. PAPN got itself registered under the Indian Societies Act (Act-XXI) of 1860 in the year 1983. PAPN is the outcome of the vision to educate, aware, organize and empower people in general and women in particular living in the backward, remote, inaccessible and rural and hilly areas by undertaking educational and awareness programs, the vocational training   and socio- economic upliftment   through professional voluntarism in the State of Himachal Pradesh. Therefore, in the year 1985, PAPN launched its activities in Sangrah and Shillai Development Blocks of the Trans-Giri areas of Sirmour District (HP) with the initial financial support from the Social Work and Research Center, Tilonia, Rajasthan-now known as the Barefoot College. Presently the Organisation is working in Sirmour District with support from Action Aid Association and Childline India Foundation and in Panchkula (Haryana) in collaboration with CRY-Child Rights and you.

The Location and the Area of Operation:

The focus area of PAPN is Sangrah and Shillai Development Blocks of the Trans-Giri region of Sirmour District.  Geographically the District may be divided into two parts; The Cis-Giri and the Trans- Giri -locally known as the Giri-Vaar and Giri-Paar. Giri is the name of a river that divides the District into two parts. The most parts of the Trans-Giri are much more backward, remote, inaccessible due to difficult terrain and subsequently least developed and most exploited in terms of the general socio-economic conditions of the people in general and women and girls on particulars. The Project area of PAPN lies in bare, brown and barren outer Western Himalayan region. The whole Project area is hilly and rural with its eastern border with the tribal belt of Jaunsar-Bawar of Uttrakhand State.

The socio-economic status or rather a condition of the people living in this part of the State is rather pathetic and very poor. The wide spread poverty encircled by the selective continuance of so called social and cultural customs governed by the feudal and gender biased system of decision making   at the community level are still very much there in practice. The major source of livelihood is agriculture. Maize and Wheat are the only grain crops of the area. Potato and Sweet Potato, garlic and peas are the other cash crops, which are cultivated in very small scale. Ginger is no longer a cash crop as it used to be previously.  There are no irrigation facilities; therefore the agriculture is not economically a viable and productive occupation for a full year.  Due to topography being sloppy, average land holding being very small and lack of irrigation facilities, the agricultural production is too meager to meet the family’s annual requirements.  More importantly the petty moneylenders and middlemen, usually the Shopkeepers or village leaders control the agricultural/village economy. The villagers buy their daily needs from them on credit and in order to repay the loan they have to sell their produce such as potato and sweet potato to the moneylenders at a price fixed by the latter. Each family has had its traditional moneylender for the generations. Generally they charge a very exploitative rate of interest, which is over 120% per annum. Therefore, at least one member of each family has to work as casual laborer on roads or in far off towns to support their family’s minimum needs of food and clothing. There are very few persons employed in organized sectors but they do not represent the common people. The Environmental degradation through quarrying in the hills and forests and   its subsequent effects are one of the leading environmental hazards facing the area. This has been supplemented by deforestation, soil erosion as well as the shortage of the fodder and fuel wood, thus adversely effecting the already poor economy of the area and its people. The twin problem of    the  safe  drinking  water  and  the  sanitation  in  the  villages  can  also  be clubbed under the ecological problems of the region. In brief, the followings are the widely felt problems and major issues of the people of the area.

o         Comparatively low  rate  of  literacy,  especially  among  women and girls affecting their social status in the community.

o         Prevalence  of  social  evils  such  as   the  child  marriage,  drinking,  rigid    caste divisions and the superstitions etc.

o          Inadequate,  ineffective,  neglected  and  the  genders  biased  health  care facilities in the area.

o        Unproductive  agriculture - the  main  family  occupation - resulting  in poor socio-economic conditions of the community.

o         The   existence   and  the continuance   of   highly   exploitative  credit and  marketing  system            at the community  level.

o         Shortage of the safe drinking water,  fodder  for  livestock  and  fuel wood.

o         Inadequate and unhygienic housing facilities and poor sanitation in the area.

The Status of Girls and Women within the Community:

Due to difficult mountainous terrain, hostile weather conditions during the monsoon and winter and the existing social and cultural practices, the existing health, educational, communication and related basic necessities are grossly inadequate and sparsely distributed. These all enabled the orthodoxy to continue-child marriage, sexual/physical exploitation of women and girls, polyandry and blind faiths etc. Therefore, in the prevailing situations and socio-cultural background women and girls are the first and easily available target of exploitation. The above conditions of women and girls are the net result of the deep rooted poverty encircled by the selective continuance of so called social customs and culture governed by the outdated and gender biased system of the decision making within the community. Health is another area of neglect, which has been affecting the lives of women and an important factor in their status. The social customs and traditions are one of the major reasons for very high prevalence of Reproductive Tract Infections and Sexually Transmitted Diseases among most of the women of the area.

The planned/proposed Interventions:

In  the  given  background,  constraints, limitations and the  challenges,   PAPN plans to initiate the socio-economic upliftment of the most deprived, oppressed and neglected section of the community, i.e., women. 

Please contact; papnhp@gmail.com for the concept note on this issue.