What does a woman need to make her mark in electoral politics in India? Belong to a political family, be close to one, or have the blessings of a powerful male politician? It’s a ‘yes’ to all of these — whether it is at the grassroots, where it’s easier for a woman whose family member(s) has served on the panchayat to get elected, or in the urban setting, where climbing the political ladder is virtually impossible without the right connections. However, Bindu Shivadasan, 40, has defied the norm to get elected as the president of the Mattathur gram panchayat in Kerala’s Thrissur district.

When this once simple homemaker decided to contest the polls a few years ago she neither had the support of the area’s political bigwigs nor the benefit of years of grooming by party cadres. What she did have at her disposal was a broad community network of women just like her, with considerable experience in micro-credit and micro-entrepreneurship, an understanding of the community’s issues and a friend in almost every home in every village under the panchayat. As a long-time Kudumbashree member, a financially independent Shivadasan was ready to exert her powers to provide good governance.

In Kerala, the hugely successful Kudumbashree poverty alleviation programme has changed the lives of hundreds of thousands of women, facilitating their economic and, subsequently, political empowerment. “I was a homemaker, completely dependent on the husband, catering to his needs and doing everything as per his wishes. I hardly ever stepped out of the house and had no opinion on any matter. Till I became a part of the Sridevi Swayam Sahay, one of the neighbourhood groups created under Kudumbashree. Suddenly, a whole new world opened up for me,” says Shivadasan.

A joint initiative of NABARD and Kerala government, the programme is implemented in three tiers: Neighbourhood Groups (NHGs) at the grassroots; the Area Development Societies (ADSs), which are made up of NHG representatives; and finally, the Community Development Societies (CDSs), which operate at the panchayat level with members elected through the ADSs.

“My group elected me to the ADS and later to the CDS. Along the way, my interactions with fellow sisters, their family members and the community as a whole increased. I became aware of the various problems faced by women. Many group discussions automatically veered towards community development matters. I gradually started understanding people’s concerns and wanted to find workable solutions,” says Shivadasan. It was then that she took the ‘conscious decision’ to fight the panchayat elections. That the Kudumbashree has indeed metamorphosed into a nursery for women political leaders is clear from the fact that in 2010, some 11,000 members contested the local self-government polls and nearly 50 per cent of them won. Kerala’s minister for welfare of scheduled tribes and youth affairs PK Jayalakshmi, too, has emerged through this system.

Sheela Tilakan, 37, who had started out years ago as a member of the Priyam NHG, is now overseeing the planned growth of several villages in Mattathur panchayat, as the Chairperson of the Panchayat Development Committee. “The Kudumbashree programme is not just helping women become self-sufficient financially through its micro-credit and micro-enterprise wings but has also become a medium for discovering and unleashing women’s collective strength and using it effectively at the household, community, social and political levels,” she says .

“Over the last 17 years, the Kudumbashree network has surely become a force to reckon with. It catapults women to the PRIs (panchayati raj institutions), brings their particular needs to the attention of the local government bodies and plays an important role in the implementation of government programmes. All this aids in development activities ranging from community resource management, enterprise development, agriculture, and so on,” explains Ratnam Arvindakshan, 57, CDS chairperson, Mattathur panchayat, who transformed into a dynamic leader after she joined Kudumbashree some 15 years ago.

Today, across hundreds of villages that dot Thrissur, PRIs are riding high on the success of the relationship that the Kudumbashree women and the elected women leaders share. Kudumbashree groups are being tapped to identify and select government beneficiaries, homing in on individual and community needs as well as for community outreach. Ajith Kumar, president, Panchayat President’s Association, Thrissur, points out, “Any intervention undertaken by the panchayat, such as rehabilitating the poor, universalising Take Home Ration, introducing computer education in schools, and so on, is being realised with the assistance of Kudumbashree women.” At present, Kudumbashree is actively working with panchayats across the state to conduct the first ever community validation of the BPL lists.

With Shivadasan heading the Mattathur gram panchayat, women like Rosalie Kurien, 48, from Chungaal village are confident that their healthcare, livelihood, education, sanitation concerns, or proper disbursal of public distribution system rations will always remain a priority on the governance agenda. Incidentally, Kurien runs a business venture along with her Kudumbashree group, with each member earning about ₹5,000-10,000 every month. She says, “I used to run a catering business on my own, serving only Kerala vegetarian food. Then five of us formed an NHG, Ojus, and trained under the Kudumbashree zilla mission. We learnt how to prepare food like biriyanis and other non-vegetarian delicacies and confidently expanded our catering menu. Additionally, we were taught how to make pickles. With support from the larger network, we are doing well.”

(Women’s Feature Service)

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