Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in 55

Table of Contents

Foreword iii

Preface and acknowledgements v

Abbreviations vii

Glossary viii

A. Executive Summary 1

B. Detailed Report 2

1. AKRSP(I) in – an Introduction 2 1.1 Organisational goals and key strategies 2 1.2 The geographical areas 3

2. AKRSP(I)’s programmes and thrust areas 5 2.1 The nature programmes in brief 5 2.2 The ‘people’ programmes 5 2.3 Women focus and gender 6

3. The Study 12 3.1 Rationale and need for the study 12 3.2 Methodology 14 3.3 Some problems faced 14

4. Gender and NR – learning through case studies 15 4.1 Problem analysis 15 4.2 The quest for drinking water 17 4.3 Who tills these lands?: gender issues in agricultural 23 intensification and drought management 4.4 Greening the landscape – gender in forest 35 protection and regeneration 4.5 Micro-enterprise in natural resources 37

5. Narrowing the gender gap: major emergent trends and lessons 40

6. Conclusion 42

Annexes 45

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 47 Foreword

NGOs who work directly with rural communities often find it difficult to find an appropriate balance between the ‘joy of doing’ versus the need to reflect, document and disseminate ‘what has been done’. Field staff finds it difficult to find time for documenting and analysing with the result that the processes followed and lessons learnt are shared only when they interact directly with the staff or the communi- ties. Since in a large, multi-lingual society this is difficult, ‘sharing of learning’ is more by accident than by design. For AKRSP(I), the lessons from its gradual evolution towards a gender-sensitive organisation and merging natural resource management interventions with a gender and development approach have been excit- ing. Through case studies the study captures the impact as well as the process followed in the various gender-empowerment strategies adopted by AKRSP(I). Some of the major impacts are: • On woman as an individual… Increased self-confidence and courage was clearly visible among women, which resulted in many women leaders with better mobility and visibility in their villages. Women had better access to services like health and education, government schemes/services/offices, trainings and new technologies, credit and agriculture inputs/decisions. However, the main impact was the increased access to and control over natural resources. • Changes in man-woman relationship at the household level… Changes were observed in the traditional outlook towards women and division of labour at the house- hold level. Household relations improved with women taking their own decisions and influencing de- cisions at the household level. • Changes in man-woman relationship at the village level… There is a clear indication of reduced social constraints in the village. Changes in outlook towards mo- bility and capability of women were visible. There were many cases of improved social status and changes in decision-making patterns at the village level, both formally and informally. These achievements were, however, not the result of this year’s efforts alone, but of a whole series of processes like women’s day celebrations, involvement of women in trainings and exposure visits, regu- lar meetings of mahila manchs and mahila vikas mandals over the years. As these approaches continue, the time has now come to reap the benefits of earlier efforts. Geeta Menon, the well-known gender specialist, has helped document and analyse our work. Geeta, who is an anthropologist by training, has a large body of research to her credit and we have been fortunate that she has spared so much time to interact intensively with the field staff and communities throughout Gujarat. We hope you find this useful.

Apoorva Oza (CEO, AKRSP(I))

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 49 Preface and acknowledgement

This study has been a learning experience for the author. I hope it will be so too for those who read and use it. First and foremost I thank AKRSP(I) for giving me the opportunity to do this study which has been an interesting experience in all And the villagers I met who were more than warm and welcoming They spared time and more with me, especially during the work-intensive harvesting period.

My thanks also to Dharmistha Chauhan who was with me for the major part of this experience and shared a lot about the programme with me. And Kirti Patel (Sayla SHT) who did the same in Surendranagar.

Thanks to all those who accompanied me to the villages, particularly Harji, Bahadur, Mahendra, Suresh, Narayan and Rekha. Their discussions and inputs were very useful for this study. And all those who discussed various issues concerning gender, both personal and professional.

My thanks to all for making my stay and visits comfortable and enjoyable.

Geeta Menon

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 51 Abbreviations

AKF Aga Khan Foundation AKRSP (I) Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India) DA Development Associate GAD Gender And Development GVM Gram Vikas Mandal HRD Human Resource Development MM Mahila Manch MVM Mahila Vikas Mandal NGO Non-Government Organisation NR Natural Resources NRM Natural Resource Management PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal RRWHS Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structure SCALE Sustainable Community based Approaches to Livelihood Enhancement SHG Self-Help Group SHT Spear Head Team WID Women In Development WSG Water Shed Group

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 53 Glossary

Adivasi Tribe/tribal, scheduled tribe Awal Bark of tree used as dyeing agent Bajra Millet Bigha Unit of land measurement. (Approximately 0.5 acres in Gujarat) Bhindi Okra Chana Bengal gram District Unit of administration below State Gram panchayat/panchayat Governance unit at village level Gram Vikas Mandal Village Development Council Jawar Barley Taluka Unit of administration below District Rabaari and Bharwad Kolis, Caste and sub-caste names Maldharis, Darbar, Harijan, Vaghri Dalit Untouchables, downtrodden, scheduled castes Lakh/lacs 100,000 Mahila Vikas Mandal Women Development Council Mahila manch Women’s platform. In AKRSP several Mahila Vikas Mandal are represented in a Mahila Manch Moong Green gram Rabi Winter crop Shringaar Beauty, beautification Tuwar A type of lentil Roti Wheatbread made of unfermented dough, local staple food. Til Gingelly seeds Virda Shallow well in river bed Wada Homestead land Wado Cattle trench for water

54 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat A. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY This document that puts together the findings of the study, begins with a description of AKRSP(I)’s AKRSP(I), working on natural resource general focus and thrust areas. It goes on to narrate management in Gujarat for more than two decades its ‘gender experiments’ and commitments. The now, is known as an organisation with a main section of this document consists of case commitment to the participatory approach in studies, organised into different subjects: drinking natural resource management. Its prime strategy water, agriculture, joint forest management, and in this is to empower the people to change their micro-enterprise development. Analytical lot through improving the condition of the narratives in each section bring out the focal resources on which they depend for their survival. achievements or changes that have come about To AKRSP(I) this is something that is non- through the project in question. Case studies put negotiable. these in bold relief. Yet, working with a woman focus is something While the cases show that the projects have in relatively new to AKRSP(I). The focus on Women general led to increase in production, better in Development began in the mid-90s and nutrition and more personal possessions, women’s strengthened with the adoption of the Gender And workload in agriculture has increased multi-fold. Development (GAD) ideology. Though the policy Simultaneously however, their drudgery in on gender is fairly clear, the organisation has not collecting water and fuel has reduced. The social followed a uniform strategy in gender environment in the village and household has mainstreaming. It has allowed strategies to evolve improved, with less conflicts and more in its areas of operation, based on the local cooperation being visible. Undoubtedly, the most situation, local developments, local needs as well important achievement is the tremendous increase as the strengths of it local staff. Hence a variety of in women’s visibility and status within the ‘experiments’ in gender mainstreaming has household and community, which has in turn defined the implementation of its gender influenced their decision-making ability on NR as commitments, at the same time re-defining and well as social matters. They have run against heavy strengthening these commitments along the way. odds and yet finished first in the race. There is some documentation of this process and Corresponding change in men are visible too – some specific studies on the achievements and they accept the idea of women’s leadership and learnings in gender mainstreaming in different support women’s role in NR management. Gender projects. But a consolidated document on this is relations and roles have changed for the better. lacking. The study, however, broadly points to the need for greater focus on this area through more This study was thought of to fill this lacuna. The intensive analysis of the gender goals and study uses case studies on various AKRSP(I) purposes of interventions and of AKRSP(I). projects in different areas of operation to capture the ‘gender in NR experience’ in a comprehensive manner. The case studies were gathered during specially organised trips to the three areas. In addition, existing cases were used as well.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 1 B. DETAILED REPORT “the core HRD activities are incorporated into 1. AKRSP(I) in India – NRM activities and further strengthened by 2 an introduction support activities” In other words, people are empowered and strengthened with skills and 1.1. Organisational goals and key strategies knowledge to enhance their natural resources and AKRSP(I)-I (Aga Khan Rural Support Programme- improve their lot, at the same time addressing India), a primary partner of Aga Khan Foundation, issues of equity and justice. This is strengthened began working in 1983 with the mandate of by negotiations and advocacy with governments, addressing rural poverty “by increasing natural the media, the public at large and governance resource based income generation opportunities bodies. and developing cost-effective and innovative A prime example of this is ‘watershed plus’ a 1 approaches for livelihood security” programme that improves upon traditional The natural resource focus stems from AKRSP(I)’s watershed concepts by integrating “social and understanding of two interrelated realities: one, community boundaries with the watershed natural resources, be it water, air, land or biomass, boundaries”. The ‘watershed plus’, concept now are degrading and depleting at an alarming rate represents the core strategy of AKRSP(I). and two, the lives and livelihood of the rural folk At present the main programmes implemented by are intricately wound up with their surrounding AKRSP(I) come under two categories: Sustainable resources and therefore reflect the condition of the Community based Approaches to Livelihood resources. Hence natural resource development Enhancement (SCALE) which is supported by for AKRSP(I) is both a means to end rural poverty AKF and the European Union and the Multi- and an end it itself. Sectoral Rural Rehabilitation Project. The former To attain this end, AKRSP(I) adopts a three- is operational in more than 500 villages in Bharuch, pronged approach, i.e., physical development of Surat, Narmada, Surendranagar and Junagarh natural resources, human resource development and Districts of Gujarat and Burhanpur District in support activities. In the former come agricultural Madhya Pradesh. The second is in the Kutch area extension, water resource development, soil and of Gujarat. SCALE is a comprehensive programme water conservation, forest development and that includes enhancement of drinking water, biogas development programmes. Human resource watershed development, water resource development is based on the belief that the users management, agricultural extension, micro- themselves can best take care of their resources, enterprise development and community forestry. and includes instilling of organisational skills, The reference areas of the present study are those expansion of knowledge and building of systems covered under SCALE in Gujarat hence further and structures required to achieve the first. Support discussions are limited to these. activities are those rendered at the macro level: At the ground level, AKRSP(I) projects are run policy advocacy, research and monitoring and under the supervision and support of Spear Head training/capacity building. However, these are Teams (SHT) that are located in central areas in not separate or independent approaches. Rather, the District, cluster teams located in Taluka

1 Understanding Women’s Experiences in Natural Resource Management. Aga Khan Foundation, n.d. 2 Annual Progress Report 2000.

2 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat headquarters and extension volunteers at the village rivers and over-exploitation has rendered the level. There are presently three SHTs in Gujarat- lands unproductive. Agriculture is almost in Bharuch in South Gujarat (covering Bharuch, completely rainfed with only 10 per cent land Surat and Narmada Districts), Sayla being irrigated. Hence the proportion of (Surendranagar) and Gadu (Junagarh), and agricultural wage workers (28 %) is close to those altogether about 11 cluster teams. of cultivators (32%). A significant number of households depend also on animal husbandry The main foundation for the programme is, partially because of the parched condition of the however, at the village level, in the form of village lands and partially because nomadic pastoral institutions. This is rooted in the conviction, as communities (Rabaari and Bharwad) are high in mentioned, that the most effective and sustainable number here. Socially, the villages have a feudal strategies for natural resource development and structure and are caste-ridden. Though caste- management are those based on community based violence is not so visible, the area as such is participation. Hence organizing the rural prone to conflicts. The different castes (Kolis, community into groups or collectives, which can Maldharis, Darbar, Harijan, Vaghri, etc. apart from then plan, implement and monitor natural the two mentioned) generally keep to their resource based interventions3 , is a crucial part of occupations. Restrictions on women in terms of all ventures. All programmes are run through movement and behaviour are high and resistance these institutions. These are either comprised of to change a hurdle in any intervention. diverse populations or there are separate institutions for different community groups. This Initial activities in this area consisted of renovation stems from the recognition that communities are of government defunct tanks. A variety of small heterogeneous entities comprising of different projects were then taken up and later abandoned classes, castes, gender and age groups and that owing to various reasons4 . Watershed understanding the needs of all categories of people development as a serious and concerted task was and involving everyone is a better recipe for taken up in 1987. But the mid-1990s saw a more success. The primary focus, however, is on the directed focus with water harvesting, soil poor and marginalised. conservation, strengthening of village institutions and drinking water programmes being 1.2. The geographical areas regularised. Sustainable methods in water The geographical area of AKRSP(I) function is harvesting and drought-minimising land diverse. Surendranagar in central Gujarat is poor management are now recognised as the main in natural resources and has soil unsuitable for needs of the area. Though the Surendranagar agriculture. It is the most drought prone district programmes began with those in other districts, in the State with shortage of potable water a the district has provided a learning ground for constant complaint. In some villages, women AKRSP(I) in many ways and has informed spend a major part of the day and often also the programmes undertaken in other areas and in new night fetching a few vessels of water for villages in the district itself. consumption. There are no perennial streams or

3 Quoted from AKRSP(I) Gender Policy 4 AKRSP(I). Background Note on and AKRSP(I)’s Intervention. P 4.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 3 Junagarh District in South-West Gujarat was ingress, combined with alternative sources of known as lili nagher or the ‘green creeper’ owing drinking water. In the former come drip irrigation to its greenery, even 20 years ago. The district had and sprinklers and watershed activities, all aimed a flourishing trade with Arabian and African at reducing groundwater use in irrigation. In the nations and has played a key role in Gujarat’s latter comes roof water harvesting for household history, as a trade centre5 . Land was very high in consumption. productivity. Even today it provides employment Bharuch, Surat and Narmada Districts in South and livelihood to 60 per cent of the district’s Gujarat together form a contiguous adivasi6 belt population. 73 per cent of the total land is under which is rich in natural resources, but poorly cultivation, though only 23 per cent of this is managed. This is also one of the poorest areas of irrigated. The area is known as the ‘groundnut the State (Annual Report 2003). The main adivasi bowl’ of India and produces also sugarcane, millet, communities here are the Vasavas and the sorghum, pulses and horticultural crops, Chaudharis, with small proportion of the Dhodias particularly coconut. As evident from the above, and the Gamits, all subgroups of the Bhils. While rapid modernisation of the area also meant partly integrated with the dominant Gujarati intensive commercialisation of agriculture. This population, these communities nevertheless has been the downfall of the area. Excessive maintain a distinct identity in terms of language pumping up of groundwater for irrigation has and culture. They are said to have been pushed resulted in sea water ingress even up to 10-15 kms into this remote area by dominant groups centuries inland, and correspondingly high salinity in ago. Once used to hill slope cultivation, these ground water in areas close to the coast. Drinking adivasis were later given plain lands by the water is a scare commodity even further inland government as a means of ‘settling’ them7 . The and women’s work in water collection, a complete area also has minority sub-groups of the Bhils, i.e., drudgery. Lack of good drinking water has shown Tadvis and Kotwalias, who were nomadic on the health of the people. Additionally, salinity hunting-gatherers. The soil in the area allows for ingress has meant that agricultural production has good production, and a network of canals exists reduced closer to the coast, affecting nearly 500 for irrigation. But agriculture has remained largely villages. Rapid deforestation has further affected rainfed owing partly to bad management of canal the area. All this has completely destroyed the irrigation and partly to little knowledge of effective livelihood base of the common folk. Migration land management and water harvesting became common. The villages in the area are techniques. Lands being undulating and sloping multi-caste, with caste factors playing a key role has added to this problem, as run-off of top-soil is in control over land and resources. It is mostly the very high. Seasonal migration is a regular part of dalit communities that are landless. life, Surat drawing the maximum attention in this The focus in this district has been on efficient regard. While men took most of the community ground water management to reduce salinity level and a significant part of household decisions,

5 Programme Area Note: Junagarh. AKRSP(I). 6 The more commonly known term is ‘tribe’ of ‘scheduled tribe’. However, the more politically correct term adivasi normally used in development circles is used here. 7 Hakim R. 1997. Resettlement and Rehabilitation in the context of Vasava Culture, in Dreze et al. (ed). The Dam and the Nation Oxford University Press. Delhi

4 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat social restrictions on women were much less water management particularly by reducing fresh compared to the non-adivasi areas. Women water consumption for irrigation. This is expected migrated freely with men when the situation to allow natural aquifers to regenerate themselves demanded it. and reduce salinity ingress. This is done through installation of sprinklers and drip sets, through The focus here is on sound land and biomass watershed development and water harvesting management for moisture and water retention and structures. effective channelling of irrigation canals. AKRSP(I) has successfully participated in two government Nurseries are developed for planting on programmes: the Participatory Irrigation wastelands and homestead lands in all areas. Management programme and the Joint Forest Demonstration in farming and distribution of Management. agricultural equipments is another part of this programme. The three areas were selected right in the beginning for their varying manifestations of Drinking water environmental problems. Focussed particularly in Surendranagar (but also significantly in Junagarh), this consists of 2. AKRSP(I)’s programmes construction of roof water harvesting structures and thrust areas and storage tanks, drinking wells, hand pumps, large drinking water tanks and stand posts. 2.1. The nature programmes in brief Advocacy is another feature of this programme.

Agriculture intensification and Alternative energy water resource management Along with the previous, this is aimed at fuel As mentioned in the previous section, this consists efficiency and reducing drudgery. In this, solar of a mix of watershed programmes, irrigation cookers, biogas plants and windmills have been management and water conservation. In South constructed and maintained. Gujarat the mix is between construction of group Micro-enterprise development wells and treadle pumps and rehabilitation of canals, all for irrigation and side by side, land This is seen as a strategy for promoting alternative treatment through soil and water conservation and livelihood. The activities in this are production of levelling/bunding for better water retention. The organic compost, vermiculture, animal husbandry government Participatory Irrigation Management and fishing. programme and the ‘watershed plus’ are Common Property development significant programmes in agricultural Under this come the joint forest management intensification in this region. In Surendranagar the activities, supported also by nurseries. The focus focus is on drought proofing particularly through is on South Gujarat. watershed activities, water harvesting structures and recharge wells. Apart from work on land, 2.2. The ‘people’ programmes seeds/food-grain and water were supplied, cattle The village institutions, as mentioned, form the camps set up and employment generated during keystone of AKRSP(I) interventions at the village the drought period under this programme in this level. These institutions take up, organise and area. The focus in Junagarh is on effective ground manage all activities.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 5 The collectives building process has not been support and AKRSP(I) should gradually uniform in all areas, but “represents a continuum withdraw, letting the organisation run its own of institutional maturity and reflecting the need affairs. Thus, the stage is now set for withdrawing for different kinds of focus”. Some began as from many older village institutions. narrow functional groups (e.g., water users’ groups, `watershed groups’ or savings and credit groups). Others had a broader function (Village Development Groups or Gram Vikas Mandals - GVMs) right from the beginning. Some developed from narrow functional groups to broader groups. There are also clear regional differences. In Surendranagar and Junagarh where caste factors play a role, there are common, broad based functional groups or village development groups for village level activities and affinity groups for Women of Kambodia village collect their savings of the month at a savings and credit activities, both among men and mahila vikas mandal meeting. This asset has gone a long way to women. In South Gujarat, Mahila Vikas Mandals work towards women’s empowerment. or MVMs are village common groups for women 2.3. Women focus and gender from which representation is drawn for the GVM, For the first decade or so, village collectives used which is a broad based group for the whole village. to comprise almost exclusively of men, though Apart from this, for savings and credit activities, women were involved in AKRSP(I) interventions there are smaller functional Self-Help Groups as participants and recipients. While awareness (SHGs) drawing from MVM membership. existed that women were left out of crucial All institutions received a range of support in decision- making roles, no concerted action was terms of knowledge enhancement, skill building taken in this regard at the policy level. Activities and leadership/management capacity building, in were issue based, and so were village institutions. all areas. The investment in enhancing knowledge has grown over the year. For instance, person days A shift in this began to occur in 1990 after it was of involvement of villagers in training increased observed that lacking initiatives in women’s from 3271 in 1995 to 17117 in 2003. empowerment, schemes meant for women were being taken over by men and that the actual impact Over the years, there has been a lot of going of these programmes on women was not clear8 . backwards and forwards on the village Some suggestions emerged at this juncture to deal organisation issue, several falling apart and several with these: increase the number of women among others emerging with new mandates. The renewal the Spear Head Teams (SHT), hold regular and revitalisation of the village institution is sensitisation workshops for staff, prepare case closely linked with the women and gender focus, studies and organise exposure to Non- which is dealt with in the next section of this paper. Government Organisations (NGOs) working for More recently, it was decided that the older and the women’s cause. more stable collectives should be given minimal

8 Meena Bilgi, 1995. Gender and Development: Journey of AKRSP(I)-I (Ahmedabad: Aga Khan Rural Support Programme-India). p 1.

6 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat The Women and Development (WID) perspective Gender analysis done through PRA and Harvard developed in AKRSP(I) as a result of this. Special and Moser frameworks in AKRSP(I) villages programmes for the involvement, confidence highlighted some of the constraints faced by building and skill development of women were women: evolved as part of this, the rationale being that • Social constraints limit women’s access to unless women are empowered to enter the public services, resources and decision making domain, they will not take part in development processes at all levels. This prevents them from activities in more prominent roles than workers taking part in the processes to manage the resources with which they work so closely. and recipients. In Surendranagar and Junagarh • Government extension services, training and this resulted in the formation of compatible caste credit facilities often reach only men as the based Mahila Vikas Mandals which undertook traditional head of the households. activities in micro-credit, in keeping with the fact • Women have heavy workloads, including farm that women will not join the GVMs and efficiently work and household work. • Women have limited access to technology and articulate their concerns. These were given skill- tools that would ease their workload. based trainings. In South Gujarat, village level Technological innovations often are captured by MVMs emerged which were represented in the men and women end up doing manual work only. GVMs. • Women have limited access to land and credit facilities. A more visible shift came in 1990-91 when a • Women are marginalised from the socio- Programme Executive, Women in Development politico-economic structures affecting their life. (WID) was appointed. With this, WID became a Source: AKRSP(I) Gender Policy special programme with the following objectives:

! Integrate women in decision making processes While WID was gaining popularity in AKRSP(I), ! Provide opportunity to women for resource it was realised that women’s concerns cannot rest ownership on one person’s shoulders as the person in charge ! Reduce drudgery and work load among or coordinating the work merely becomes a “token women conscience-keeper without the field staff fully ! Augment knowledge and skills of women internalising the goals of the programme”. Concerted efforts were therefore made to pull in Simultaneously, PRA exercises conducted in the the field personnel in all activities concerned with villages highlighted the unpaid and low-paid the new policy. This involved extensive meetings, work of women, the drudgery of foraging analyses and trainings at the staff level. activities, their lack of control over financial and material resources equally, the oppressiveness of A workshop in 1991 resulted in the following social customs and the low esteem in which they decisions: held themselves. ! AKRSP(I) staff members will bring about At around the same time, focal persons were changes in attitudes and approach towards appointed at the SHT level to coordinate all women in their personal lives. women related activities. ! Special efforts will be made by all programme staff to understand the role of women in their respective programmes better so that it could be enhanced.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 7 ! It will be ensured that women are involved their own lives and manage their environment, to while doing any Participatory Rural Appraisal create a better and more equitable society. (PRA). ! All efforts will be made to increase the number of women Extension Volunteers.

This effort led to the replacement of the strategy of hiring WID focal persons with that of staff being trained to understand the needs and priorities of women, both at the SHT and the cluster levels. A significant transformation took place through this in the outlook and work strategy of staff members.

Discussions with staff members on the influence A gender-sensitisation training for village women is in progress in Bharuch-Narmada-Surat programme area. Such trainings, both for of the gender sensitisation exercises on their programme staff and villagers, has resulted in major attitudinal personal lives during the study have revealed that change in understanding gender-related issues. invariably, this has resulted in a new outlook towards and behaviour with spouses and Gender sensitisation exercises followed. These children. Several male staff members have were particularly significant for staff with technical admitted to have hit out at their wives verbally or backgrounds9 . These exercises, spread over 18 even physically before the sessions and treating them as lesser beings. Their participation in months, included informal discussions at the housework has increased and general behaviour cluster and district levels and examination of field- in the house has changed. level experiences.

Around the same time the Governing Board of Yet another shift took place in 1993 even while AKRSP(I) was reconstituted and women were concerted efforts were being made in streamlining recruited at key positions. Several supportive the Women in Development goals of the measures were undertaken, such as commuting organisation: this philosophy was replaced or being made easier for women staff at the field level, reinforced with the Gender and Development team works being encouraged, etc10 . ideology, i.e., a shift from focus on women to that of relations of power, roles and responsibilities of men and The implementation of these decisions varied with women. each area, as mentioned earlier, and resulted in various strategies being explored. A 50 per cent This again was tied up with extensive PRA representation of women in GVMs was insisted exercises with staff and at the village level. This upon at some point of time. Dual membership was effort, significantly, led to a redefinition of the another possibility explored, particularly in mission statement of AKRSP(I): Surendranagar and Junagarh areas where AKRSP(I) exists to enable the empowerment of women’s representation was a difficult issue. rural communities and groups, particularly the Women’s savings funds were shifted to the MVMs underprivileged and women, to take control over so that women are not marginalised. Wages too

9 Understanding Women’s Experiences in Natural Resource Management. Aga Khan Foundation, n.d. P47. 10 While these measures produced encouraging results, representation of women on field staff is still low.

8 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat began to be paid separately to women and Correspondingly the investment in women power programmes started to be given directly to has grown. For instance, women days invested in women’s groups for management. The result was training increased from 761 in 1995 to 9586 in 2003. that by 2000, number of MVMs began to rise and GVMs started to get irregular.

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0 1989 1994 1999 2003 No. of groups No. of women's groups

The ‘women power began to clearly emerge at this time.

By 1994, in AKRSP(I)’s programme area in Bharuch district, all extension workers in the farm forestry programme were women. The forestry A training programme for mahila manch members is in progress. Such capacity-building sessions for programme was able to involve women in rural women have helped many women leaders take participatory rural appraisals giving them charge of their institutions and lives. decision-making roles in selection of saplings and While positive experiences in women power began species of plantation. Women also took the to emerge, some villages also provided a learning initiative in protecting forestry plots. In Bharuch ground in a different way: the strategy backfired. district alone, women manage 109 nurseries. This happened where women were not yet empowered to manage programmes and yet All (these) initiatives pose a challenge to the women’s group managed projects were insisted patriarchal social system that has subordinated upon (see box). This has led to softening of the them. Once women get involved in collective stance in some ways. sharing and reflection of their experiences, they are most likely to go beyond the realm of natural resource management to examine issues of violence, access to basic services, status of women and education of their daughters.

Source: Understanding Women’s Experiences in Natural Resource Management. Aga Khan Foundation, n.d. P5.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 9 Village Nariyali (Chotila Taluka, Surendranagar)

Work in this village started in 1995. The MVM was the first initiative, as the aim was to straightaway start with women’s groups. Then a men’s group was formed. AKRSP(I) insisted on the MVM taking up the construction and management of 3 of the 4 percolation tanks approved. The men’s group allowed this as there was no other way of getting the benefits of the tanks.

Women worked very hard on the tanks, which were a success. However, management remained with men, as neither the women not the men were as yet prepared for women to manage a ‘technical’ task. But management remaining with men meant also that the tanks were not well managed. The men’s group, which had lost interest in the management aspect and focussed more on the benefits, allowed people to remove sand from the tank basin. Gradually, as women become more confident, they got together to lobby for stoppage of this practice. They succeeded. They also thought up innovative ways of solving other problems, e.g., when a tractor had to pass through a farmer’s land who opposed it, the women offered to get his land ploughed and the bunds repaired after the tractor had passed. He agreed.

The tanks now irrigate all lands, and production has increased to such an extent that there is year-round food supply. Women are now planning to bring the tank water to their doorsteps through pipes. Girls’ education has improved and alcoholism reduced. The women distributed food grains during scarcity, particularly to the poorest. They are also planning life insurance policy for mine workers.

At present a leadership struggle is on in the MVM but hopes are that this will be resolved soon.

The AKRSP(I) Gender Policy captures the focus and women in the decision making process. in the following terms: However, because women are in a subordinate position, special efforts and resources are required AKRSP(I) promotes a gender sensitive approach to promote their full and active participation in which sees that the interventions involve both men AKRSP(I)’s work and to empower them11 .

AKRSP(I)’S GENDER AND DEVELOPMENT POLICY:

Keeping these aspects in mind, AKRSP(I) will work towards ensuring that its interventions will improve the quality of life of women. It is committed to : • Focusing both on men and women. AKRSP(I) will not work only with men or only with women, though special efforts will have to be made to involve women in the initial stage. • Confronting social and ideological barriers to women’s participation. • Involving women in decision making processes at all levels in the mainstream activity. • Reducing drudgery of women in the household. • Providing a social and political space to women. • Promoting independent access for women to key resources (land, employment, capital, assets) • Promoting technology which is gender sensitive: AKRSP(I) will not promote technologies which will increase women’s workload. At the same time, AKRSP(I) would promote technologies that may ease women’s workload and be accessible to women. • Providing access and control over assets to women.

11 AKRSP(I) Gender Policy

10 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat While gender sensitisation of men in the villages In AKRSP(I), exposure visits to older mandals has in general encouraged them to ‘freeing’ their has been a positive factor in creating male wives to attend meetings and trainings by taking support. After initial meetings, groups of men and over some jobs at home12 , several conscious women from a village are taken on a tour to an innovations have been made in different areas to older mandal that has successfully taken up mobilise women at the beginning of the similar work. Often the resistance that men have to selecting women representatives on the programme. Below are some of these: committee and as extension volunteer becomes less when they see very active and honest PRAs conducted at the beginning help the staff women committee members in other villages. understand the problems and priorities of both women and men. Most often, separate PRAs are Source: Understanding Women’s Experiences in conducted with women to enable this. Natural Resource Management. Aga Khan Foundation, n.d. P29. Conditions laid out before starting a new activity include the participation of women for Women’s day and Rural Women’s Day are management of the activity. If there is already a regularly celebrated in the mandals. mahila mandal in the village, they are approached first to take up the activity.

Active women from other MVMs are invited to conduct initial PRAs or meetings. This instils greater confidence among the women as someone from their own community speaking their own language and narrating their own experiences is involved. These women also serve as role models.

Women and men are taken to other mandals on exposure visits where they meet women who Laakhoben, a woman leader from Moti Morsal village, shares her experiences at the function held to flag the food security issue on successfully participate in a range of issues. International Women’s Day.

Traditional forums are used in new villages According to some staff members, initial activities whenever women and men are addressed together and insistence on integration of gender issues in initial discussions. worked more as a pressure on them and on villagers alike. Each Project Officer was required Savings and credit is used as initial mobilisation to prepare a strategy on how he/she was going to strategy. As this meets the immediate needs of integrate gender issues and maximise women’s poor households, this provides impetus to form participation. Gender sensitisation of staff changed groups. this, as the importance of gender integration was Where government programmes have provision internalised through this. At present the Gender for nominal membership of women (as in the Sensitisation Training or GST is an established Participatory Irrigation Management programme), activity in AKRSP(I) both at the village and staff AKRSP(I) encourages women to attend the levels, and well accepted. The Harvard Framework meetings regularly and raise their concerns. is presently used for analysis of each programme.

12 Understanding Women’s Experiences in Natural Resource Management. Aga Khan Foundation, n.d. P29.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 11 This is said to have led to significant changes, for 35000 instance in the water management programme 30000 25000 where the focus shifted from irrigation exclusively, 20000 to an effort to bring in potable water for 15000 consumption as well. Presently, gender review of 10000 existing programmes and gender-integrated 5000 planning of new programmes and new initiatives 0 are a regular part of AKRSP(I) programme. 1989 1994 1999 2003 Membership in Vis Women Membership in Vis

AKRSP(I)’s Engendering Commitments

Practical Needs Strategic Interests • Reduce drudgery • Ensure that all programs benefit men and women equally. • Promote gender sensitive technologies • Promote women’s access to knowledge, new skills, and that will not increase women’s workload actively encourage their participation in decision making. • Promote access of women to basic needs • Support the development of women’s self confidence. • Strengthen women’s groups and networks. • Confront social and ideological barriers to women’s participation. • Involve women in decision making processes at all levels in mainstream activity. • Provide a social and political space to women. • Promote independent access for women to key resources (land, employment, capital, assets) • Provide control over assets to women.

According to some leading staff members, it is not several studies on the gender dimensions of as though the vision of an equitable society in specific NR activities undertaken by AKRSP(I). gender terms is as yet very clear, or realised to the However, a consolidated and detailed extent visualised. The MVMs are a case in point. documentation of experiences in NR and gender In many areas they have turned out to be more of was lacking. This study is a result of this felt need. savings and credit groups than informed groups It began as an expression of a simple need for working for the improvement of the village. documentation through case studies, but has now Perhaps the targets were too high, or the strategy expanded to an analytical narration of different wrong. However, it is clear that where MVMs experiences in integrating gender in NR, with case exist, there are less conflicts and easier studies to substantiate them. The case studies had management of the projects. Efforts are on to find to be put together from the three areas of the right strategy to reach the actual goal, maybe AKRSP(I)’s SCALE project and when required, even by being more realistic and lowering targets. existing cases could also be used. The need to capture the various ‘experiments’ of AKRSP(I) in 3. The Study integrating gender was also felt during initial discussions. 3.1. Rationale and need for the study The study began with the Consultant’s visit to the AKRSP(I), as a rule, encourages research on its head office of AKRSP(I), where various documents areas of concern. As a consequence there are were shared and meetings held with

12 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat Table ..: Areas visited and case studies Date District Taluka Village Cases 26.10.04 Bharuch Valia Rajwadi Individual woman: Surtaben Kambodia Individual woman: Pushpaben 27.10.04 Narmada Dediapada Household: Pushpaben and Dharam Singh MVM women 28.10.04 Sagbara Sorapada Individual woman: Iraben MVM women Household: Iswar Bhai and Kalawati ben. 29.10.04 Surat Mandvi Baglatui Group discussion (MVM) Household: Sumitraben and Dhiru bhai Individual woman (poorest category): Joniben Juna Kaakada Village group (poorest) 17.11.04 Surendranagar Sayla Dhandalpur Special discussion: Kirti Shah (SHT member and former incharge of cluster) Individual woman: Champa ben Piprali Group discussion: men and women of 2-3 households 18.11.04 Sayla Mota Sakhpar Household: Ramji Bhai and Puni Ben Group discussion: MVM at harijan section 19.11.04 Chotila Chotila Chotila Mahila Manch Household: Laakoben and Vasram Bhai 20.11.04 Chotila Nariyali Discussion on village with Ramuben Discussion with Cluster team members of Chotila: Kirti, Hemu Dodia, Mehram and Surekha Special discussion: Mansukh Virugama (SHT member) 14.12.04 Junagarh Mangrol Virol Meeting with MVM Malia Moti Dhanej Meeting with Mixed and dalit caste women Gadu Discussion with M.S. Vohra and Manojit Gohil, SHT members representatives of the three SHTs involved, the Surendranagar and 1 day in Junagarh. The last trip Development Associate (Gender) and the was also used to share the draft report and clarify AKRSP(I) Chief Executive Officer. The modalities basic issues. The DA (Development Associate), of the project and its dimensions were points of Gender (Dharmishta Chauhan), accompanied the discussion. Consultant all through the visits in Surendranagar and Junagarh. Discussions were held as much as Subsequently, all the three areas of AKRSP(I) possible with SHT and cluster team members to intervention were visited one by one. The first trip capture the history of AKRSP(I)’s experiences in was to South Gujarat, the second to Surendranagar working with women, and specifics of particular and the third to Junagarh, as detailed below. Four villages. days each were spent in South Gujarat and

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 13 3.2. Methodology 3.3. Some problems faced The general method followed in the villages was The availability of people at the villages was the easy, informal discussions. As language was a main problem faced during the visit to the villages. hurdle, one person from the cluster team It was cotton and sugarcane harvest time in South accompanied the Consultant in all villages. In Gujarat which required the participation of entire addition, at Surendranagar and Junagadh the families. Understandingly, most people did not programme persons responsible for village want to spare time for discussions. In some places, institutions and DA (Gender) from Ahmedabad information did not reach in time, and in some, were also present. even after adequate notice, the villagers had left for their fields by the time the team reached the A strict method of translation and question-answer village. In yet others, the team itself was late for was not followed while gathering the cases so that the meeting. In several, people were willing and everyone asked related questions they thought waiting. The strategy of covering only one village were important for the study. a day paid off in some cases, as the team could The selection of the villages and the cases was left nevertheless wait out for the return of the people to AKRSP(I). However, a detailed set of criteria from their fields. Though to a lesser extent, the was sent to the organisation by the Consultant same was the situation in some villages in before the visits began (Annex 1). The strategy Surendranagar where cotton harvesting was going followed was to visit one village a day, where on in full swing. In Junagadh this problem did discussions were held with a variety of informants not exist as by the time the team visited, the peak who became ‘cases’ for the report: harvesting period was over.

• Individual woman Needless to say, this affected the level of • The household information gathered. At times information on the • Savings group village or the history of the MVM had to be • MVM gathered from a single or 2-3 representatives. • The village Issues which require intense discussion and a bit • Mahila Manch of back and forth were affected by such The Consultant used guidelines for each of the representation. Overall, the representation of above and as mentioned, those who accompanied villagers during group meetings was rather poor her added their own dimensions where necessary. in most villages. Individual and household This has been useful for the study. interviews went much smoother where specific individuals or households were already selected. As the purpose of the study was documentation In places where this had not happened, the team and creating a ‘learning document’, positive cases had to look for whoever was available at home. were identified by the AKRSP(I) staff at the This again, affected representation. All those met Districts and clusters. It was decided that the focus during the visits were, however, extremely would be both on the process as well as the impact cooperative and supportive, prepared to just sit of interventions. Accordingly, even if overall and discuss even when they had pressing matters achievements in a village were not positive, if the to attend to. process or impact of any intervention provided a learning experience, it should be selected for Another problem faced was contradictions in coverage. existing documents on the various developments

14 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat in AKRSP(I), particularly the year and time of A network of beliefs, personality traits, attitudes, various events. The sequence of developments was feelings, values, behaviors and activities very difficult to follow owing to these differentiating men and women through a process contradictions. To some extent, discussions with of social construction that has a number of AKRSP(I) staff resolved the confusions. distinctive features. It is historical; it takes place within different macro and micro spheres such as This document picks up key aspects of gender in the state, the labor market, schools, the media, the NR in a narrative manner. Though analytical to law, the family-household, and interpersonal an extent, the paper does not delve in depth into relations; it involves the ranking of traits and the issues concerning gender and NR in the case activities so that those associated with men are study sections, as this was not the purpose of the normally given greater value. Ranking, and study — the main purpose is to present therefore the formation of hierarchies, in most experiences as a learning and replication tool. The societies is an intrinsic component of the gender main narrative is also in most places brief, and construction. complemented by much longer cases – sometimes an entire village as a case and sometimes brief The ‘gender’ theory teaches us that none of these cases of specific achievements. Sometimes larger traits or norms comes naturally to men or women cases covered during the visit have been broken – they are purely taught and imbibed. Needless to into smaller ones in order to emphasise particular say, because of these socially imposed and imbibed issues. This happens particularly where the differences in perception and action between men successes of two or three programmes are clearly and women, even the smallest of changes brought manifested in a single case study. At the same about in any given situation will affect female and time where issues are very much interrelated, the male persons differently. Their very thinking and flow of the case has been retained to enable holistic reaction to the situation will differ. Changes can presentation, e.g., easy availability of drinking be negative, such as acceptance of dominant value water affecting women’s productive capacities. systems that go against gender equality (as may happen when a traditional adivasi community is 4. Gender and NR – exposed to mainstream civilisation or when a learning through case studies popular mass media promotes values not existing in a community). Or positive, i.e., when 4.1. Problem analysis consciously or unconsciously ideas of gender In any given society women and men think, equality and equity are introduced. Positive ideas behave and react differently by virtue of centuries are normally brought in through propagation and of grooming and the complex network of social direct action, as AKRSP(I) is trying to do. relations, modes of interaction and roles and In rural India, as in most other countries, there is responsibilities that such grooming has produced. a clear set of values, beliefs, behaviour norms, roles An attempt at understanding ‘gender’, first and and responsibilities associated with men and foremost, means capturing these differences. A women. There are differences between areas, but simple definition of what gender implies is given in general it can be said that except a select few by Lorudes and Roldan13 .

13 Beneria, Lorudes and Martha Roldan, 1987, The Crossroads of Class and Gender, Chicago & London, University of Chicago Press. p.11.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 15 jobs (house building and repair, sometimes care Applied to NR this means the following: of livestock), women are almost solely in charge • If there is no water or fuel available for house- of all activities associated with the household – hold consumption, women have no alterna- cooking, processing food items collected from tive but to go to great distances to fetch these. forests or harvested from fields, cleaning, basic Sometimes this leads to undercooked food health care and fetching water, fuel and fodder. (fuel shortage and shortage of time to fetch Men are associated with very few of household it), unhygienic living conditions (shortage of (better known as ‘reproductive’) work. Women both time and water), lack of physical hygiene have access to all goods and services associated (water shortage and shortage of time) and con- with the jobs they do, but control (major decision sumption of water not actually fit for con- making rights as well as ownership) remains with sumption (availability of non-potable water) men. Lack of control may lead to violence against for the entire family. women if they are unable to perform their duties • As they have no decision making or counter- satisfactorily. This is unpaid work and most often ing power, women are often victims of vio- taken for granted. In the ‘productive’ arena (all lence associated with lack of water, jobs to do with production of goods and services undercooked food, unavailability of food and – from which food and other needs are met), the other services on time, etc. They may also be situation differs from area to area and community under constant psychological stress. to community. Among a vast majority (lower and • Often the excess workload that shortage of middle classes and castes) both women and men water and fuel brings is accompanied by in- work to earn a living, equally much or one more adequate food intake, especially where dis- than the other. But here the similarity ends. In most crimination in food allocation, value systems situations, women’s contribution to production is or practices that require women to be noble, unrecognised or under-recognised14 . They are paid giving, the last to eat, the one that eats the least, less then men in paid work. The division of labour etc. are prevalent. The same may affect girls. is highly defined and hierarchically organised so This means an imbalance in intake of energy that almost all work women do are considered less vs. its expenditure, leading to bad health. important than work that men do. These are also • Productive assets including land belong to the last to be mechanised. Women have access to men, who also have the decision making pow- some goods and services associated with the jobs ers regarding these. There may be consulta- they do and practically no control15 . Productive tion on what, how much, where etc. but the assets are almost invariably owned by men and ultimate decision is with men. controlling operations, those of men. Women can • Women’s productive work is under-recog- easily be dispossessed of productive assets and nised and relegated to ‘supportive roles’ even work. Shortage in production tends to show more where they make significant contribution. on women and girls as they have the least priority • Women are the last to be ‘invested in’ where within the household for food, education and other productive related skills and knowledge are necessities. concerned.

14 Differences are visible in some adivasi areas where it is clearly recognised that women operate their fields. 15 Exceptions exist, e.g., in some areas where common property resources such as forest fetch a major part of the food needs of the household or in hill slope cultivation where women manage a major part of cultivation.

16 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat • Lack of green coverage may affect women’s or species and subsequent increase of work privacy in daily ablutions. They may have to for women. go to further and further for bath and other • Women’s priorities in nature management are ablutions as the vegetative cover recedes or often very different from those of men, but are conduct these in the dark. not considered or sought. • If lands are unproductive, women and girls get the least to eat where practices mentioned The above show that natural resource earlier are prevalent. The same is applicable management is not a simple matter of physical to any productive assets adversely affected by management and improvement of nature – social degradation and overexploitation. Any in- factors, particularly gender issues are intricately vestment in their skill and knowledge devel- wound up with nature management. If water has opment, be it education or skill training will to be affectively managed for consumption, the be similarly affected. There is also the likeli- involvement of the actual user – those with the hood of girls being married off earlier than responsibility to fetch it and the knowledge of how normal if the household is unable to feed all to collect it and where its source should be located the family members. – is a must. If productivity of land has to be • The productive jobs that women do are the improved in a sustainable way, the various inputs last to be mechanised, thus maintaining their into it and the various jobs that production entails level of drudgery. Sometimes, their work even have to be understood fully, with the full increases corresponding to the level of mecha- involvement of all those contributing – men and nisation of men’s work. Technologies are most women. Again, women will have to be ‘released’ often gender-insensitive and unfriendly and from drudgery so that they can put in concerted inaccessible to women. These are almost al- work in land and other NR management. At times, ways controlled by men. At times even wom- there may be a need for unlearning unsustainable en’s traditional work, when mechanised, are practices, but both men and women have to taken over by men. unlearn, not just one of them. And both men and • The men in the household, if considered the women have to possess the power of decision- ‘breadwinner’ and taking this responsibility making and hold responsibility jointly. seriously, will be under stress if adequate food does not flow into the household. It follows that there cannot be effective • The earnings of women are most often as- improvement in natural resources unless there is sumed to ‘belong to the family’ whereas those a corresponding improvement in social and of men belong to the earner. gender relations, and vice versa. • Parents and elders may be reluctant to marry AKRSP(I) understands this and all its attempts are off their daughters into villages with water to highlight this intermarriage and bring about a shortage and badly degraded lands, thus lead- positive change in both nature and social relations, ing to higher age at marriage of boys and ad- simultaneously. verse sex ratio. • Women’s decision making powers, be it choice 4.2. The quest for drinking water of site for a new well, tank or canal or the de- sign of the same or choice of species and man- AKRSP(I) aims to create models of decentralised agement of the project, are practically nil. This and community managed drinking water systems often leads to wrong choice of site or design to provide potable water to all and reduce

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 17 drudgery of women in the three programme areas everyone. However, water also has a strong that it is currently working in. It has also initiated ‘gender tag’ attached to it – fetching it is solely the similar efforts in Kutch…..In Junagarh, salinity responsibility of women and girls. Its availability ingress has led to an increasingly acute drinking or scarcity therefore affects them first and most. If water crisis, thereby accentuating the problems for availability declines, men assume that women will women. In Surendranagar, which is a drought somehow manage to get it and they need not be prone area, drinking water scarcity is further concerned about it. They will not take notice till compounded by its poor quality. In the Bharuch the situation declines to such a level that there is programme area, ground water is available, but scarcely any water and the entire day’s planning services have fallen into a severe state of disrepair. for the woman is around water. Then they will use machines/bicycles to bring water home. As AKRSP(I), through it’s drinking water programme mentioned earlier, the scarcity of water shows on seeks to carry out an integrated approach to many aspects of a woman’s life apart from her state increase the availability of drinking water, at the of mind: violence, repression, lack of hygiene of same time, reducing wastage and demand through self and family, overwork, consumption of education about better management practices16 . undercooked food, ill health and lack of time for Being a survival need, any threat to the availability productive activities. of water ought to be a point of concern for

AKRSP(I)’s Drinking Water Programme

Objectives Strategy 1. To promote women’s access to basic needs • MVM will be the base for implementation of Drinking 2. To reduce drudgery of women. water program. • Pani committee would be formed only after discussion with MVM. 2. To promote women’s access to basic knowledge • Discussion of problems and possible solutions to the drinking water crisis with MVM. • Make women aware about the Govt. structure, roles and different schemes related to drinking water. 3. To promote new skills among women • Train women on technical aspects of drinking water program 4. To provide a political and social space for women • Form a Pani committee as per Govt. circular with at least 50% women representatives. • Deal with Panchayat directly for drinking water issues. 5. To promote technology which is gender sensitive • Have systems which are less labour intensive. 6. To promote independent control of women on • Provide ownership of drinking water assets assets exclusively to women. 7. To involve women in all decision making • Ensure that MVM takes decisions on : site selection processes of mainstream activities contribution amount contribution collection rules for usage of water from asset created dealing with Panchayats 8. To strengthen women’s networks Strengthen drinking water Pani committee network

16 Annual Report 2003. AKRSP(I), P 17.

18 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat When Laakhoben and other the MVM women of Moti Morsal in Sayla Taluka first started talking about drinking water, response from their husbands was lukewarm. Women had to pressurise consistently for the men to agree to accept the Roof Rain Water Harvesting Structures or the RRWHS, at a subsidy, to come to their houses. Laakhoben’s own tank was built 4 years ago. Before that, water was a point of tension in the family. In the dry seasons, water had to be collected from a virda (a small shallow well in the river bed) and most often Laakhoben spent 5-6 hours to collect a couple of vessels of water. There would be a long queue and if her turn came at night, her husband Vasraambhai had to accompany her, as they had to go over a hill, about 5-6 kms. He used to be annoyed and irritable and even admits to shouting and hitting at her when he was woken up to accompany her. Often sisters-in-law fought over water. About 4 months of the year went like this. Laakhoben says “I used to often curse my parents for marrying me off in a village like this. It was better to have drowned me in a well”. The village was so infamous for this that no one gave their daughter in marriage to the village.

AKRSP(I) and the rural collectives have dealt with this problem, acute in the Surendranagar area, in many ways, only one of which is the RRWHS. Others are more to do with underground water recharge and pipelines to carry water up high inclines, and advocacy work. The RRWHS is the most popular of these, as water is available at the very doorstep.

2500

2000

1500

1000 No. of RRWHS 500

0 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003

Promotion of decentralised drinking water systems have made water accessible at the household level, thus reducing the drudgery of women, especially the girl child.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 19 Moti Morsal is typical of the water-starved villages in Sayla Taluka of Surendranagar. Though well-connected by road, situated hardly 18 kms from the Ahmedabad-Rajkot highway and only 23 kms from the Chotila, the fight for water used to be a daily feature of the village. The large majority of the population is Koli, an agricultural community. Apart from agriculture, the villagers are also engaged in cattle rearing. Migration to is common during the harvesting and sowing seasons, with about 80 percent of the population migrating. Looking particularly at the drinking water problem, families of surrounding villages were reluctant to marry off their daughters into Moti Morsal.

AKRSP(I) entered this village in 1995, when the watershed group was formed. Land levelling, agricultural input supply and savings and credit and more recently two underground check dams were successful in the village. These have increased production and prosperity in general. But the most popular of the programmes in the village is the construction of (RRWHS) and underground tanks. This is a simple system of pipes running along the ledge of the roof and down the side of the house, through which rainwater flows down to underground tanks. There are 93 such systems in the village. But since this did not benefit all the 148 households in the village, the MVM, constructed a common RRWHS. Any household can get water from this.

Looking at the village today, it is difficult to believe that most of the families were once hit by water scarcity. This village is now a demonstration site – people come to see the progress of the village. It is an inspiration for many, among them Govindpara, (a hamlet of the village) which has came forward and formed its own MVM. The village is very popular at present and even a preference for marriage negotiations.

The Moti Dhanej plot area in Malia Taluka of Junagarh comprises of dalit and general caste households who were given homestead lands for building their houses by the government. Some are also beneficiaries of government housing schemes. None of the households possess agricultural lands. Hence, apart from some service castes, all are dependent on agricultural wage labour, which, the MVM women say was available in plenty when lands in the area were productive. Labour is available even now, but sources other than agriculture has to be sought. The village is almost fully saline. The plot area has a standpost for water where the government provides water for an hour every day. The supply became very erratic some years back, with repeated droughts. In the hot season, sometimes water is not available for 8 days at a stretch, owing both to water scarcity and load-shedding. Women fetched water from a river or from surrounding areas spending whole days. They lost out on wages in the process. Men were reluctant but agreed to fetch water in cans on the bicycle to avoid wage loss. Fights were common between women at the standpost. Women could not perform other household duties because of their water fetching responsibilities and in one woman’s words “men would just come straight in and hit their wives if food was not available on time”. Even young school going girls had to drop out on particularly difficult days. Women would hit small children when they cried for attention, as they had no time to attend to them. They had to come in from work and go straight for water.

AKRSP(I) came in with RRWHS and five structures were first built for demonstration. These became an instant hit, so much so that people borrowed and worked extra to put in their share of the structure which is considerable, ranging from Rs 2500 to Rs 7,700 or more, depending on how much labour the household can provide. Harvested rainwater is now available for at least 4 months continuously and tides over the difficult months. During the remaining time, the women manage from the river, the stand post or by purchasing water.

Everything in this village has to be bought as no one produces anything and hence a steady income is the most important survival need of all households. Now there is uninterrupted work and no wage loss. The release of women from drudgery is even more important than men’s time saving, as there is more work available for women in the area. The entire programme was run through women’s group and the illiterate women now even go the bank and manage their finances.

20 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat There is no doubt that the RRWHS has provided the better in agricultural communities, as increase tremendous relief to the women. Apart from the in production subsequent to the successful tension in the household having been dissipated, implementation of the watershed programme has women’s drudgery and time spent in water meant that all hands in the household are required fetching has come down drastically. This is all for in the field, particularly those of women.

At first glance, Laakho Ben and Vasraam Bhai of on the basis of measure. They have themselves village Moti Morsal look like a prosperous couple, managed to earn about Rs 14-15,000 through this with a semi-concrete house that has designed tiles work between them so far on bunding their 25 bigha on its front verandah. Bags of cotton and other land. Their expenditure was Rs. 5 or 6000. They still harvested produce are heaped up in the front of their have 5 bighas to work on. house. But looks can be deceptive and in fact Migration has stopped ever since production Laakhoben and Vasraam Bhai are not as prosperous increased and water began to be available. as they look — till a few years back, their condition Laakhoben and Vasraambhai have such heavy was even pitiable. Laakhoben is the second wife of expenses for their sons that they are not able to save Vasraam Bhai whose first wife died leaving a son anything bear the Rs 25/- monthly that Laakhoben behind. Laakhoben’s three sons from her husband has in the MVM. Now they plan to start saving by all have haemophilia, a blood disease that has no putting in their wages in the bank and saving Rs 100 treatment and demands regular medication that is per month in the MVM. expensive. One of the sons is also physically handicapped. The eldest son by Vasraam’s first wife is normal, now over 18 years old and ready for marriage. Laakhoben Under this predicament, Vasraam Bhai used to is negotiating with an MVM member of another village migrate regularly for wage labour to Dhoraji in for her daughter. This family had publicly declared Junagarh for cotton and wheat harvesting. that they will not demand any bride price for the girl Laakhoben went only once, owing to the condition of and as Laakhoben felt the same way about dowry, she her children. has approached them for the girl. The year the land levelling work for watershed activities in the village began, Vasraam did not have To complement all the development work on the land, to migrate as labour was locally available for making organic manure (compost) has been produced very the bunds. Neither he nor Laakhoben has migrated year over the past 3 years as a group activity by the since. They managed to contribute their mandatory MVM. To produce 500 bags of manure, each woman 25 per cent share in the work on their land and of a 13 woman team has to put in 17-18 days of work, subsequently production of cotton increased by 50 for which she gets Rs 80/- per day. Not all women percent. Groundnut production increased by 20 join in, though no one is refused either. The percent, though it is cultivated on dry land. programme is designed to produce a profit of Rs 14 Laakhoben says that levelling of 1000 bighas of land per bag after the production cost. Of this, Rs 5 goes was a slow process and the GVM consisting only of to the MVM and Rs 4 towards interest to the revolving men did not take the work up concertedly. After the fund and the remaining Rs 5 to members. But there MVM took up the work, it was much faster. The has been no profit so far owing to drought and reason, she says, is that the women took much more marketing problems. The profit this year has yet to interest than men and took it up regularly on their be worked out. The group has decided to negotiate agenda. They first pressurised the men and then took the market themselves starting this year. it up themselves. Payment for bunding used to be

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 21 There have been changes in gender relations too When an MVM becomes GVM: corresponding with change in the mode of water The drought moves one step backwards supply There are 23 members in the Piprali MVM. The The verandah of Laakhoben’s house hides a huge group has been running progressively for the last 4 years. During the year 1997, the women underground tank which is half its size and I expressed the problem of drinking water. When s presently half-full of harvested rain water. A discussions were started about RRWHS, the short jutting pipe to the side of the verandah is women said, “that will solve problems of those used for connecting to the pipes of the water tanker people who can pay contribution, what about the when the rainwater will be over. This is plugged whole village?” – a sign of MVM which is in true sense a GVM – who cares for the whole village, up till a tanker is needed. A small hand pump not just for its members. A percolation well was situated right at the steps to the house is used for dug the same year. However, the villagers did not pumping up the water. Small drains let any access use the percolation well for drinking water. They water flow out of the front of the house. But water washed dirty clothes – directly in the well by using ropes! It became a case of “everybody’s is is too precious to waste, as Lakkoben is well aware nobody’s”. of after her harrowing experiences in water However, the MVM came forward during the collection before the RRWHS was constructed. The drought year of 2000. It withdrew Rs 7000/- water is used exclusively for drinking and cooking. deposited from people’s contribution, for the The rainwater is allowed to collect in this almost maintenance of the well. The MVM also urged the sealed tank till the water from the river (after the men’s watershed groups to help in the work. The rains, if any) is over, and is sparingly used. well was cleaned by digging and removing mud. The men’s WSG also helped in collecting more According to Laakhoben, the harvested rainwater contribution from the village and build a wado (for lasts for 7 months and along with water from the drinking water for cattle). 3 bores were drilled in river, water is available for almost the entire year. the well, out of which 2 gave water. The well then There is very little need to call the tanker. started to be used also for storing water supplied by tankers. Maghuben, Chairperson of the MVM Laakhoben has not once visited the virda since her says that the women’s condition was bad: wandering from well to well in different farms in tank was constructed. She says that where initially search of water. The MVM also asked the village there were no takers for the project as they had to to keep the well clean, which the whole village contribute 25 per cent, now people are ready to accepted. Day to day responsibilities of preventing pay even 50 per cent. The MVM has now arranged filth near the well has been assigned to nearby for a pipeline to supply water to houses from the households. Now the people refer to the well as “paniyaru of the village” or “Golo of the village”, well (which used to be constantly dry but has now which means the pot used in a household for water been recharged because of the underground storage. The MVM has created this feeling in the checkdam). A motor has been hired by the MVM village. Thus an MVM becomes a true GVM. which is operated by the women to pump up water. Reproduced, with minimal modifications, from AKRSP(I)’s write up on Piprali village When the team visited Laakhoben’s house, Vasraambhai had gone to fulfil his wife’s quota of work on organic manure, as she had to go for the It is not always easy for women to negotiate their MM meeting. This is another area where their life priorities within the family, particularly where has changed – there is much greater sharing of financial resources are scarce and careful work and filling in for each other. calculations have to be made, calculations where women’s needs take a backseat.

22 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat Virol in Mangrol Taluka in Junagarh is a partially repay the loan. Women spending 3-4 hours’ in water saline village where drinking water became a major fetching means that labour has to be hired to do their point of concern over the past 8 to 10 years. The work. This costs up to Rs 300 a season. Interestingly, village hand pump and wells started to produce saline some of the households that have not opted for the water. The only recourse left to women was to walk RRWHS have taken up sprinklers and drip sets, which up to their agricultural lands where their irrigation sets cost more than hiring labour on a regular basis. When gave potable them water. Then that turned saline too the economics of this was argued upon and the in some of the fields. Some of the women, who had relative advantage, even in financial terms, of seen the RRWHS, approached AKRSP(I) for support installing RRWHS was offered, one MVM woman said in 2002, but the request was turned down as the that her husband would rather have irrigation facilities village did not come under the agency’s criteria for than subsidise for her convenience. In other cases, adoption for RRWHS. Upon insistence, AKRSP(I) close calculations had been made about the relative offered to help, but without the subsidy component. advantage with the result that the women had been This meant that Rs 10,000 had to be repaid and left with some disadvantage! labour and extras put in by the household. An MVM was formed and the better off among the women took The sprinklers sets, nevertheless, mean that women up the offer. have less work to do in building water channels and maintaining them. Now there are 10 households with RRWHS. Women in the others continue to struggle for water. With 2-3 The MVM is a strong body and has recently managed acres of land that does not produce enough anymore, to remove encroachments on cremation ground lands the households cannot afford to raise the amount to and plans to do the same with pasture lands.

4.3 Who cultivates these lands?: gender …women are involved in irrigation in much issues in agricultural intensification the same manner as they are involved in the and drought management various other processes of cultivation like A ‘farmer’ is assumed to be a man, and the woman sowing, weeding harvesting, etc. Many who works besides him in equal intensity, a mere women are equal participants in digging of assistant. The volume of women’s work in farming field channels which are dug to route the is rarely recognised, till intensive probing reveals water in the entire field and crop; they are that the woman, in fact, often ends up doing more involved in actual watering of the fields; in than her share of work in agricultural activities. case of land holdings having pump sets An excellent example is provided by Advaita women ensure that it runs properly, that Marathe17 when she talks about irrigation which, there is no wastage of the water being drawn more than other activities (barring ploughing), is up, switching if off when not required, etc. assumed to belong to the male domain:

In the adivasi areas of Bharuch, Surat and Narmada, the agricultural land in a household belongs to the male head and most decisions concerning this land are made by him. Men perform the technology-intensive jobs in cultivation such as ploughing (with tractors), selecting seeds, applying fertilisers and pesticides through machines. Women perform the labour intensive jobs of weeding and harvesting. Women’s opinions are sought on how much land should be devoted for food crops based on the requirement for the family and social occasions, labour exchange with neighbours and friends (women) and credit needs, as repayment has to be jointly managed. While women’s opinion is sought, the ultimate decision is by the man. The wada (homestead land) however, lies more in the female domain and except ploughing, women do all jobs and take all decisions, even though they may consult her husbands.

17 Advaite Marathe, n..d. Gender and Participatory Irrigation Management: The AKRSP(I) Experience. P 8.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 23 AKRSP(I) has ensured in various ways not only studies from two areas: one where there is no that women’s roles in agriculture are recognised, water scarcity but agriculture is still partly but that they are fully involved in production and rainfed and production low (South Gujarat) and management of agricultural activities and in the other which is drought prone and extremely marketing and the management of finances related low in land productivity (Surendranagar). with such activities, as well. Here we present case

Key strategies in agriculture programmes Objective Strategy 1. To promote women’s access to • Take the entire horticulture programme through women’s groups basic needs only. • Hold small scale demonstration plots for variety of vegetables. • Identify and incorporate needs of women for agriculture inputs in the input supply program: like that of vegetable seeds. 2. To promote technology which is • Make women aware of new techniques of grain storage. gender sensitive (to reduce, and • Ensure that women know scientific manner of seed treatment not increase drudgery of women) devices. • Disseminate devices which focus on labor saving specially for women through: equal representation of women in field days, exposure visit and agriculture trainings. e.g. field day on Biogas slurry may focus on less weeding ( which is a woman’s role) 4. To ensure gender perspective in • Discuss about crop planning and introduction of new crops both in agriculture planning men’s group and in women’s group simultaneously: discuss about advantages and implications of crop from various angles with the two groups. 5. To involve women in mainstream • Carry out agriculture input supply program through MVMs, wherever activities possible. • Where not possible, at least discuss about women’s needs and incorporate that in the planning of IS. • Carry out income generation activities through MVMs • Give opportunity to women for accessing technology or other input of their choice by promoting credit in MVM for that purpose.e.g. drip or agriculture inputs. 6. To support the development of • Take women in equal number with men to exposure visits. women’s self-confidence.

South Gujarat possible other vegetables were grown, and fruit trees South Gujarat, with a predominant adivasi population planted. Depending on the size of the land, maize or has depended for decades on the rains to irrigate their other food crops were also grown here. lands which have been the primarily source of survival. Watershed treatment, post watershed or Before AKRSP(I) entry paddy, groundnut, cotton, watershed plus activities and in some cases, the sorghum, maize, pigeon pea and black gram were Participatory Irrigation Management programme cultivated in the Kharif season. Owing to lack of has led to nearly three fold increase in land irrigation, rabi crop was not possible. Most farms were productivity in the AKRSP(I) adopted villages in and are marginal and the landless often lease in land, the region. The 2003 Annual Report informs us of even today. Most houses also had homestead land or a total of 1770.88 hectares area having been treated wada where various types of gourds, lentils and if

24 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat through soil conservation measures in 39 villages. diversification of crops on these areas with A total of 2717 farmers benefited from this with increasing emphasis on floriculture, horticulture the average land treated per beneficiary being 0.65 and aromatic plants with good initial results in ha. This was complemented with the creation of increasing tribal incomes18 . 189.6 hectares of potential irrigable area by the Women and women’s groups have been as active construction of check dams, group wells, treadle or in many cases, more active than men in this pumps and mobile engines covering 37 villages. effort, thus making themselves visible as farmers AKRSP(I) has succeeded in promoting and not mere ‘assistants’.

When it was first suggested that the MVM of Jambar, a village in Bharuch District, takes up well deepening and irrigation management work, the men were apprehensive. However, they later gave in fearing lack of support from AKRSP(I). The women were apprehensive too, but after a group of them visited villages supported by PRADHAN in Jharkhand, they decided to take on the job. In 1997 a 7-HP diesel pump was provided and a command area of 4.1 hectares constructed. Women made their contribution too. Underground pipes were laid to reservoirs at higher elevations. 20 families benefited from the scheme. Most of the irrigated land are wadas. A small sub-group of 16 beneficiaries and 8 non-beneficiaries was started in the MVM for managing the project – this group decides on water charges, supervises water distribution, collects the fees from the pump operator, a man, and deposits the amount in the bank. Rs 40 is charged per hour, which is paid by the woman or man of the house. Of this the operator receives Rs 7. Male mechanics are consulted for small repairs. Profits (nearly Rs 2000) are kept in a separate account and used for credit and maintenance.

The rabi crops thus started in the wadas. Irrigated paddy and wheat are grown in the winter season and vegetables such as onions, brinjal, tomato, garlic, beans etc. These are used primarily for consumption though some is sold – mostly by women. Apart from making wheat available in place of sorghum for the evening roti, fresh vegetables are consumed in the family. Women also have extra cash under their control now and correspondingly savings have increased. The scheme has also benefit the MVM in general by elevating its status and increasing its creditworthiness. Exposure and the level of confidence have increased tremendously. Men too respect the women more and have confidence in their management capacity. From study by Barbara van Koppen, Rashmi K Nagar and Shilpa Vasavada, 2001. Gender and Irrigation in India : the Women’s Irrigation Group of Jambar, South Gujarat. IWMI and AKRSP(I)

The experience of AKRSP(I) in Jambar shows that a whole. It also allows its irrigating women putting irrigation technologies into the hands of members to intensify productive cultivation from women in order to irrigate plots over which which they themselves and their families reap the women share decision-making power is well benefits. feasible and leads to multiple benefits. Women’s No basic changes were needed in the irrigation ownership and management of equipment bring intervention approach. The approach used for men the social status attached to serving the community also worked when targeted to women19 . and, in principle, a water income for the group as

18 Annual report 2003. AKRSP(I). P 22-23. 19 Barbara van Koppen, Rashmi K Nagar and Shilpa Vasavada, 2001. Gender and Irrigation in India : the Women’s Irrigation Group of Jambar, South Gujarat. IWMI and AKRSP(I)

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 25 Talking of the past Nisa, Sumitraben, Rama, Sumitra and Jayanti, whom the team met, said that the presence of the irrigation canal did not prevent about 25 percent of the population from migrating up to Mandvi and Surat and almost everyone from being heavily in debt. The moneylender used to take Rs 10 every month on a borrowing of Rs 100. The Kevdi Irrigation Society was disorganised and ridden with politics. One- time irrigation was available, but mostly ‘hard Women’s involvement in irrigation has not been recognised by items’ such as moong, horsegram were grown. society, however, AKRSP(I) has made special efforts to appreciate these roles of women in its Watershed Plus and PIM schemes. Also uplands and sloping lands did not benefit from the canal. The general prosperity that has resulted in this region has led to a tremendous increase in With the land intensification and canal women’s workload, but they do not resent it, management work done by the GVM (consisting saying that it is a ‘welcome increase’. They have of men and women), everyone began to get also learnt new work that they did not think they benefits of the canal, starting with the lower lying could do before. In some areas, women’s drudgery fields. Subsequently, production of wheat, Jawar has reduced. Corresponding change in men’s roles and tuwar increased and vegetables (tomatoes, has started to be visible. The ‘plus’ in ‘watershed brinjal, bhindi and lentils) began to appear. Some plus’ becomes very visible in such cases. of the vegetables are even sold now.

Baglatui, in Mandvi Mandal, is a predominantly Now there is sufficient and more for the whole Chaudhary adivasi village with 98 households and year in families benefiting from AKRSP(I)’s a very low literacy rate. As most households are programme and corresponding with production, small or marginal farmers, there are 30 poor, 58 women’s workload has also increased medium and 10 rich households. Sorghum, cotton tremendously, so much so that now there is no and black gram and to an extent sugarcane are time to eat some days and sleep is minimal. The dominant crops. Groundnut, though not taken up women are happy with the situation though, as on a large area, is considered a profitable crop. there is no scarcity. The village comes under the Kevdi Canal While work in general has increased substantially, Irrigation Scheme. AKRSP(I) entered this village women have also taken on new roles – they know in 1999 with the PIM programme aimed at how to make efficient channels on their land, run organising the villagers for management of the the irrigation pumps and do all jobs that men do canal as part of the government scheme. in the fields, except driving the tractor. They also Subsequently the GVM and the MVMs were learnt to manufacture organic manure. They say formed, the first with a membership of 60 persons that men like to leave work to women, as they are and the second with 73 women members. The lazy. Men have started helping a bit in work in GVM limited itself to savings and credit work, a and around the house, though, particularly in large amount of which has been spent on cattle caring for animals. Greater participation by men feed, which improved the milk yield of the cattle will decrease women’s workload. of 60 GVM members.

26 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat In many other ways too, women’s lives have Alcoholism has decreased corresponding with changed. The biogas unit, which the women increase in women’s status. manage effectively, has completely stopped the The women have gone for exposure visits and trips to the forest in search of firewood. Besides, training to several parts of Gujarat. After one such cooking takes less time and less effort too and the trip they decided to start their own library, vessels are in a better condition so that less time presently functioning from the house of one of the has to be spent cleaning them. The work involved members. 15 biogas units also function as part of in managing animal dung has become more the MVM programmes. organised with the production of organic manure.

A storage structure for grain bank has been started. Sumitraben and Dhirubhai live in a joint family of The villagers are also attempting to get their lands 10 people and own 3 acres of land jointly with formalised, as possession of land is not allowed in Dhirubhai’s parents and brother. 2 acres of this a forest village. is canal irrigated. Earlier the land used to fetch 80 kgs of pulses, very little horsegram and 450 Women now have jewellery and clothes and access kgs of paddy. Now the cropping pattern has to their own cash. Earlier they had to ask changed and the family grows 90 kgs of pulse permission to spend money on themselves. Men on the dry land and 1 tonne of sugarcane on the hold women in higher esteem now, as they have wetland. They have had good harvest of sugarcane for three years. Also paddy is grown to ask their wives to access loans from the SHGs. on 1 acre, fetching 280 kgs.

A buffalo was recently added to their assets at Joniben is a poor woman of Baglatui. She lives the cost of Rs 15,000. Rs 5,000 of this was with her in-laws, husband and 2 daughters. The borrowed from the SHG, while the remaining was family is landless, being victims of a fraud by her earned. There has been a definite rise in brother-in-law. The couple survive on wage labour Sumitraben’s standing in the household. – about 4-5 months’ work in nearby villages and own village. They receive Rs 25 per day as wages. They also collect leaves for leaf-plates The women power that AKRSP(I)’s effort have and earn some money through that. harnessed is clearly visible in most of its villages Being landless, Joniben has not received any in this region. A good example is that of Sorapada particular benefits directly from the irrigation and where women have successfully managed village agriculture initiatives of AKRSP(I). But she has development work. definitely benefited indirectly through increase in work availability in the village. Every beneficiary Sorapada in Sagbara Taluka in Narmada District household now hires labour for harvesting. has 366 households of the Vasava tribe. The village Joniben’s daughter goes to school but she says has a middle school, an anganwadi and a literate that if work was not available the way it is, she would have had to discontinue her education. population of 60 percent. It gets water from wells and handpumps installed by the government. The She is a member of one of the SHGs and has village is also the panchayat headquarters for four saved up to Rs 1030. She has already taken some loan and returned most of it. She feels villages. The land in the village is mostly that she has at least become credit worthy, which undulating, runoff of water and top-soil therefore is a status change in itself. high. With the average landholding being only 3.5 acres per household and mainly rainfed, dependence merely on crop is very difficult.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 27 They worked for themselves and there was not much interaction. Most used to migrate for the entire season to the sugar factory in Surat. They also took out loans of Rs 1000 for migration or during the lean season, which they had to return with a 50 per cent addition at the end of the season. Some sold bamboo to pulp factories as an alternative employment.

Things changed with the entry of the watershed programme combined with the savings groups. Contour bunding, gully plugging and horticulture, combined with nursery, agricultural input supply, micro-enterprise development and biogas plants have changed the face of the village. Migration has now completely stopped. These are how various savings groups and individual women describe their achievements:

Koluntaben and her husband have 2 acres of land, which was not producing much owing to high run- off. Only one bag (50 kg) of paddy was produced Women’s involvement in watershed associations has resulted in if chemical fertilisers were applied. Now about 600 their active participation in land development activities. kgs come from the same land. Additionally, sorgum (800-900 kg) is produced every year. The AKRSP(I) entered this village in view of its low- family has moved much ahead. Her grocery shop income levels associated with declining land has been expanded and fetches her additional productivity, lack of institutional infrastructure, income. The family now has a mixer, a fan, a new pressure on forest land, migration, declining water TV and have managed to lease 2 acres of land. table, poor irrigation facilities and lack of Asked about meeting some personal desires, she improved agriculture practices. The first showed the team some jewellery she had recently interaction in 2001 was for watershed purchased. development activity. A Watershed Association of Emaben, another MVM member, has 2 acres of 11 members and an MVM was formed right at the land on three plots, one acre of which was irrigated beginning. by the well and 2 acres were dry. The 2-acres are The MVM formed in 2001 has in particular been now irrigated by the canal. She has managed to very active in the village. Three women active in pay back a substantial chunk of old loans and the MVM have been elected to the gram hopes to pay off all her loans this year. Soybean panchayat. The women of the MVM remember was sown by borrowings from the SHG. For the only difficulties before the entry of AKRSP(I). first time in her life she has been able to buy gold Around 120 households in the village are resettled jewellery for herself and her daughter for Rs 6000, population from the Ukei dam site. They are as well as a sari worth Rs 450/-. Whereas earlier landless and dependent mainly on wage labour. her daughter (who studies in a hostel) used to get

28 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat one dress a year, now she gets two. She has also ensuring that posters were in their own language. bought a buffalo through loans from the group at They managed to get support from women from Rs 1600, which is now worth Rs 16000/-. As land the other villages in the panchayat with the result is not available for sale, she has managed to lease that their candidate won the election. in an acre for a year, which she hopes will enhance The MVM has been very active in all development her family income. related initiatives in the village. Everything is a As land is at a high premium now because of the challenge for the group – for instance when it took increase in productivity, several women have up repair work for 17 hand pumps, it managed to taken out loans for leasing in land. Some have contribute labour by itself and acquire 3 tractors bought milch animals and yet others taken loans of sand from the panchayat. 23 handpumps, and for cotton sowing. the school floor were repaired through this as against 17 handpumps planned, by careful use of Several new TVs have been added in the village. material and a lot of voluntary labour. The MVM In the last panchayat election, the villagers realised became known in the village and even school that Sorapada had not be consulted in nominations teachers started inviting women representatives for the seat of the Sarpanch as usual, and decided for public functions such as on Independence Day. to put up a candidate. The MVM took on the onus The women joined a milk cooperative and have of campaigning for the candidate and were successfully managed to thwart attempts by a challenged by the opposition camp saying that village leader to corner benefits from the cash they would buy out the people and the MVM collections by changing their membership to women in particular. But the women did not another cooperative. budge and campaigned for their candidate,

Kalawatiben of Sorapada comes from a poor family, which once possessed 13 acres of land, all of which was sold off by her alcoholic father. The family depended solely on wage labour when she got married, 5 years ago, to Ishwarbhai. Ishwar had a similar background – his father had a lot of land but had sold them off to satisfy his passion for roaming around and drinking. Ishwar’s brother and sister, like him, were never educated for this reason. Kalawati had Ishwar have 2 children.

The couple has 7 acres of land which was completely rainfed and partly stony. This was released with great difficulty and struggle. They managed to cultivate some cotton on the land. With the watershed programme, 5 acres of the land was improved by removing stones and land levelling. Now this is cultivable and produces 1000-1200 kgs where earlier they used to get 80-90 kgs of cotton. This has turned their luck. The couple worked together on their land for about 45 days and received more than Rs. 4000 for their work. The stones are being used to build their new house which is an obsession with Ishwar.

Where earlier Kalawati used to struggle to put together their meals, now there is plenty of food in the house, plus some savings. She is also a member of a savings group and has saved up to Rs 1400/-. She plans to boy a cow, putting together Rs 1500/- that she will borrow from her group and Rs 500 by mortgaging jewellery. Ishwar has also stopped his annual migration to Surat and Kalawati has stopped wage labour in village.

Kalawati and Ishwar say that what his father threw away in his lifetime, they will earn back with the watershed and savings programme.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 29 They remember the initial attempts by AKRSP(I) from homes when the idea was mooted by at forming a women’s group. This mainly drew a AKRSP(I). Even other women laughed at those blank, particularly as the villagers had earlier been who wanted to join. Persistence paid when 15 cheated by a fictitious chit fund group. Gradually women joined up. Now there are 9 SHGs of 20 women came together to form one group. Then women and 7 of men. From Rs 10 per month, the another group was formed, where again there was monthly saving now is Rs 30 and those who did initial reluctance. Owing to experience with the not join up in any group are said to be jealous of fictitious group, there was tremendous opposition the success of these.

Juna Kaakada is a Kotwalia adivasi village in Surat district. The village has 40 households that once used to roam the forests foraging for food. The group was given lands and homesteads as a measure of settling them. The Juna Kaakada villagers were given lands far away from their homesteads, with the result that they encroached upon small plots of land close to the village instead, and managed by combining this with one of their traditional activities: bamboo weaving. With minimal knowledge of agriculture, this was a difficult balance. Curbs put by the forest department meant that they virtually had to steal bamboo and keep away from government functionaries.

Their response to AKRSP(I) functionaries was the same. However, gradually their fear was overcome. Negotiations with a senior forest government officer led to better bamboo being available to them at lesser cost. The villagers then formed a village development committee comprising of men and women and began to save money. With the help of mobile pump sets, they now irrigate their encroached lands where onion, fodder and food grains are produced. They have also received loans for buffaloes, which produce at least 1 litres of milk every day.

It is common for women in the village to plough the land and some men agree to cook food at home. Both boys and girls attend school. The women have more clothes and better food – even fish – to eat. New assets have been added to their homes. Women control household cash, as men like to roam around. Milking of buffaloes and even marketing of the milk is done by women.

The women power is visible in strong stands taken ownership started last year. Her husband died by women on issues not acceptable to society: when her daughter was just 9 months old. Her brothers-in-law then began to harass her, wanting “I still remember those days, and I have now to deprive her of all the land. Jiviben decided to decided to give the land to my daughter” says file a case in the court, which went on for 7 years. Jiviben of Kukasvada in Junagarh. …Jiviben After a lot of struggle and support, she was able presented her case in the media briefing organised to get 16 bighas of land out of the 36 that she has last year by the working group for women on land

30 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat the right to. She has given 12 bighas of it to her part of reclamation work) in nearby Sokhda two daughters and retained 2 bighas with herself20 . village. The Watershed Group (WSG) was thus formed, consisting of men. Subsequently the Surendranagar question “why not women” came up, and the The people of Surendranagar, unlike the adivasi South MVM came into existence. Though the women Gujarat, have been depending on agriculture for were initially hesistant, 11 of them gradually came centuries. Thus agriculture is not new to most forward. Then the number increased to 30. There communities. The majority owned and owns some land are at present 2 MVMs and 2 WSGs. and agricultural assets. Most therefore depend on agriculture as farmers or wageworkers. Mechanisation An underground check dam was constructed with too is not a new experience. Neither is women’s labour contribution of the villagers and material participation in mechanised agriculture a new thing. provided by AKRSP(I). Surface water increased, Women have been spraying pesticides through sprayers thus enhancing irrigation. Women, being more for decades, as well as running irrigation pumps and concerned about water, did most of the work on buttermilk churners and even driving bullock carts. The the check dam. However, this did not address only area they have not ventured into is driving a their main concern as a PRA exercise done in the tractor. Yet they have not been visible or vocal. village showed: women were more worried about the lack of drinking water closer home. The water What is relatively new, however, is the persistent in tubewells was both saline and high in fluoride. drought. Though water was not always available The women had to walk up to their fields to collect in plenty, indiscriminate digging of bore wells and water if available there or go to Virdas at the river harvest of water from rivers started showing on side. Looking at this, a percolation well and the the availability of water both for consumption and roof-water harvesting programme were then for irrigation about 20 years back. Now this is a started. This has taken away the worry about declared drought-prone area. But things are water. Where earlier a woman had to spend one changing in the lives of the villagers and women hour to fetch one pot of water and spend day or are particularly happy about this. night for water fetching, those who have rooftop Piprali village of Chotila Taluka is predominantly harvesting structures in their houses now get up Koli, but there is a significant number of Rabari at 8.a.m. most months. As pressure on the virdas and Bharwad (nomadic pastoral community) has decreased, those who don’t have an RRWHS population. The Vagharis, Harijan (an adivasi too have gained somewhat, though they still have group) and Darbar (high caste/class) are also to get up a 4 a.m. for water. When water gets over found in the village. 61 per cent of the households in the tanks, tankers are called for. in the village own land. 72 per cent of the land is While drudgery for water collection has reduced, rainfed. The Rabaris and Bharwads depend mainly workload of both men and women in agricultural on cattle rearing, which is another important work has increased, as both men and women income earner. agree. But here again, there is happiness and relief The men in the village requested AKRSP(I) for over this increase. Proportionately women’s work support in 1994 after they realised the benefit from has increased more, partially to do with the general water recharge and land upgradation work (as increase in production, partly with the fact that

20 Case study quoted, with modifications, from the Gadu SHT write-up on Gender Initiatives in Junagarh District.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 31 AKRSP(I) encourages women to take part in all It is significant that negative attributes normally agricultural operations and again partly to do with applied to women “lacking solidarity”, the fact that men are happy to hand over as much “conflicting easily” and “wasting time chatting” work to women as possible. Women say that there are now the attributes of men, thus explaining is more weeding to do because of increased soil away their inability to keep the group together moisture. There is constant vigil to be kept over or contribute more to housework! The women say bunds and water channels. New roles have come that their group will go on even if there is change in in: e.g., greater role in marketing. As part of this leadership whereas men will fight over leadership. change, women now also operate buttermilk The confidence of women is seen in the fact that churning machines, the flourmill and electrical when recently the manager of the bank from which gadgets on their own. Men’s work, on the other the men’s group had taken loans and not repaid hand, has decreased after mechanisation, as they asked women to sign some documents, they have not taken on any aspect of women’s refused and said that they had nothing to do with traditional work. When asked about this, the the money that the men in the village had borrowed. women answer that except for the fact that men now contribute to water collection, i.e., by calling Tremendous changes in personal lives and gender for the tanker when necessary and ensuring that roles are visible in some cases as illustrated below. water is poured in, there is no change. Champaben, an MVM leader says that though Puniben and Ranjibhai of Mota Sakhpar women can learn even to plough using the village in Sayla talk about the tremendous tractor, they will not do it as “if we learn to drive changes in the lives that AKRSP(I)’s holistic the tractor, men will expect us to do that work too”. approach to development has brought about. They have been married for 14 years and have Work, in general, is more planned and not four daughters and a son, the last one barely haphazard like earlier. 7 years old. The couple used to migrate to Surat for sugarcane harvesting for 6 months a While women agree that informal chats and year, even though they had 15 bighas of land. sharing that used to happen on the way to the river The land used to produce only about 300 kgs have decreased thus limiting social interactions, of cotton per bigha apart from some in one sense selective interactions have increased foodgrains. owing to MVM meetings. The village was adopted by AKRSP(I) in 1990 Life has changed in many other ways – the women with watershed work. A WSG was formed and have better clothes, men consult women on several work was done in earnest. Production of issues within the household, the women have an cotton doubled with this work and later identity and are able to control more cash. tripled. Combined with leasing out of land and The male watershed group has practically other strategies, the couple have managed to collapsed but this is partly because it was started increase their family income tremendously. as an issue based organisation. Now it comes Now they apply organic manure to 4 1/2 together only for certain purposes. It has also to bighas of irrigated land. Apart from tripled do with the fact that some of the men have not production of cotton (900 kgs per bigha), they returned the money they had borrowed. are able to get 240 kgs of groundnut and 140 kgs of til from their lands.

32 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat The MVM was formed in 1996 and women prepared for boys and men. Bride price as a began to save money. Puniben took a lead in tradition is more than dowry. But Puniben and this. Cash was deposited in the bank and credit Ranjibhai will not accept or give either. They activities began. On women’s demand, 66 advocate community marriage that AKRSP(I) RRWHSs were installed. is now promoting.

Where the family used to consume maize and If AKRSP(I) would not have come in, the girls jawar rotis earlier, now bajra and wheat are would not have been educated and perhaps consumed. Asked about increased purchasing the couple would have lost some of their land capacity, Puniben says “earlier we used to buy as well. one kilo of oil at a time, now we buy 15”. This Asked about personal changes, Puniben says is her mark of prosperity. They also buy 4-5 that she has learnt more about agriculture. “If sets of clothes in a year in the place of one, Ranjibhai has to go away somewhere, I can which had to be frequently patched. Radio, manage the job entirely on my own”. music system, a telephone, a motorcycle and Ranjabhai says “In the beginning I would wish a fan are now the assets in the house. While that Rekhaben (AKRSP(I) functionary) would part of this is because of her mid-day meal just go away. But I have really changed: today business and land mortgage, this would not I am something, much more than if I had been have been possible without the general income educated”. He also encourages his wife to go increase brought about by AKRSP(I) for meetings. Though he cannot cook much, intervention. he manages to produce something when she The couple together decided to educate their is not there. They say that several men have daughter in a good school by admitting them started to help in the house. in a hostel. Now two daughters stay in the With the RRWHS the drudgery of water hostel. This was a first in the village. The idea collection has reduced for Puniben, who used came during an exposure visit to Gandhinagar to fetch it from the river about 1 ½ kms away. where they saw girls staying in hostels and Now there is no worry about water at all. studying. Puniben and Ranjibhai say that When a tanker has to be ordered, several eyebrows were raised when they first sent the houses together do it. Women negotiate with girls off, but they did not care for it. Now it is the supplier and make sure that what has been accepted. They intend to educate the two girls paid for is delivered. up to at least Std. XII and then see what they can afford. Ranjibhai’s brother next door has Though Ranjibhai is in charge of cash in the not educated his daughters. house, Punibhai can take it if she needs it. She takes out some loan from the MVM every year, Asked about son preference, Puniben says that for seeds and small expenses. The MVM is preference was clearly visible in their functioning regularly, though the same cannot generation, but is more disguised now. There be said of the WSG. The reason for the latter is not longer a clear preference in terms of declining is lack of recovery of loans. Ranjibhai giving more or preferential food, but there is says that many men want to WSG to improve, surely more money spent on boys than girls but if all do not pay back nothing can be done and in some cases, extra ghee is put in rotis about it.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 33 Similar are the experiences of a dalit household, Production subsequently increased from the that of Jeetuben and Karsanbhai. 30 bighas (12 acres) of land that the couple possess (of which 10 acres is saline land) and Their traditional occupation is collection and some that has been leased in, i.e., an increase sale of awal, i.e., bark from a tree, used as a from 140 kgs of bajra to 800 kgs. Jawar is sown dyeing agent. Along with the rest of the on the saline land, bajra and til on the good community they went 5 kms away to fetch it. land. The leased in land is devoted to cotton The work was hard not only in terms of production. collection, but processing as well. It did not pay much either – 20 kilos of the bark fetched The couple has migrated only once since 2001, only Rs 40, which was a 4-5 days’ work. As during the drought year. Bajra production is not much wage labour was locally available high and lasts throughout the year and more. owing to the general drought condition, food Cotton fetches Rs 5000-6000 in a bad year and consisted of two meals of 2 bajra rotis with even upto Rs 25,000 in a good year. Awal work diluted buttermilk. No vegetables were is completely forgotton. consumed owing to their non-affordability as Cash is available with the MVM when it is well as lack of time. Lands were normally short and they do not have to pay the leased out, fetching about 100 kgs of bajra moneylender Rs 5 every month on Rs 100 yearly. loaned as they do not have to borrow any. Everything changed since 2000, when the Jeetuben and Karsanbhai’s children all go to watershed programme was implemented school, which would have been difficult if with land levelling and construction of check their situation had not improved. Jeetuben dam. They contributed Rs 1700 for the work. herself is educated up to Class 4 and Karsanbhai was initially reluctant to join the Karsanbhai up to Class VII. Her old mother- WSG, but Jeetuben persuaded him. He was in-law stays with them and fills in when she soon so taken in by the benefits that when the has to be absent from home. The old woman women’s group started he put in her name in says she started doing it seeing her struggle. her absence. When asked about it, he says that The family has constructed an RRWHS as he was very clear that joining would be there is only one well that everyone has to beneficial. “We both support each other, but I share and in that, the water becomes saline by support her more”. noon. The rainwater is used for drinking and She has so far borrowed Rs 7000 once for cooking and even her old mother-in-law is chemical fertilisers and repaid it. The MVM able draw water from the tank. Earlier has 14 members at present, though 23 had Jeetuben had to get up at 4 a.m to fetch water. initially joined. There are some dalit members According to Jeetuben and her neighbours, and some Koli members in the group. work has definitely decreased for them. The Jeetuben is now the MVM Secretary. She was work of collecting awal was too difficult and selected for two reasons: the group wanted to time-consuming. Now they have some leisure have a mixed leadership and she is the only time most of the year. While they had never educated woman in her community. visited even Sayla and used to hide in their houses when they saw the police, now they

34 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat are able to boldly talk to everyone. In offices toothstick, vegetables and bamboo. Analyses done that they visit, they are given a seat. by AKRSP(I) showed that while women did much more work than men in fetching firewood, leaves Jeetuben has been able to “see the world” and grass, men were more involved in bringing because of the group. The group, however, wood when house had to be constructed or repaired. takes turns to attend trainings and meetings. Husbands of many of the group members who Activities related Done Done Done used to taunt her when she approached the to Forest by by by women men children house now come forward to call their wives. 1 Bring Fuelwood ** * Mobility has certainly increased for the 2. Bring wood for women. So has confidence: they have seen house building how a bank functions and are no longer afraid and repairs * ** of it. 3. Bring fruits * ** 4. Bring leaves ** * The youth of the village have started a group 5. Bring medicines * too. This came totally spontaneously. 6. Cut grass ** * 7. Go for hunting * 4.4. Greening the landscape – gender 8. Go for grazing in forest protection and regeneration cattle * From the (Harvard Activity) framework it became 9. Bring gum * * quite clear that women were more intensely 10. Bring toothsticks related to the forest as far as their every day life and vegetables * 11 Cut bamboo * ** was concerned. The number of forest related 12 Protection * ** activities done by women was more than those done by men. Also the nature of activities done by Source: “Who Uses the Forest” by Ashok Kumar Gupta, Coordinator (Life Science Unit). AKRSP(I), 2000. women was largely daily or weekly, whereas those done generally by men were annual or biannual. Number of asterisks indicates intensity of work In activities related to Joint Forest Management also, men and women had equal share. The When AKRSP(I) decided to support the analysis showed that women would be far more government Joint Forest Management affected by any change or any activity taking place Programme, the organisation was clear that there in the forest than their male counterparts since they has to be joint participation of men and women in were the ones who were more dependent upon all activities concerned with forest protection. forest for their everyday needs. Hence, they had Hence both men and women have ventured to equal or more stakes in the forest than men21 . protect forests and engage in related activities such as plantation, and pit digging. AKRSP(I)’s strategy Women are in charge of fetching firewood on a of using women Extension Volunteers (or daily basis, much more than men who bring sangathan sahayaks) in such work has demonstrated firewood more for storage, especially during the that women can take the lead in regeneration of rainy season. But apart from wood, women also degraded forests. bring fruits, leaves, medicinal herbs, grass, gum,

21 Report of Village Women Workshop on Women and Joint Forest Management” SHT- Netrang, AKRSP(I).

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 35 Below is an excellent example of forest protection The MVM also has been very enterprising in by women22 . savings and credit activities and recently acquired loans of Rs 1, 20, 450 from the bank. Rajwadi village lies 25 kms to the east of They have accessed numerous government Netrang in Valia Block of Bharuch District. schemes and have a very good repayment Vasava, Gamit and Choudhary tribes mostly record. Milch animals are now successful as a populate this village situated on forest micro-enterprise. department land. AKRSP(I) has promoted both the GVM and MVM in this village of Being successfully engaged in forestry and 258 households. savings-credit activities has increased the confidence of women. Armed with this self- The GVM first forested 158 hectares of land confidence women have now started a milk under the JFM. Then small groups from each cooperative for the first time in the village. locality took up the task of maintaining the They successfully undertake activities like forest thus regenerated. Women had no active acquiring fodder for the cattle from the dairy, role at that time. Then a group of women came paying for the milk, keeping records and the forward to protect 12 hectares on their own. like. They also receive the commission. AKRSP(I) organised a separate meeting of women for this purpose. The women courageously accepted the responsibility for In village Khabji (Bharuch district), women maintaining the forest plot apart from their relating their experiences of forest protection said, household chores and other work. Suriben “We have worked alongside men in the plantation was elected the president of the group and the phase. Initially men were responsible for its days for duty were allocated, A fine of Rs 101 protection, but we soon realised that men were going out for wage labour and were not protecting for grazing animals and Rs 20 for cutting grass the plantation. Also, one of the GVM members was decided upon. was breaching the code of conduct by grazing his cattle in the forest compound. Men were The forest was successfully protected and the unable to stop him. Since women remained in women collectively went for grass collection the village most of the time, they started protecting for the first time, in 1999. This was sold in the the forest in teams. They impounded the cattle village at a subsidy, fetching an income of Rs that entered the protected area and took it away. 600. Now 4900 head loads of grass are The matter was then resolved in a meeting. Since then there have been very few violations”. collected every year, fetching Rs 9800. The area

of protection has increased to 24 hectares. Reproduced from: Understanding Women’s When scarcity strikes, women protect the Experiences in Natural Resource Management” forest with double vigour, as this is now a AKF. P 48. tangible source of income.

22 Though the village was visited during the course of this study, not much discussion on forest protection was possible because of the absence of people for discussion. However, an article written by the Cluster manager is reproduced here with some modification, as this provides a good picture of the experience. The reference is to “Tribal Women Successfully Managed Natural Resources” by Harji Solanki, Giving Voice to Development Initiatives (CHAKRA – Development Communication Network). Pp 20-22.

36 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 4.5. Micro-enterprise in natural resources in making an extra earning for the household through unconventional and non-stereotyped enterprises and that women can successfully produce, manage and market their goods. The three examples cited here to prove this deal with issues close to AKRSP(I)’ s heart: production of vermi-compost to replace chemicals; construction of biogas units to reduce women’s drudgery and; milch animals for enhanced nutrition as well as to compliment biogas work. All three are from the South Gujarat.

Pushpaben and Dharam Singh Bhai of Padti Breaking the stereotype of women’s involvement in micro enter- prise activities, which till now has only been within the four walls of village, Dediapada block the house, this woman from Nani Morsal village in Surendranagar has taken up a grocery shop on loan. Pushpaben is the second wife of Dharam Singh Bhai who had married her elder sister A core focus of AKRSP(I)’s development strategy first. As they had no children, Pushpaben has been to provide opportunities to the poorest came into the household. Her exposure to of the poor to enhance their livelihoods. The compost production as a micro-enterprise AKRSP(I) programme area of South Gujarat ranks happened in 1998 when organic manure or among the poorest in the state. Due to low vasundhara khaad was first introduced as a landholdings and low land productivity etc. there group activity. This continued for 3 years and is distress migration in the region. Over the last there was good profit. However, the smell two years, AKRSP(I) and tribal communities have from the manure was so bad that the women developed partnerships through promotion of decided to stop the work. Most of the work non-farm and off-farm based micro-enterprises was done on wadas and the smell permeated that help the poorest and landless in generating into houses and lanes. incomes, thereby reducing distress migration. Then vermi-compost was introduced. AKRSP(I) has been promising enterprises along Pushpaben’s family took it on in 2003. For each with capacity building measures, which will result kilo of compost, Rs 50 worth of earthworms 23 in economic and social empowerment . are introduced. The 2 compost beds in her There is a strong stereotype attached to micro- backyard and one in the field in which the enterprises: that women will engage in household vermi-compost is produced have to be kept related enterprises such as sewing, making edible moist, in the shade and looked after. It takes items or cosmetic items such as jewellery and men about 45 days for the worms to mature enough will go in more for ‘outside’ and ‘technical’ fields to lay eggs. They have to be protected from such as cycle repair, electronics etc. red ants, frogs and rats. The worms multiply and are later sold to other interested groups The natural resource focus in AKRSP(I)’s micro- for Rs 350 a kg. The family does not sell all its enterprise development work shows that women worms. Five kgs are retained. Eggs and small and men can combine forces and work as equals worms go into the compost. AKRSP(I) has

23 Annual Report 2003. P 34

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 37 encouraged the enterprise holders to give first Her feelings were echoed by the MVM women of preference to women of MVMs, even from far the village: away villages. Similarly, buyers are encour- The MVM of Padti is 7 years old. Before aged to buy from AKRSP(I) supported units. AKRSP(I)’s entry life was hard for women and The compost is sold too – this year, of the pro- men alike. They went for wage labour and had duction of 16 qtls, 10 were sold at Rs 200 a qtl. to bring firewood, as production from land This is a low cost enterprise. Work is not in- was meagre. They migrated too. tensive, but careful. All the three grown ups They say that workload has increased. Earlier in the family do all the work on it. For an acre harvesting was the only intensive activity. of land, the normal requirement is 4-5 qtls of Now everything is work, but work is good – compost. This year 1 qtl was applied to the it fetches good benefits. Men’s work has in- family’s land. Pushpaben says that production creased somewhat, but not as much as wom- from their 2 ½ acres plot had increased from en’s. Health is better now and there is also 2.5 qtl of paddy to 4-5 qtl through watershed more money for medicines. Food items have related activities. This year, one qtl was sowed improved too – now vegetables are available was given vermi-compost as an experiment. in the wadas. Though the harvest was not over when the team visited, production appeared to be good. They say that the MVM is important as men’s The idea is to apply compost to the area issues are different from women’s. Sharing has marked for consumption items. decreased informally, but women share prob- lems more openly at meetings. As such the family and two women buyers who had come to buy worms say that urea is Pushpaben (Kambodia) not used extensively in the region. With land up-gradation work, its use has reduced fur- Kambodia village in Netrang block has 97 working ther in the past few years. biogas units. They are all individual units. Pushpaben, one of the biogas plant workers has a Pushpaben says that her biogas plant has unit in her house. She has 10 cattle to supply dung helped her and her sister a lot in reducing for the unit. With this she saves 2 to 3 hours of workload, and they now invest the time saved foraging work everyday. She has not been in the in vermi-compost work and in agriculture. forest for firewood collection for a while. Firewood fetching has nearly stopped since the past 2 or 3 years. Now they fetch firewood Pushpaben manages the biogas unit all by herself. only for extra cooking, e.g., for social functions. Even maintenance work is done by her. The family Pruning of protected forest also brings wood has 11-12 acres of land, which has been improved into the house, which they store for such oc- through watershed work. Workload on this land casions. has more than doubled, hence the reduction in time spent in fetching firewood and in cooking and The biogas unit is easily maintained by either cleaning that the biogas unit has brought about, is of the two sisters. Only if it gets spoilt do they very welcome for her. As biogas enables easier have to get someone from outside. cooking, her husband agrees to help if she has to Pushpaben considers vermi-compost as the go for meetings and trainings. most beneficial of all the interventions.

38 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat Pushpaben is part of a 10 women biogas plant They were all afraid that they may fall into the building and repairing group. They have formed debt trap and will have to work harder to repay an SHG for this. They take Rs 800 for each plant. the loan. However, she questioned this saying “if The technical part has to be done by a man, though. we don’t take a risk, how will we improve our lot?” Pushpaben says that apart from the technical part, The buffalo came and now it fetches a monthly only women do all other work, normally. income of Rs 2000/- and has produced a calf to boot. The loan was repaid over 7 months, at the There is a lot of demand for biogas units in the same time fetching her Rs 2-300 during the area, particularly where forests have been repayment period. The earning is used for denuded. When they go to construct a plant, they agricultural purposes mostly, but she has also make sure that there are enough animals or scope invested in a group oil extraction venture. New for purchasing dung. clothes and better food have also resulted. Vegetables are a regular consumption item now, and washing soap, oil etc are bought easily.

The family has benefited from the land up- gradation work too. Surtaben says that whereas she had to work on her field earlier, now they hire labour. She gets some rest.

It has long been known that although women have always taken active part in production, the marketing part has been dominated by men, While alternative energy devices like biogas have been promoted as a means to reduce drudgery of women (collecting fuel wood), limiting the access of women to their own incomes. women like Pushpaben in Kambodia village recognise biogas as a Thus along with increase in incomes from means to a healthier environment in the kitchen. increased production women are also being encouraged to take up marketing on their own. In Surtaben (Rajwadi) 2003 collective marketing and trading by wonen’s groups was introduced. The MVM of Kantipada, Surtaben of Rajwadi village of Netrang block in collaboration with the Mahila Manch, Netrang, (Bharuch) is a Vasava woman who has been has taken up the trading of roof tiles. The money for the same was generated on their own, through married for 17 years to her husband, who was their funds. The women themselves got in touch actually only semi-employed whereas she was told with the traders in (in Rajkot district which is that he was well educated and had formal more than 400 kms from Netrang) and bargained employment. She has lived in hostels throughout with them to purchase roof tiles at a cost of Rs her student days and did not have much of an 1.70 lacs. These were then sold for Rs 1.86 lacs to 107 households in 13 nearby villages, earning experience in working in fields and forests. Hence a profit of Rs 16,330. These tiles were much she was disappointed to discover that she had to cheaper than available in Netrang with the local live in the village and manage her life there. traders. In Junagadh also the MVM in Sheriaz has taken up collective marketing of coir. After struggling for a long time, Surtaben took out a loan of Rs 18,000 with 50 percent government subsidy for a buffalo against her in-laws’ advice.

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 39 collection, their knowledge of the activity as well Power of money! as management of water resources is bound to be Ashaben Ishubhai is a member of Parsama better than that of men. They will bring in aspects women’s group of village Jambur (Junagarh). Her in planning that are not otherwise available. husband is well known as Sheru, addicted to betting and alcohol. Ashaben has two young sons. Similarly, in farming, activities that are normally Sheru is a labourer but never gives any money to done by men or women will determine their area Ashaben. This caused regular clashes. of expertise. Conversely, changes in a particular When Ashaben expressed her desire to join the resource will affect men or women more than the organic compost activity two years back, some of other, and in different ways. the group members were doubtful, thinking that Sheru will harass her and take away her earnings. Apart from this efficiency argument, justice and However, she was able to earn Rs 8,000/- from equality are also the true goals of any development the activity. The family has never seen so much intervention and gender equality forms an intrinsic money. This changed her husband completely, who decided to start giving his earnings to part of this. Ashaben. Sheru now prepares food when Ashaben is late from meetings and work. Another important lesson from the cases and the experiences of AKRSP(I) is that life is a composite Adapted from Gadu SHT write up: Gender Initiatives in Junagarh District whole and changes in one aspect will naturally produce changes in another. Improvement in one natural resource and increased access to it 5. Narrowing the gender gap: major naturally produces changes in access to and emergent trends and lessons participation in the other. A clear example is of The cases and discussions in the above sections easy access to water, which has increased women’s have brought out a crucial lesson on survival: time investment in productive activities. when only half the population is consulted and involved, the improvement in the lives of the Earlier the women lost out whole days in water people and the natural resources is only partial. collection, thus losing out on wages crucial for Holistic development requires that everyone survival. Now they get water at the doorsteps interacting with natural resources is equally during the most difficult months and this allows involved in its improvement and everyone reaps them to receive full wages. The men who used the benefit from this improvement. to hit out at women for being late in providing food now do not react when they say that they It is apparent that inclusion of women’s priorities had gone for ‘water meeting’. and perspectives provides opportunity for the Case of landless agricultural labour women of Moti community and the organisations to re-examine Dhanej, Junagarh long-term goals of natural resource management and view the use of resources in a sustainable and Related to this is the fact that improving women’s rational manner. participation in natural resource management is bound to create a transformation in their lives as This is mainly because the type and extent of a whole. Natural resource based and social roles interaction of men or women with natural are so interlinked that improvement in one will resources in a community will depend on the lead to improvement in the other. What AKRSP(I) gender relations within the community. Hence if has done is to strike at improving both at the same women bear the larger responsibility in water time so that changes are faster and more effective.

40 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat “We can learn to plough using the tractor too, but “Why would I not have been so encouraging with we won’t, as then men will expect us to do that my wife? The benefit to us was clear. Now I work too” support her more than she supports me”

Woman of Piprali village, Surendranagar A husband in Mota Sakhpar, Surendranagar

Fifth, visibility and self-confidence increases Fourth, no role or activity is given to men or tremendously among both women and men when women by nature, except purely physical even a small improvement in natural resources is functions. Men and women can transgress into made, provided social relations and personal each other’s given roles, thus creating a better enhancement is addressed at the same time as balance in workload and more equitable social natural resource related intervention. relations. This allows both to invest time and energy in improving their lot. In AKRSP(I)’s case, When the women of Sorapada in Narmada district women have started to visibly enter the male decided to campaign for a candidate for the domain and proving that they can do the job sarpanch post from their village, they only asked for a vehicle. They made posters in their own equally well, and perhaps better. language and wrote slogans. They campaigned with the result that their candidate won, this in spite of threats from the other camp. “Men used to waste money in many ways. Now we know the rate of things and the way things work, so we don’t let them waste money. Earlier “When the Bank Manager asked us to sign a they would control all the finances, do all the document saying that the women’s group had marketing. Now we do the same too”. nothing to do with the money that the men had borrowed, we refused to sign anything. Earlier Women of Mahila Mandal, Chotila we would not have been as confident”.

Women of Piprali village Men have not yet started proving the same in earnest, though some changes are visible. AKRSP(I) had consciously begun to focus on “Today I am something, even better than if I would women so as to encourage them. This is good as a have been educated” beginning strategy. It has transformed the Ranji Bhai, Mota Sakhpar, Surendranagar participation rate of women in natural resource based activities that they earlier left to men. But men’s participation in women’s traditional work Investing in organisational learning on gender and zones is not commensurate with this. This should AKRSP(I)’s commitment on this front has proved be the next challenge for AKRSP: lest women are to be a great boon in improving both the condition overburdened with productive functions, of natural resources and the lot of the people. household work and the ‘development burden’ all “Everything in our work comes with a gender at the same time, it is now necessary to give some conflict. But it is clear that where we have tackled thought to increasing men’s contribution in all it, the result is good. Where there is a woman’s three arenas. True livelihood security will come group, there are less conflicts and greater from such a balance. achievements” Mansukh Virugama, SHT, Sayla

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 41 efficiency of the effort. This study that draws upon “The bindi is a sign of our husband (marriage) a series of cases of women and men, of rural and of shringaar (beauty). Now the mandal should collectives and villages negates these beliefs clearly become our shringaar enough. Woman of Mahila Mandal, Chotila AKRSP’s experiments and experiences as brought out here have clearly shown that addressing The ‘ego’ and hesitation/resistance of staff gender concerns is both necessary for ensuring that members is less visible now. Earlier all work was allocated and most people did not want to do everyone is covered by a project, and to increase others’ work, particularly on gender issues. Now the efficiency of the programme. Priorities of men there is no hesitation on integrating gender in any and women, boys and girls are different and aspect” benefits do not naturally ‘trickle down’ to M.S. Vohra, SHT, Gadu everyone. A conscious effort has to be made towards learning what the priorities and needs are 6. Conclusion and to direct these to the right recipient. As a simple example, providing irrigation water helped The first reaction to gender mainstreaming of a but was not the priority of women. Rather, project or programme is normally that of providing drinking and household use water close opposition. Gender is too much to be bothered to home has helped free women to invest their time with. It is unnecessary and creates tension. in using the irrigation facilities more effectively. Opposition to gender mainstreaming can typically This has led to overall growth, even three times be put into three categories, aptly termed the over. Similar interventions have helped in futility theory, the jeopardy theory and the perversity agriculture, forestry and micro-enterprises. Several theory by Picciotto, Robert, 200024 . The first says cases produced in this paper showcase this. that it unnecessary to think of men and women Equally important, apart from freeing them to separately when targeting the family as a whole invest their time more usefully, the very fact that will take care of both of them. The second argues the effort was made more through women than that picking up on gender will create a backlash men has given them the confidence to go in for more that will affect women even more adversely. The innovative participation. This has led to greater third builds upon the second by saying that visibility and status of women in the family and addressing gender will lead to opposition from community and in turn, to even better efforts in beneficiaries or borrowers, which will lead to economic mobility. Hence investing in women is withdrawal of the project, with the result that even not futile, rather it multiplies efficiency several the benefits that the people were to get will not times over. reach them. Neither does focussing on gender jeopardise The AKRSP(I) experience clearly shows that none development. It does encounter opposition, but of this holds true if the basic commitment is clear this is no more than a storm in a teacup, so to and that working around problems such as speak. Once the benefit is visible, the opposition opposition and adverse affects in fact increases draws back. This too is visible in several of the

24 “Gender in Rhetoric and Reality” in Evaluating the Gender Impact of Bank Assistance: Selected Proceedings from World Bank Workshops (World Bank Operations Evaluation Department). p3-6.

42 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat cases cited in this paper where men and family open and speak out in public forums in who opposed women in the beginning have gone Surendranagar and Junagarh (where they were out of the way to support them later. earlier practically invisible and unheard in the social arena but active in the productive field), The ‘gender factor’ has not affected adoption of a women able to manage alternative energy efforts project in any village, either. At least not once the on their own or build their own resources in South benefits are known in the area. Rather, villagers Gujarat (where there was relative freedom of are prepared to adapt to gender in order to get a movement and speech). This essentially proves benefit, as again, several cases point out. It is a the point that there is no single solution to multiple different story that at times the gender norm was problems. Rather, solutions have to be designed imposed a little too early, i.e., when women were around the nature of the problem. not yet ready to take on the responsibility or the men fully prepared to give it. Experiences such as The gender policy and a perspective on what Nariyali village have helped AKRSP rethink its gender equality may mean came out much later, strategy. Demonstrating on a wider platform that when a focus was evolving, thus helping the teams women can handle things and help improve lives in furthering their effort when they much needed has helped overcome this last hurdle. it. In the process, most have realised that though they have done a significant amount of work, there Several strategies have helped in the AKRSP(I) is still a long way to go in achieving equality in case. Like most other organisations, when the true sense. They are now ready to renew their ‘women’s issues’ became a point of focus in the efforts on this. organisation, some experiments were already What is required at this juncture, in the renewing going on in gender equality, sporadically, but process, is to revisit the gender policy and fine tune unexpressed in clear terms. The first reaction to it. Gender equality, which is a faraway goal for institutional adoption of the concept was any organisation as yet, needs a clear path. For apprehension that any action in the field on this instance, does gender equality mean women will disturb the progress of existing programmes. taking a lead in every avenue in life or combining AKRSP (I)’s strategy of not thrusting a forces with men to find a way out of poverty and streamlined strategy or a single formula for social injustice? The effort to make women more gender integration on the SHTs seems to have visible, vocal and active, may lead to men being helped, as they were left to experiment and imbibe. forgotten somewhere. In AKRSP(I)’s case too, men Combined with this were extensive participatory seem to be drawing back gradually, happy to leave analyses and gender sensitisation exercises, which everything to women. Now the traditional led to a change from within rather than from description of women, as quarrelsome, disruptive outside. The freedom and the ‘felt need’ and unreliable are attributed more to men. As environment thus created have provided the mentioned in the previous section, this has the required learning ground as well as the danger both of imposing every conceivable burden opportunity to evolve a women focus and a on women (including that of development), and definition of gender equity per se. Hence the of creating a slide-back for men. gender focus has meant different things for the three teams, e.g., women able to come out in the

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 43 Women taking charge of their lives

Women empowerment is reflected in their various changing roles like contributors in drip irrigation and participatory rural appraisal, entre- preneurs, distributors of grain to the needy and active participants at the International Rural Women’s Day

44 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat C. ANNEXES Example: The water project was completely implemented through the MVM, which nego- Annex 1: Guidelines for the selection of vil- tiated with concerned government function- lages/groups/ individuals for AKRSP(I) gen- aries, panchayat bodies. It managed the der and NR study construction work, made payments, argued or The aim is to capture positive experiences in negotiated with the GVM, ran the necessary gender and NR so that a comprehensive machines, etc. At the beginning men of the publication on best practices in gender and NR in hamlet doubted women’s capacity to engage AKRSP(I)’s rural work is possible. in technical and managerial work, but later realised their potential and worth and started Keeping the focus (Gender and NR) in mind there giving all support. The MVM is now consid- are several possible ‘cases’ that can be captured: ered an authoritative body that is a vital part of all work in the hamlet and more women 1. Village as case history: what were the promi- have joined in. The MVM takes up a lot of NR nent gender issues related to NR and associated and social issues in the hamlet and have man- realities before AKRSP(I) stepped in and what is aged to stop child marriage, violence and de- the situation now? sertion. Example: There was water scarcity in the dalit 3. Individuals as case study What direct and hamlet and because of this women and girls indirect impact has the project had on gender had to spend a lot of time and energy in bring- equations and status in an individual family ing water which meant that they had less time and particularly on individual women and for other work and practically no rest. Apart men? from this, personal hygiene particularly of women and children suffered, health was af- Example: Kalawati spent 3 hours fetching fected and there was even violence on women water with her daughter before the project on the issue of timing of food, neglect of other came in. The daughter did not go to school as work etc. Men were not concerned about how she had to do chores such as fetching water. and from where women brought water. After Kalawati had to ensure that food for the morn- AKRSP(I) came in with its water project for ing was prepared and some basic chores done the hamlet, men became sensitised about the before going for water fetching. She came back water issue, women of even the poorest house- tired, but had to tend to her younger children holds got more involved in managing water before she left for agricultural work. Because distribution and its organisation, and stress of lack of time and of water, she could not give in general decreased. The hamlet has served too much attention to hygiene of children and as a model for other hamlet and surrounding herself and of the house. Yet she had to bear villages and these are asking for similar inter- the physical and psychological violence from ventions. her husband and in-laws who found fault in her – lazy, cannot serve food in time, they had 2. Group/Institution as case study: what were to eat cold food, the house and children were the roles of the MVM in the NR project and unclean, etc. Family health was not too good how did it coordinate with the GVM and other either and skin disease was a perpetual real- institutions? ity. Despite family opposition and violence,

Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat 45 Kalawati join the MVM and got involved in worth replicating, the village/its institutions/ the water project for the hamlet. She went to individual can be a case study. the Taluka office with other women and talked Guidelines: to the AKRSP(I) functionaries. 1. The four possibilities given above can be Now water is available close by. There is more drawn from the same village, so the easiest time for cooking, cleaning etc and more water would be to visit one village in one day, par- for hygiene. Some rest is possible. Kalawati ticularly given the shortage of time (4 days no longer gives in to physical abuse or oppres- each in Netrang and Saila and one in sion and does not allow other women to be Junagarh). This means a total of 9 villages. similarly oppressed. She expects her husband The selection of the village, the MVM, and to do some household chores when she is the individual families and persons will be away and she has enrolled her daughter in very important in this context, also in view school. She is no longer afraid of upper caste of covering as many examples of NR projects oppression and has a standing in the hamlet as possible. and village. Even government functionaries 2. However, if is really worth it, we can break recognise her. She is thinking of engaging in the one village per day norm and visit a close income-generating work apart from her usual by village to cover a particular case, provided agricultural work. we do not end up trying to do everything and The case study can also be of a man who un- more. derwent change and has a different equation 3. It is not necessary that all four cases will be with his wife and daughters today. covered in all villages (i.e., village case history, MVMs, Individual families and persons). This 4. Individuals as case study: What changes have depends on the strength of the case. Also we taken place in the household in terms of gen- don’t need that many cases. (e.g. 9 x 4 =36). der roles, responsibilities, attitudes and behav- iour? 4. It is understood that all interventions in a vil- lage will have multiplying effects on individu- Example: The example can be the same as als and institutions, but it is also a fact that to above, except that the focus can be on the house- comprehensively capture gender related hold and not on the individual. changes through NR initiatives, it is best to select examples where the NR project started Some general rules: as one of the first interventions. However, 1. The target is to cover 20 solid cases. if other projects began before the NR one in a 2. All possible NR initiatives have to be cov- very effective case, selection should be done ered: water harvesting, watershed, NR related on the basis of whether or not clear linkages micro-enterprise, forest protection/regenera- to NR initiatives can be made. tion, groundwater treatment, other forms of The above are only guidelines. The rest is left to drought proofing including fodder banks, etc. the team’s discretion. 3. The focus is both on process and outcome. This means that even if the overall outcome Geeta Menon has not been up to the mark, if the process is October 3, 2004

46 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat AKRSP(I):Recent Publications

research studies research studies research studies research studies 2004 2004 2004 2004

Impact of AKRSP(I)’s AKRSP(I)’s experi- Land ownership as a Navi Kshitij Intervention on ence in prompting Livelihood issue for (in Gujarati) drought coping by micro irrigation women people: The case of devices in Saurashtra, Surendranagar Gujarat Programme are Apprva Oza Koyal K. Mandal Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (India)/ Niraj Joshi Kirit Jasani Anandi Ashok Pingle Shailesh Dungrani Biswaranjan Patnaik

research studies research studies research studies research studies 2003 2003 2003 2003

Canal Irrigation Enhancing Entrepre- Anaj Suraksha - A Study of savings management by tribal neurship in Micro Food Security in and credit situation in communities Irrigation, mainly drip drought proofing Surendranagar irrigation: a case study programme area of AKRSP(I)’s Junagadh programme area

Dharmishtha Chauhan Aditi Mukherjee et. al Sudarshan Panda IRMA Kirti Patel et. al

research studies research studies research studies research studies 2002 2001 2001 2000

Manavtano Marag Gender and Irrigation Common pool Cost Benefit Analysis (in Gujarati) in India; The Wom- resources in Semi- and Water use en’s irrigation group arid India Efficiency - A case of Jambar, study of Motasakhpar Published by Charkha Supported by AKRSP(I)/Unnati South Gujarat Village

Barbara van Koppen, et. al Ashok Kumar Gupta Study Team of AKRSP(I)

research studies research studies research studies research studies 2000 1999 1999 1999

Emergence of joint Institutional and Impact Study of The role of land forest managmeent: Vegetational issues in Agricultural Exten- classification criteria Journalistic document Joint Forest Manage- sion Programme in in ensuring equity ment: Case Study of Surendranagar ARea Khaidipada Village of AKRSP(I) Sulbha Khanna Armin Sethna in Bharuch, Gujarat

Nand Kishore Agrawal Sulbha Khanna 58 Gender and the Natural Resources – Experiences and Achievements of AKRSP(I) in Gujarat