SHE LEADS

STRENGTHENING WOMEN'S POLITICAL LEADERSHIP IN INDIA Report of the training of the first cohort (February - March, 2021)

Implementing partners Supported by

Chevening Alumni Project Fund Year of Publication- 2021

She Leads training programme, Feb-March’2021

Implemented by- Stree Shakti-The Parallel Force in collaboration with Indian School of Democracy, Shakti and NETRI.

Supported by

Chevening Alumni Project Fund (CAPF)

Designed by: Impression Communications

SHE LEAD ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

She Leads was made possible with the I am thankful to Ms. Savita Sethi for support of Foreign, Commonwealth and coordinating and curating the training Development offi ce (FCDO) through the programme, and anchoring it from start to Chevening Alumni Project Fund (CAPF). end and taking care of minutest details. I would like to place on record my most Ms. Devika Kapur and Ms. Shreaya Kataria sincere thanks to British High Commission, deserve a special mention for helping with India for facilitation and guidance throughout research and documentation. the project implementation period. My most sincere appreciation for Ms. Supriya Ms. Rekha Mody, Founder, Stree Shakti- Chawla, Mr. Rajul Dube and Ms. Babita The Parallel Force needs special mention Sharma from British High Commission, as a mentor, guide and a force behind India for their continued support and the initiative. She not only offered to host encouragement in undertaking this project. and launch the programme as the lead Last but not the least, I am grateful to my implementation partner but has also put in Chevening Alumni Community for their her own resources to take the idea forward. guidance and support in reaching out to the The capacity building programme would applicants. not have been possible without the partner organizations; Indian School of Democracy The training of fi rst cohort has been a for co-creating the course content and rewarding and gratifying experience and has delivering it in the most amazing manner. inspired me to dream big to do my bit in Shakti and NETRI did a fantastic job in supporting more women to become political supporting mobilization, helping with resource leaders. persons, and taking working sessions. I am grateful to Mr. Shabd Mishra, Chevening Gurukul Fellow, for all the technical guidance and support in undertaking this online programme. Kanta Singh

I have no words to convey my gratitude to all Chevening Gurukul Fellow the eminent political leaders and experts who believed in this initiative, came onboard and shared their valuable experiences.

Heartfelt thanks to all the participants of the fi rst cohort, whom I would like to address as She Leaders, for trusting us and joining the training course.

SHE iii LEAD ACRONYMS

AAP Aam Aadmi Party

CAPF Chevening Alumni Project Fund

CEO Chief Executive Offi cer

FCDO Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Offi ce

IPU Inter-Parliamentary Union

ISD Indian School of Democracy

MLA Member of Legislative Assembly

MP Member of Parliament

SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

WRB Women’s Reservation Bill

SHE LEAD iv CONTENTS

Acknowledgments ...... iii

Acronyms ...... iv

Chapter 1 BACKGROUND ...... 1

Context ...... 1

About the programme ...... 2

Chapter 2 Training of the fi rst cohort of She Leads ...... 3

Selection process ...... 3

Profi les of selected participants ...... 4

Training Format ...... 5

Chapter 3 Day 1, Introduction ...... 7

Icebreaker and participant introduction ...... 8

Programme brief, Norms & Zoom set up ...... 8

Why are we here? ...... 9

Chapter 4 Day 2, Politics and Power ...... 11

Session 1 -Women in politics – trends and challenges...... 11

Expert talk - Pathways of women: Journeys and motivation with Ms. Margaret Alva ...... 12

Session 2 - Mapping Power Structures in Indian Democracy ...... 13

Chapter 5 Day 3, Identities and Leadership ...... 15

Session- Identities and biases within and around me ...... 15

Expert talk-1 Identity politics and Trends of the future with Dr. Heena Gavit ...... 16

Expert talk – 2 Leadership Talk with Mr. Ghanshyam Tiwari ...... 17

SHE v LEAD Chapter 6 Day 4, Constituency Management ...... 19

Session 1 – Understanding and cultivating your constituency ...... 19

Expert Talk - ‘Exploring policies around health and livelihood of women’ with Mr. M.V. Rajeev Gowda ...... 21

Session 2 – Public Narrative I –Story of Self ...... 22

Chapter 7 Day 5 – Media & Communications ...... 25

Session 1- Public Narrative II, Story of Us/Now (Marshall Ganz Framework) ...... 25

Expert Talk -1 Political Communication with Ms. Tara Krishnaswamy ...... 26

Panel discussion on ‘Media and Politics’ with Ms. Namita Bhandare and Ms. Shazia Ilmi ...... 28

Chapter 8 Day 6, Campaign tool and Strategy ...... 31

Session -1 Using Behavioral Sciences in campaigning ...... 31

Session -2, Building effective strategies and campaigns ...... 32

Expert Talk- Building effective political campaigns, with Ms. Archana Chitnis and Ms. Bandana Kumari ...... 33

Chapter 9 Day 7- Resource Management ...... 35

Session- Fundraising for political campaigns ...... 35

Expert Talk - ‘Political Fundraising, avenues & strategies’ with Mr. Prithvi Reddy ...... 35

Concluding session ...... 37

Chapter 10 Certifi cate Distribution Ceremony ...... 39

Annexure-1 Media coverage ...... 41

Annexure-2 Testimonials ...... 43

Annexure-3 Agenda ...... 45

Annexure-4 List of selected participants ...... 47

SHE LEAD vi Chapter 1 BACKGROUND

Enhancing women’s political leadership is Context essential to building a strong democracy and ensuring India’s position as a global Some countries are leading the path towards leader of the 21st century. Several studies a higher number of women in Parliament. show that increasing the level of women’s According to data published by the Inter- political participation and representation helps Parliamentary Union (IPU), India is at the 148th boost the socio-economic development of a position among 193 countries ranked on the country, as women are more likely to advocate basis of the percentage of women members in for policies and reforms that positively National Parliament. Among SAARC nations, impact the human development indices of India ranks in the lower bracket, placing ahead a nation. Women in leadership positions in of only Sri Lanka and Maldives. governments across the globe have been instrumental in effecting positive changes in In India, gender has emerged as a many developmental areas, resulting in lower fundamental axis of democracy-alongside levels of inequality and increased confi dence caste, class, region, religion and ethnicity. in national governments worldwide. In the general elections of 2019, 67.18% of India’s female electorate voted, showing an According to the World Economic Forum, improvement from 59.4% in 2014. This was women’s political leadership correlates the highest ever female voter turnout, and to wider economic equality and benefi ts the gap between the turnout of male and globally. It is widely acknowledged that the female voters narrowed down signifi cantly advancement of gender equity has positive from 9% in 2009 to only 0.4% in 2019. economic outcomes for all. The key socio- However, this increased female voter turnout economic dividends of having more women did not automatically translate into women’s in elected offi ces are higher educational increased representation in the country’s attainment for women and girls, and increased Parliament and State Assemblies. Of a total female labor force participation and wages. of 8,049 women contestants, only 78 were Women’s political participation has also sworn in as members of the 17th Lok Sabha. demonstrated positive outcomes in improving Despite the share of women legislators in the health and civil rights of the general the 17th Lok Sabha being the highest ever at population. Therefore, the equal participation 14.39%, India still lags behind 140 countries and representation of women in politics and in the representation of women in Parliament. decision-making bodies is not just a pre- The global average for the share of women requisite for democracy, but also a necessary parliamentarians is 24.6%. pre-condition for bringing women’s interests to the forefront and ensuring development for While the low representation of women all. in Parliament and other decision-

SHE 1 LEAD making bodies is compromising India’s About the programme development, an increase in the number of female candidates contesting Parliamentary She Leads is a unique leadership training elections over last two decades indicates programme designed to support aspiring a growing enthusiasm amongst women women leaders across all backgrounds run to enter politics. There is a need for a for offi ce at state and national levels in India. comprehensive approach to boost women’s The training aims to equip women with the leadership such that it not only benefi ts practical and multidimensional skills required communities, but also leads to an improved to succeed in the political and social sphere. quality of discussion and deliberation in India’s By the end of the training programme, legislative bodies, culminating in the passage the participants are expected to be better of humane and inclusive legislations, policies prepared to face the challenges that severely and budgets. In several countries, quotas restrict women’s chances of getting into active have been used to increase the number of politics and contesting elections. women in Parliament. In India, the Women’s She Leads will focus on the holistic capacity Reservation Bill seeking an increased enhancement of select women candidates representation of women in Parliament is by improving their overall competencies pending since 1996. regarding various standard political processes like fi ling their candidature, campaigning, Some common myths around the use of electioneering machinery as well as underrepresentation of women in politics on other aspects like combating stereotypes, are that women lack the willingness and identifying effective election issues, using competence to succeed politically. However, the media for spreading awareness, citizen the oft-ignored reality is that women are education and ethical fundraising. systemically denies access to political spaces and resources. Women need to be This 7-day course shall provide women encouraged, empowered and supported to leaders with the foundation and skill set become strong political leaders. With this required to break new ground and become backdrop, the She Leads training programme agents of change, while overcoming gender- was conceptualized to help women become related barriers to political entry. The authentic and effective leaders and to increase immersive training programme will enable their engagement and impact at higher levels women to play multiple roles in politics - of governance. The training of the fi rst cohort legislators, policy implementers, problem was conducted with support from Chevening solvers, CEOs of their constituencies, as well Alumni Project Fund (CAPF). as party activists.

SHE LEAD 2 Chapter 2 TRAINING OF THE FIRST COHORT OF SHE LEADS

The training of the fi rst cohort of She Leads women leaders aspiring to run for political was conducted with support from CAPF offi ce at state and national levels comprised and in collaboration with Stree Shakti-The the fi rst She Leads cohort. The members Parallel Force1, Indian School of Democracy of the fi rst cohort were selected following (ISD)- a non-partisan organization2, Shakti- a a comprehensive process which has been nonpartisan citizen’s collective3 and NETRI4. enumerated in the following section. The roles of each partner organization are broadly mentioned hereunder: Selection process • Stree Shakti, the lead partner was responsible for implementing the A comprehensive online application form programme, sending out applications, was circulated through social media, various selecting successful applicants, developing political parties’ fora and networks of women the course design, fi nalizing the content in politics. Interested applicants were required from a gendered perspective, and inviting to share details of their previous political expert speakers and eminent politicians experiences and future aspirations. Over 75 for thematic discourses. applications were received from across • ISD, with its experience of training political the country, with applicants hailing from leaders at the grassroots, supported the 16 different Indian states spread across the programme in developing its content, and length and breadth of the country. Applicants anchored the training for all seven days. from diverse backgrounds and occupations The working sessions were conducted registered their interest for the training jointly by ISD, Shakti and NETRI. program, and we even received applications from a few women residing overseas. The The training programme was spread over 2 online applications were launched on th periods- the fi rst from 24 February to 10th January, 2021; and remained open till th 28 February, 2021; and the second from 14th February, 2021. 6th March to 7th March, 2021. Details regarding the design and structure of the training are Applications were expected to meet the provided in the following section of this following basic criteria: chapter. • Minimum educational qualifi cation - Owing to the restrictions imposed by the 12th standard. Covid-19 pandemic, the training program • Fluency in English or Hindi in addition and the selection process for successful to local language. applicants were conducted online. Over 50

1 www.streeshakti.com 2 www.indianschoolofdemocracy.org 3 https://politicalshakti-india.org/ 4 https://netri.co/

SHE 3 LEAD In addition, applicants were expected to political offi ce at college, panchayat, or meet one of the following conditions: municipality levels.

• Have previously contested or planning • Have prior experience as a party worker to contest elections at the state or or withany kind of political offi ce. national levels. • Have been actively involved in social • Have previously contested elections for work for several years.

Geographic Spread of Applicants

16

14

12

10

8

6

4

2

0 H D Uttar PradeshKerala H M Ta A U T O W M H Bihar Chhattisgarh aryana elhi aryana aharashtra m runachal Pradeshttarakhandelangana disha est Bengal adhya Pradeshim il achal Pradesh N adu

Upon contemplation, the initial age bracket from Haryana and Delhi, followed by Kerala. of 30-55 years for participants was relaxed Numerous participants from Karnataka, after we received several applications from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, students who wished to take up politics as Uttarakhand, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya a career and had actively participated in Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Orissa and West electoral politics at their respective colleges Bengal completed the cohort. The diverse and universities. Post a scrutiny of their geographic backgrounds of participants application forms; telephonic/video interviews enabled a rich exchange of ideas and with candidates were conducted to better narratives between them. The participants understand their political backgrounds, were equally diverse in their occupations and experiences and aspirations. Thereon, over academic backgrounds. A list of the selected 50 of the most promising candidates were participants has been given as an annexure. selected for the fi nal training programme.

Profi les of selected participants

A total of 50 participants from 13 different states of India formed the fi rst cohort of She Leads. A large number of participants were

SHE LEAD 4 conservation, waste management, and A brief profi le of the cohort is as follows: advocating for the reproductive and Politics: Many participants who joined had nutritional health of women and children. prior political experience which ranged Despite coming from such a wide range of from having contested state assembly backgrounds, a vital link that united all the and urban local body elections to having participants was their resolute dedication served multiple terms as corporators. to serve their country and its people, and Many had also worked as a spokespersons, to devote themselves to a life of public zonal coordinators campaign managers, service. and conveners of various Indian political parties. In addition, number of participant Training format had completed various prestigious political leadership fellowships from India and The seven day training program was planned abroad. so that each day follows an overall pattern, while being dedicated to a separate theme Professionals: a number of lawyers and of politics. The fi rst cohort of She Leads advocates from the higher judiciary, in was trained using online methods due addition to former PSU directors and to restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 corporate professionals were a part of the pandemic. This mode of training enabled us cohort. to reach participants from all corners of the Academia: The cohort consisted of several country at once in a safe manner, leading professors from reputed universities, to an even wider exchange of ideas than researchers in the fi eld of Social Sciences, anticipated. and university students of English and In order to enable active participation by Political Science. each member of the cohort, the fi rst day Social entrepreneurs and activists: of the training program was dedicated to a Several social and political activists, human comprehensive induction process. Participants resource trainers and motivational speakers were encouraged to engage with each other also participated in the cohort. Many through icebreakers and group activities. The of them had left comfortable corporate presenters also utilized the fi rst day to set careers to work in the social sector, and collective intentions for the training program. established various NGOs dedicated to the These practices were carried forward to all empowerment of women and marginalised days of the training program. At the end of sections of society. day 1, the entire cohort was divided into groups of 5 each. By virtue of each group having 5 participants, the group was called ‘Panchayat’-a Hindi word for an assembly Irrespective of the above categorisation, the of fi ve people. This has no relevance to the majority of the participants had displayed constitutionally created legislative bodies exemplary dedication to social service. at village level. All the participants were Together, the participants had decades allotted a ‘Panchayat number’ at random, and of cumulative experience working in the members of the same ‘Panchayat’ were made development sector and spearheading a part of a WhatsApp group with each other. issues like women’s safety, girls’ education, sustainable development, environmental

SHE 5 LEAD Group 1 Group 2 Group 3 Group 4 Group 5 Group 6 Group 7 Group 8 Group 9 Group 10 Abha Maryada Anjana Agarwal Deepshikha BEENAR Shilpa Richa Sahni Manisha Smeeksha Thakur Sheilza Bhatia Bharti Banerjee Nagaraju Ahlawat Sharma

Anjali G Sharma Ayesha Rubina Asha Rani Dr. Shahida Meenal Jhakar Priyanka Dr. Meena Sonde Prof. Shweta Singh Tabassum Naqvi Sadab Khan Kamal Srivastava

Elsa Marie Dsilva Falguni Rajput Dr. Garima Singh Dr. Hema Raman Namita Chhetri Tabassum Khan Sujitha Sudesh Dr. Sushma Joshi Mahima Singh

Joram Jaya Joysree Dasroy K Latha Kiranjeet Nitisha Pandey Dr. Shalini Sharma Subhashini BUSHRA S Adv. Usha AP Ariba Khan Narasimhamurthy Menon

Kiran Somvanshi Dr. Juhi Garg. Kavya Ecofeminist Lalithamba Malini Sharma Shireen Moti Apporva Jha Anu Moni Anu Sehrawat Shelly PhD Bhasin List of participants grouped in Panchayats

The ‘Panchayat’ groups were created to allow Participants were given a break of 10 minutes the participants to discuss the lessons of between each session to help them recollect each day with each other, and ensure that a their thoughts, take a breather in between healthy debate continues even after the end sessions and feel energized for the next one. of each day’s training. Each day began with After each day’s sessions, all participants were 20 minutes dedicated to intention setting, allocated to breakout rooms, where they where the presenters guided the participants discussed the concepts and practices they had on the agenda of the day and helped them come across during that day. These groups prepare themselves to make the most of the were given prompts to organize their thoughts day ahead. on certain concepts that were introduced that day, and share their own interpretations Each day of She Leads was dedicated to a with each other. This practice, along with the different aspect of political life. The aim of ‘Panchayat’ interactions via the WhatsApp the program was to introduce the participants groups ensured a wide range of participants to the major concepts, ideas and practices to interact with one another, guide each associated with a career in politics. Aspects other through the training process, and form like the relationship between politics positive connections with one another. and power, identities and leadership, the strategies behind constituency management, In conclusion, though the topics and themes media and communications, building effective covered were in no way an exhaustive guide campaigns and resource management in to Indian politics, the sessions were able to politics were covered during the training. help participants understand the nuances of Each theme was covered through both, in- political life, give them information that they house sessions conducted by the program did not have access to previously, and help partners, and expert sessions with eminent them shed many of the inhibitions associated political personalities. This combination was with entering electoral politics. The interactive implemented to ensure a balance between nature of the program also enabled the the theoretical side of understanding the formation of a network of all participants, and multiple dimensions of entering electoral helped them make connections with many politics via the in house sessions, and the like-minded people. practical aspect of hearing experts in each fi eld share their real life experiences with the participants.

SHE LEAD 6 Chapter 3 DAY 1, INTRODUCTION

The fi rst day of the taking the lead in implementing the novel She Leads training initiative. Ms. Singh also appreciated the program began with partner organisations of the programme - ISD, the presenters Shakti, and NETRI for co creating the content extending a warm of the training program and helping deliver it. welcome to all the Ms. Singh expressed that she sees this training participants. program as a historical start of a journey that Following this, Ms. will nurture aspiring female leaders, inspire Kanta Singh-Chevening Gurukul Fellow them to take up their rightful place in Indian addressed the participants, as she made politics, and offer them a platform where they the opening remarks of the day. She can support and encourage each other. Being acknowledged the support from the its fi rst ever cohort, this group of spirited Chevening Alumni Project Fund (CAPF) and women will always be special in the journey of thanked Stree Shakti- The Parallel Force in She Leads, Ms. Singh remarked.

Screen shot of the fi rst day of online training

Thereafter, Ms. Indian Parliament. Speaking of her extreme Rekha Mody- joy in launching the fi rst edition of She Leads, founder of Stree she asserted her belief in the capabilities Shakti- The Parallel of women as leaders. If given the right Force shared her opportunities at the right time, women’s thoughts with the chances of winning an election are higher than participants. For the men, she asserted. Ms. Mody congratulated last few decades, the participants for undertaking this journey her organisation has with She Leads. been working to further women’s political empowerment in India, and has relentlessly This was followed by remarks by lobbied for the 33 % reservation of women in Ms. Hemakshi Meghani- the co-founder of SHE 7 LEAD ISD. She spoke briefl y about her organization minutes to refl ect on the words of the and the various training programmes welcome message and ruminate on their organized by them. She said that programmes signifi cance in their own daily lives. Each like She Leads are spaces which enable a participant was then asked to share the most community of strong, politically motivated important trait, belief or quality that they women who have a mission to serve the would bring with themselves to the country, help reclaim their space in politics. programme, and write it down in one word.

Ms. Kanksshi-the founder of NETRI was the next What is the gift you are bringing to this space ? speaker and she briefed the participants about myself unity her organization. NETRI has been working to willingness n positivity collaboration compassion n collaboration truthfulness social leader’p xperience

positivity support

facilitate the political leadership of women commitment love and aims to achieve women’s full and effective behanchara experience friendship energy and creativity my thread of hope participation at all levels of decision-making in empathetic insight empathy provoking throughts reverence clarity of purpose awesome energy positivity political, economic, social and public life. optimism and experience learning unlearning hope and positivity

Ms. Tara Krishnaswamy-software director and integrity

passion

happiness

networks co-founder of Shakti, a non-partisan collective resilience working to enable women to enter politics Thereafter, the participants were grouped was the last speaker in the introductory into breakout rooms to give them a chance session of Day 1. She presented the various to introduce themselves to each other and campaigns spearheaded by Shakti, which interact in a smaller, more intimate setting. is working as a pressure group to advocate The entire cohort was divided into groups for greater representation of women in of 5 each. By virtue of each group having State Assemblies and Parliament by running 5 participants, the groups were called campaigns that urge Members of Parliament ‘Panchayats’-a Hindi word for an assembly to table the Women’s Reservation Bill in of fi ve people. This has no relevance to the Parliament, and advocate for the Election constitutionally created legislative bodies Commission to discipline parties towards at village level. After a brief interaction gender equitable nominations. with their respective ‘Panchayat’ members, the participants were lead into the next The fi rst session of Day 1 ended with Ms. session which dealt with the format of the Anita Manoharan- Programme Lead of ISD, as programme, its norms and the zoom set up. she thanked all the partner organizations for introducing themselves to the participants. Ms. Manoharan introduced herself and Programme brief, Norms & assumed the role of lead anchor for the seven day training programme. Zoom set up Ms. Manoharan shared the format of the Icebreaker and participant training programme, and gave a brief overview introduction of the themes and concepts that would be dealt with in the coming days of She Leads. This unique ice breaking session began with Although the norms were shared in advance an emotional welcome by Ms. Anita with the participants, they were briefl y read Manoharan, who read aloud a poem out in this session to reinforce their importance dedicated to the participants. The participants and answer any questions that the participants were then asked to sit in silence for a few may have had regarding them. SHE LEAD 8 Norms for engaging with the community: Why are we here? • She Leads does not discriminate based The last session of the day was conducted by on caste, economic status, religion or Ms. Tejal- Consultant with ISD. Navigating political leaning. All participants and team the session, she motivated the participants members are expected to treat every to refl ect on the purpose which drew them member in the programme with respect. towards this training programme and made • No form of hate speech that expresses any them want to participate in it. form of prejudice against another group on the basis of race, religion, gender, While the training helped introduce everyone sexual orientation, disability, political to others who have the similar goals, the affi liation etc. will be accepted. participants were asked to share that one unique and personal word which defi nes their Norms for engaging with speakers: purpose in life, and has acted as a “thread” A big part of the programme was engaging throughout their lives, motivating them to do with speakers and experts from across the what they do. The participants ruminated on political spectrum. In the spirit of learning, the purpose that they have held on to all their participants were encouraged to ask questions lives and which inspired them to take up this from a space of curiosity and respectful journey of leadership. The results of this listening. It is probable and expected exercise were overwhelmingly positive, as that there will be disagreement of views. many women opened up about their personal Participants are expected to: motivations, ambitions and the purpose that drives them. For some participants, this was • Engage with all speakers with respect, perhaps the fi rst time someone had asked regardless of disagreements or opposing them about their purpose and goals, and views. many responded with deep emotion and • Not use any abusive language, derogatory vulnerability. This exercised proved words or disrespectful tone towards anyone. instrumental in helping each participant • Give equal opportunity to all fellow connect with their inner strengths and members to ask questions and engage motivations, and helped them connect to with the speakers. each other in a deeply personal manner.

Showcasing one word which denotes each participant’s purpose of joining She Leads

SHE 9 LEAD The fi rst day of the programme ended with respect, and a willingness to learn and be setting a collective intention for the rest of open to the many possibilities this journey the training programme-one based on hope, would present.

SHE LEAD 10 Chapter 4 DAY 2, POLITICS AND POWER

The second day of the She Leads programme families. Though they had access to began with a discussion on the roles and education, they were expected to perform spaces women occupy in politics and their traditional roles and were limited to their evolution over decades. The expert talk of households. the day was with Ms. Margaret Alva, former Governor and MP, who deliberated on the II. The revolutionaries: These were women pathways women have taken in politics, their who took up assertive roles, participated journey and motivation. This was followed by in protests and were seen in spaces which a session on mapping the power structures in were considered to be masculine. political systems. III. Women from lower classes: They were occupied with looking after their families Session 1 -Women in politics and supporting them fi nancially by earning a meager livelihood. – trends and challenges In the post-independence era, while women Presented by Ms. were acknowledged as leaders by many, Anita Manoharan, representative positions remained a male Programme Lead, domain. From 1952 to 2019, there has been Indian School of a marginal increase of only 10% in women’s Democracy; the representation at the Lok Sabha. Currently, session started with women constitute only 11% of the Rajya a historical view Sabha and 15% of the Lok Sabha. Women are of how women’s actively present in political spaces but are not role in the public sphere has evolved in the a part of the decision making bodies. Women Indian context. Women’s contribution from have actively picked up spaces outside the independence era to present times the system and led several protests and was discussed. Different sets of data were agitations, emerging as mass leaders. explored to see how women’s representation is still limited at the national and state levels; Later, the participants discussed the several and the multiple challenges women face barriers faced by women attempting to before being recognized as viable political enter politics and some of them have been representatives were discussed. enumerated below:

During the pre-independence era, three • Systemic – inadequate spaces for women different kinds of profi les of women in political parties, election seats and emerged: parliament. • Socio-cultural – prevalence of the I. The modern woman: They were educated perception that women in political spaces and belonged to the higher strata of are not acceptable. socidd61000000ety, often from political SHE 11 LEAD • Economic- inaccessibility to economic Expert talk - Pathways resources and decision making of women: journeys and • Technical- women do not have access to the skills and knowledge required to motivation with enter political life, which undermines their Ms. Margaret Alva confi dence. Former Governor Apart from the above challenges, the and Union Minister common assumption is women are not ready, Ms. Margaret and moreover, do not have interest in politics. Alva, joined was The increased representation of women at the expert speaker the local government level after the 73rd and on day 2 of the 74th Constitutional Amendments has helped programme and negate many of these perceptions. While the session was reservation for women in higher legislatures is moderated by Ms. Kanksshi Agarwal, co- one way of bringing more women in politics, founder of Netri Foundation. there is need for a larger shift at the decision making/party level which recognizes women The session began with Ms. Alva sharing as equal stakeholders in politics. Many her thoughts on the need for women’s precedents reveal other possible ways to representation in politics and spoke of her fi ve increase women’s representation in politics; decade long political journey. She shared her for example, several Indian political parties experiences of starting off as a student activist have reserved 30-40% seats for women within and working her way up from the grassroots. the party structure. Similarly, numerous male politicians have emerged as strong allies and supporters, and have assumed the role of Delving into the session’s focal point, mentors for women entering politics. There Ms. Alva enumerated the fi ve most are also instances of women moving away common pathways she had seen women from traditional sources for funding and entering politics take, and the various garnering support through crowd-funding. challenges associated with each pathway: Training programmes on political leadership • Family: This hold true for both men being organized by many organizations like and women in Indian politics and She Leads fi ll up the skill gap needed for coming from a political family provides strengthening women’s political leadership in an easier point of entry for many. India. However, she cautioned that this doesn’t always translate to acceptance The session concluded with the hosts by voters. highlighting the need for positive role models who inspire women to enter politics. • Political parties: The party structure The interactions around challenges and remains the most signifi cant pathways discussed in the session helped determining factor in Indian politics, the participants foresee challenges and and is most often hierarchical and male opportunities available to them, so that they dominated. Ms. Alva spoke of the are better prepared to navigate themselves diffi culties faced by women candidates through the political sphere. in being chosen to contest elections despite having higher win percentages.

SHE LEAD 12 mentors and allies to guide one through She highlighted the importance of the political life. support of senior party members and the need for more democratic party Having advocated for the passing of the structures. Women’s Reservation Bill (WRB) throughout • Social movements: There have been her political career, Ms. Alva shared how many instances of powerful female the bill has faced resistance across party leaders emerging from various socio- lines, despite most major parties claiming economic, religious, and student led to support it. For women to break through mass movements. the many barricades of politics, some form • Local Bodies: This has become a of quota or reservation may be necessary, She spoke of the need vital pathway after the 73rd and 74th opined Ms. Alva. for women to come together as a single constitutional amendments, which political force, and urged the participants provided for reservation for women to mobilize women and help them advocate in local government institutions. for their rights. As the session drew Ms. Alva highlighted that over 1.5 to a close, Ms. Alva graciously offered million women have been elected to personally mentor and guide any to local bodies, calling it the “single participant who seeks to enter electoral largest political revolution in the politics. world”. However, resistance to women candidates still remains, which has prevented this progress from Session 2 - Mapping translating to more representation of women at Parliament and state power structures in Indian legislatures. democracy • Film and Media: Popular fi lm and television personalities are often The session was presented by Ms. Hemakshi courted by political parties as they Meghani, co-founder of the Indian School are able to “pull crowds”. However, of Democracy. It began with an exploration popularity may not always translate to of the four pillars of democracy and the political success, and it is extremely importance of separation of powers between important to be in touch with the pulse these pillars. The session then moved on to of the nation. describing the numerous instances where this separation of powers has been diluted to the detriment of Indian democracy, which Ms. Alva shared that irrespective of the has persevered despite these challenges. pathway taken; women politicians face Through exploring some current examples, multiple hurdles along their political journey. the participants examined the functioning In order to stay motivated, it is important of the quasi federal model that is unique to to have a clear vision and a cause that India, and its numerous conundrums. This was one believes in, and is driven by. Women followed by an overview of the party system contemplating entering politics must of India and its evolution from independence remember there is no single path to be taken to the present day. The inner workings of the for success, and must be ready to bounce party system, its cadres and the opportunities back even after several failures. She also and challenges of being associated with such spoke of the importance of having trustworthy a system were also deliberated upon.

SHE 13 LEAD The session then moved on to a detailed residuary powers of lawmaking are vested in discussion on the nature and roles of the four the Central legislature. In case of an overlap, pillars of Indian democracy- the Legislature, a compromise between two confl icting Executive, Judiciary and the Media. While the considerations- the fi rst of the autonomy Indian Constitution clearly defi nes the distinct enjoyed by states within the constitutionally roles and domains within which these pillars prescribed limit (State List) and the need for a function, it also leaves room for numerous strong centre in view of unity and integrity of instances of overlap between the functions the country (Union List) has to be struck. of the fi rst three pillars. Any political aspirant who seeks to become a part of the legislature The evolution of the party system post- must develop a deep understanding of the independence and its effect on the political functioning of the other 3 pillars and the landscape of the country were discussed next. unique Indian way in which they operate in The organizational structure of political parties our country. was studied briefl y, so that the participants get to know about the various roles they The session also examined the separation can assume within the party structure while of powers between the centre and the preparing to contest elections. states within the quasi federal structure. The distribution of legislative powers between The session concluded with an affi rmation the centre and the states is determined by of the need for mapping power structures the three Lists found in the Seventh Schedule and existing dynamics in Indian politics. For of the Constitution. The powers of both the political aspirants, such a study can prove Central and State Legislatures are specifi cally benefi cial in multiple ways, and help them enumerated in the Union list and State list navigate themselves through political life with respectively while powers mentioned in the knowledge, information and foresight. Concurrent list are enjoyed by both. The

SHE LEAD 14 Chapter 5 DAY 3, IDENTITIES AND LEADERSHIP

The third day of the She Leads programme status, nationality, religious affi liation, age, began with exploring the various layers of physical or cognitive abilities, and political identities that each person carries, along beliefs, with which they identifi ed themselves with the opinions and biases that get formed with. It was also acknowledged that these towards others as a result of societal and identities were likely to change depending on cultural infl uences. The Iceberg model was their surroundings, and would also evolve explored to look through some current over time. After setting the tone for the political events and draw out the mental session, Ms. Hemakshi explored the different models that underlie these events. Some layers of identity that have become associated sensitive but signifi cant layers of identity like with Indian politics using the Iceberg Model (a religion, gender and caste were discussed and method popularly used in management the presenters tried to uncover the mindsets courses). that dictate political events related to these trends. EVENTS React What just happened? There were two expert talks on day 3;

PATTERNS/TRENDS Anticipate one with Dr. Heena Gavit, Member of What trends have three been over time? Parliament (MP), who shared her views on the phenomenon of identity politics in India. The UNDERLYING STRUCTURES Design What has in uenced the patterns? second expert talk was with Mr. Ghanshyam What are the relationship between the parts? Tiwari, spokesperson of Samajwadi Party, MENTAL MODELS Transform who deliberated on the various dimensions of What assumptions, beliefs and values do people hold about the system? What beliefs keep the system in place? political leadership. The iceberg model typically identifi es four basic levels to situations, which are as follows: Session- Identities and biases within and around 1. Events: The discrete activities or facts observable to us. The events that we see me and hear represent the tip of the iceberg.

The session was conducted by Ms. Hemakshi 2. Patterns: The trends that we perceive Meghani, co-founder of ISD; and it began with taking place over time. Patterns help an exercise in which the participants were answer questions like- what’s been asked to write 7 identity markers with which happening? , or- what’s changing? It is they identifi ed or associated themselves. important to identify the patterns because Following this, the participants were asked to they indicate that a particular event is not choose the top 2 identities with which they an isolated incident. relate the most out of the above seven. Participants shared that it is mostly their sex, 3. Underlying structures: These are race or ethnicity, sexual orientation, class the elements that support, create and

SHE 15 LEAD infl uence the patterns we see in the to acknowledge the way historically ingrained events. Structures can be understood as prejudices are built into existing institutions informal ways of work, rules, and norms and structures, and consider how they create which are tacitly institutionalized. They can barriers and limit opportunities. be written or unwritten, visible or invisible. Ms. Hemakshi concluded the session by 4. Mental models: The attitudes, beliefs, reiterating that we learn about our own morals, expectations, values or cultural identity and the identity of others through infl uences that allow the underlying interactions with family, peers, organizations, structures to continue functioning as they institutions, media and other connections we are. These are the beliefs that one often make in our everyday life. learns subconsciously from the society or family one is born into, and are likely unaware of. Mental models are ultimately Expert talk-1 Identity what keep the structure standing. politics and trends of the The detailed explanation of the Iceberg model future with Dr. Heena Gavit was followed by deciphering the model in the context of recent events in India. Issues like Dr. Heena Gavit, the under representation of women in political Member of decision making bodies, rape, mob lynching Parliament, Lok were dissected using the lens of the Iceberg Sabha and the model. Participants were then grouped into chairperson of break out rooms and each group was assigned the Parliamentary a particular event/ issue in Indian politics and standing society. Participants, as part of their break out committee on the rooms then applied the model to understand Empowerment of Women, joined as the the situation, patterns, structures and mental fi rst expert speaker on Day 3 of She Leads models attached to their assigned topic. This programme. The session was moderated by activity helped the participants delve deeper Mr. Prakhar Bhartiya, co-founder of ISD. in understanding the various factors that Dr. Gavit started off the session by sharing an infl uence our responses and reactions to any account of her own political journey. While event or issue. This helped everyone reach a practicing as a doctor and conducting health common understanding of how our identities camps in the tribal areas of Maharashtra, are comprised of shared ideas, ideologies, she was inspired to take up politics in order biases and ways of seeing the world around to effect change at a larger level. One us. experience in particular, that of playing One’s gender, race, ethnicity, sexual a role in giving the gift of eyesight to an orientation, class, disability, religion, and age octogenarian lady for the fi rst time in her life, can play a signifi cant role in determining proved to be transformative. whether one has the social, political and While acknowledging the various economic power to challenge events that intersectional layers of identity that nudged threaten the society at large. While many her towards politics, she expressed a assume that anyone can amassue social, determined resolve to work towards a future economic and political power if they have that rises above identity politics, and focuses talent, ability, and hard work, but one needs instead on development. While sharing her SHE LEAD 16 own experience of fi ghting an election for are; having unshakable principles, and the fi rst time, she spoke of how she made the a cause that one truly believes in and development of her tribal constituency her commits to in the long term. electoral agenda. In particular, she focused on combating rampant malnutrition and advocating for the quality education of tribal Expert talk – 2 Leadership children. talk with Mr. Ghanshyam Dr Gavit observed that the long lasting Tiwari practice of vote bank politics ends up restricting a politician’s vision, and hampering Seasoned politician their ability to work for all their constituents, and spokesperson thus dividing the community itself. She of Samajwadi Party, emphasized that Parliamentarians must Mr. Ghanshyam advocate for the rights of all their constituents Tiwari joined Day and shared that the fi rst question of her 3 of She Leads for parliamentary career was asked to advocate a comprehensive for the scholarship rights of minority students. session on leadership. The session was moderated by Looking at the future, Dr. Gavit highlighted Ms. Himakshi Meghani, co - founder of ISD. the emergence of a new generation of politicians, one that can hopefully evolve The session began with a discussion on the beyond divisive politics and focus all their role of ethics and values in leadership. Mr attention on development. She also spoke Tiwari spoke of the need to have synergy of the need to truly empower marginalized between the values one seeks to embody communities by providing them quality health in public life, and one’s personal conduct. and education services. Refl ecting on and recognizing one’s own fundamental principles and values, is When asked if representation of women necessary to achieve such a synergy. When could ever become an electoral agenda, entering politics, it is important to defi ne one’s Dr Gavit expressed hope. However, she own rules of engagement. Mr Tiwari also shed also highlighted how mere reservation for light on the importance of representation in women in local bodies has proven insuffi cient, bringing in newer interests to redefi ne these with many women stripped of any real rules of engagement for the better. decision making powers and seen solely as fi gureheads. To combat this, women need In order to navigate the ethical dilemmas to be empowered and trained to assume of politics, one must cling to one’s intrinsic political offi ce. She also spoke of the need motivation for entering public life. Building for transparent party structures that include a public mission that is greater than one women at every level. individual prevents the insecurities of political life from taking over, Mr Tiwari said. In concluding remarks, Dr. Gavit shared the three qualities which according to her The next part of the session focused on are most important for women entering building one’s political capital. Mr Tiwari politics. First and foremost, one must spoke of the ever growing models of have self-confi dence and never let others expression and collaboration that can help discourage them. The other two qualities build one’s public narrative, which must be based on one’s principles and public missions. SHE 17 LEAD Sharing his own public missions of promoting and utilising opportunities are essential in girls education and helping professionals politics. Advising the participants, Mr Tiwari enter politics, he spoke of the importance of spoke of the need to create one’s own identity building strong teams around one’s public and persona in public life and enter politics missions. Transparency, clear communication from a position of strength.

Concluding the session, Mr. Tiwari spoke Discussing the missing links in women’s of the need for a “nexus of good” to come political leadership, Mr. Tiwari spoke of the together and bridge the above missing links. three socio-political changes needed to He spoke of the emergence of “New Age bridge these gaps: politics”, and urged the participants to use • Consolidation of women’s interests the power of the digital sphere to build their and the creation of an aware voter social capital, work on their public mission, base: Mr Tiwari highlighted the urgent and transform it into positive political capital. need of helping young women think politically from an early age. • Need for positive female social infl uencers in rural India: visibility of positive role models from various fi elds is important to break stereotypes. • Need for safe social and public spaces for women: the majority of public infrastructure in India is intrinsically “male”, a reality that must change to create a levelled playing fi eld for women.

SHE LEAD 18 Chapter 6 DAY 4, CONSTITUENCY MANAGEMENT

The fourth day of the She Leads Programme at which elections will be contested- began with a session on understanding the Parliament or State Assemblies. A detailed technicalities of a constituency and how to knowledge of the special attributes of start cultivating it for one’s future political the landscape, nature, roads and paths, aspirations. The discussions were focused villages and towns of the constituency on the various factors that affect political would prove to be useful in any campaign. outcomes in a constituency and the data and Accurate knowledge of local conditions sources one needs to collect and prepare for. is both an essential prerequisite in the The expert talk of the day was with Mr. M.V. logistic planning of a campaign, and a key Rajeev Gowda, former MP who discussed expectation of voters. policies affecting women’s health and livelihood. The theme of the last session was Demography- Several characteristics like ‘Drafting a public narrative’, and the session the socio-economic profi le of people, focused on its fi rst dimension- the story of their education, and occupation affect self. The second dimension of the above their propensity to participate in political theme- the story of us and now was scheduled matters. Statistical data about the number to be taken up the following day. of households with respect to age groups, gender, religion, education, and employment status could be collected from Session 1 – Understanding Election Commission of India or from other and cultivating your government departments. This micro level constituency information would feed into campaign planning, and affect the type of messaging The session was conducted by Ms. Anita and mode of outreach. Manoharan, Programme Lead, ISD. With this Development Issues- Through qualitative session, the training moved into preparation and quantitative research and group or mode for building effective strategies for their one-on-one meetings, one must identify future election campaigns. The fi rst step of the current social and development issues building any successful campaign strategy is concerning the day-to-day lives of the to understand the constituency one decides constituents. It is important to fi nd out the to contest from. resources available to the people, and the relevant government schemes and policies To get a precise picture of the constituency, which affect different sections of people a one needs to know the following: constituency.

Geography and physical environment– Political affi liation and voting pattern- The importance of this element in a The fi rst step would be to get a historical campaign is determined by the level view of the leaders who have been elected

SHE 19 LEAD levels, and focused on the preparatory work from a constituency. It would also make done for a fairly long time before elections. sense to examine target groups within the The three main strategies the party adopted constituency based on the inclination of have been enumerated below: the voters towards a particular political party. The categorization of such pockets or • Massive enrolment drive- Technology target groups can be done on basis of the was used in a big way to make the process following: highly democratic, inclusive and seeker- friendly. Once enrolment of the volunteers • People who traditionally vote for one was done, mechanisms were put in place particular party in elections. These to fi lter the data and churn out the list clusters defi nitely have to be addressed of committed volunteers. This data base on a continuous basis. One must ensure was leveraged to reach out to every voter a high voter turnout in these traditional in the constituencies. This exercise was bastions of support. started many years before the general • Clusters which traditionally vote for elections happened, thus highlighting the the competitors - Unless there is a importance of planning a campaign in possibility of a major change there, it advance. may not make sense to invest too much • Social engineering– Though this is a time & energy in such areas. controversial strategy, it helped the party • Clusters where undecided voters can turn its fortunes around. Gaining insights be found- The so-called swing voters from these strategies, the party gave may be low in percentage but are chances to under-represented castes to crucial to win the constituency. hold leadership positions and included • Pockets where considerable issues that concerned disadvantaged fl uctuations in voting have been seen groups of their constituencies. in the past- You may need to look into • Strong organizational skills- The party the reasons for it and engineer your fostered a ground level network and campaign accordingly. established communication channels • Pockets where a large number of new via which each party worker and citizens have moved into. representative could connect with people. The outreach by party workers was not limited to only the pre-election campaign, Since this data may not be available in the but continued on the polling day and public domain in entirety, it is imperative to even after the election was won. Each form a resource team which can establish party worker and volunteer was given contact with people in a constituency. The the responsibility of reaching out to 12 session stressed how a lot of consulting households. agencies play the role of collecting micro level data and analyzing it for the benefi t of the As the session concluded, the importance of candidate. a good resource team in a political campaign was emphasized. Participants were asked Later, the session transitioned into exploring to remember to plan their future political ways of cultivating a constituency. This was campaigns well in advance, use the strategies done through the case study of a political discussed in the session as merely guidelines, party which made a comeback to power after and curate their own campaigns according to several years of losing elections at various their personal strengths and experiences. SHE LEAD 20 Expert Talk - ‘Exploring to their stories inspired him to enter politics. Starting out as a student leader, he went on policies around health and to pursue an illustrious career in academics livelihood of women’ with abroad, only to return to India to effect Mr. M.V. Rajeev Gowda meaningful change through politics. Coming to the topic of the panel discussion, Respected academician, former member of Mr. Gowda eloquently spoke of the need of Rajya Sabha and spokesperson of his party Mr. public policy processes that are humane, M.V Rajeev Gowda joined the panel of She inclusive and effi cient. Referring to Professor Leads as an expert on day 4. The session was Amartya Sen’s defi nition of freedom as moderated by Ms. Kanta Singh, Chevening capability and development for each Gurukul Fellow.. individual, he expressed how we still have a long way to go to be truly free. Mr. Gowda shared how being born in a family of freedom fi ghters and growing up listening

Mr. M.V. Rajeev Gowda Ms. Kanta Singh

Mr. Gowda then moved on to analyze the issue”, the following three conditions factors that determine policies for the must be fulfi lled simultaneously: health and livelihood of women. Some of • The problem must be considered those have been mentioned below: important by the public: The interests • The public policy process: Mr. Gowda of women must be consolidated by enumerated the various steps of making them equal stakeholders in this process - policy identifi cation, policy and manifesto consultations. formulation, adoption, implementation, • The issue must have policy solutions and evaluation. In order to create which can satisfactorily address it. effective policies for women, the • Policymakers must think they can representation and meaningful benefi t by taking up the issue: For participation of women at each step of women’s issues to become policy this process is a necessary prerequisite. issues, mobilization of women as a • The window of opportunity: In order political force and a vital vote bank is for any issue to become a “policy important.

SHE 21 LEAD Speaking on missing links in the Creating a public narrative is not just an act of implementation of policies meant for the sharing “your story”, but a leadership exercise safety of women, Mr. Gowda used the to bring together people for a common cause example of the Vishakha guidelines, 1997 or change. The three components of the and the Sexual Harassment of Women at public narrative are best described in the Workplace Act, 2013 that it led to. While both graphic given below: the guidelines and the subsequent legislation were milestones in the battle to safeguard women from harassment at the workplace, PURPOSE Story of Story of their implementation has been dismal. This is SELF NOW due to non compliance by many companies,

negligible reporting of cases, and poor COMMUNITY resolution of the reported cases. Oftentimes, policies for the safety of women remain poorly URGENCY implemented due to a lack of systemic data Story of collection coupled with the persistence of US prejudiced societal mindsets.

Mr. Gowda also spoke of the importance Adapted from the work of Prof. Marshall of incorporating the practice of gender Ganz of Harvard University budgeting across all major government ministries in a truly meaningful manner. While The objective of narrating the ‘story of self’ the practice has been prevalent since 2005, is to identify sources of your own calling that the gender budget remains a mere 4-6% of drew you to electoral politics. Using this ‘story the total budget, with 85% of its allocation of self’, one must call upon others (‘story going to only 5 ministries. of us’) to join you in and help usher in the positive changes needed for society at large Concluding the session, Mr. Gowda (‘story of now’). In this session, the ‘story spoke of the need for immersive training of self’ was discussed at length and the programs that help women understand other two components were taken up the the tacit, unwritten rules of politics; and following day. congratulated the organizers for taking a vital step in this direction. For any political aspirant, it is important to share a public account of ‘who they are’, ‘why they do what they do’, and ‘where they Session 2 – hope to lead the people’. This personal story Public Narrative I – Story of will be a tool to share values not as abstract Self principles, but as lived experiences, and will have the power to move others. A personal The session was conducted by Ms. Anita narrative can be developed on the following Manoharan- Programme Lead, ISD. The pointers: framework used in helping the participants Challenge- The challenges you faced – What develop their public narratives was adapted they were, and why they were challenges. from the work of Professor Marshall Ganz of Harvard University. Choice- Could you make a choice? Were you sure about the choice you made?

SHE LEAD 22 Values and emotions- From where did you still are in public life, they were scripting the draw upon the courage to make that choice? ‘story of self’ for the fi rst time and felt very Specify the values and emotions attached to it connected to this exercise.

Outcomes- The outcomes that you Ms. Anita concluded the session by experienced/achieved directly or indirectly. emphasizing how building one’s public narrative is a learning process, and not merely As an example, Ms. Anita shared her personal writing a script. It can be learned only by narrative with the participants, and eloquently telling one’s story, listening, refl ecting, and described the challenges she had faced starting again. This narrative allows one to and the causes she was motivated by most. communicate the values that motivate the Thereafter, as group work, participants were choices that one makes. It is through this asked to share their own story of self with sharing of personal values that one can each other, give each other feedback and engage with others and motivate them to act help their teammates zero in on the challenge, and fi nd the courage to take risks by backing the choice, and the outcome in their stories. a new face in politics. Though some of the participants had been or

SHE 23 LEAD SHE LEAD 24 Chapter 7 DAY 5 – MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS

The fi rst session of Day 5 of the She • The experiences and challenges that a Leads training programme picked up the community has faced. threads of the previous day’s discussion on • The desired outcome – the changes that developing a public narrative. This session the community hopes for, and reasons for guided participants through building the the same. ‘story of us and now’, using which they can motivate constituents to join their campaigns Participants were explained that the ‘Story of and contribute to a shared purpose. Ther us’ should be about the challenges and issues day’s expert talk was centered on ‘Political that a community /constituency is facing on a communication’, and conducted by Ms. Tara day-to-day basis. One must identify an urgent Krishnaswamy. This was followed by a panel challenge which connects with the people and discussion on ‘Media and Politics’ with Ms. weave it in the one’s public narrative. Archana Chitnis, former State Cabinet Minister and Ms. Bandana Kumari, MLA, AAP. A ‘Story of us’ works if people identify with each other, on the basis of values that inspire them to act. As a candidate, one Session 1- Public Narrative should be able to evoke emotions that recognize the shared values and challenges II, Story of Us/Now (Marshall of a constituency through the medium of Ganz Framework) one’s personal narrative. Once the narrative is scripted, it becomes easy to articulate The session on public narrative was adapted messages that are acceptable to the people from the works of Prof. Marshall Ganz of and have the power to make an impact. Harvard University. Ms. Anita Manoharan- An effective public narrative that outlines a Programme Lead, ISD conducted this session shared purpose is basically the evolution of as a continuation from Day 4’s ‘story of self’. the ‘Story of self’ into the ‘Story of us’.

Story of Us Story of now

The ‘story of us’ not only articulates the values Quoting Prof. Ganz’s take on the ‘Story of of a community, but also describes the sense now’, Ms. Manoharan introduced this concept of a collective identity. Referring to the Ganz to the participants. She remarked that the framework, Ms. Manoharan explored the ‘Story of now’ is about “the challenges a ‘story of us’ using the following elements: community faces currently, the choices it must • The shared values, goals and vision of a make, and the hope to which it can aspire.” In community. the diagram given below, three vital elements of the ‘Story of now’ are depicted:

SHE 25 LEAD The Elements of a Story of Now

The Challenge - The challenge we are facing now (made real through stories, not just statistics) Challenge

GOAL SHARED The Outcome - A plausible pathway to action, a CHOICE sense of the “possible”, of what “could be” if we ASK act now.

Hope

The Choice - A choice to commit to that pathway to action that each person in your audience can make right now. Story of Now

Adapted from the work of Prof. Marshall Ganz, Harvard University

On examining the different elements of the element for building an effective political ‘Story of now’ and connecting the different campaign as it allows us to communicate the dimensions of a public narrative with values that motivate the choices that we make running an effective political campaign, Ms. to our constituents. Manoharan advised that the ‘Story of now’ must be a winning combination of story and strategy. The ‘Story of now’ must offer Expert Talk -1 Political people a choice (choosing you as a political communication with Ms. representative) and clearly spell out a call to action to get desirable results. Unless the Tara Krishnaswamy narrative clearly spells out why a given choice The fi rst expert talk will be benefi cial to the people, they will not of day 5 of She join you. People must be provided with a Leads was with sense of shared purpose through the ‘Story of Ms. Tara now’. Krishnaswamy- Ms. Manoharan concluded the session by the founder of emphasizing that it is through the shared Shakti- Political experience of our values that we can engage Power to Women, with others, motivate one another to act, fi nd a public pressure group led by non- partisan the courage to take risks, explore possibilities women passionate about increasing female and face the challenges of public life. representation in politics. Shakti is one of the Developing a public narrative is an essential content partners of She Leads.

SHE LEAD 26 Ms. Krishnaswamy began with defi ning • Through Ads, photo ops, campaigns, political communication in simple words social media, manifesto, debates and face- – it is about mobilizing people; making to-face interactions with citizens. people think, feel and do what you want. • It could be direct or indirect, instant or Effective political communication is not just deliberative. verbal or written rhetoric, but also includes • It could be in the form of visual, auditory, paralinguistic signs like body language, and text and software messages. political acts such as boycotts and protests. She went on to share that whatever mode/ Irrespective of the medium or time, the medium one uses to communicate should message should be representative, Ms. necessarily meet the following objectives: Krishnaswamy said. She advised the • To earn trust and credibility participants to incorporate the following characteristics in any campaign message: • To set an agenda for the campaign • Simple and concise • To infl uence the thought process of people, appeal to their emotions and • Tells a story steer their choices to win favour. • Catchy and repeatable Ms. Krishnaswamy shared that political • Current and urgent communication is a process that includes • Emotive and persuasive government, political institutions, parties, • Credible and honest candidates, the news media and most importantly, the citizens. Every act of political • Customized for the audience communication produced by each of the • Visually appealing above-mentioned players is geared towards the citizens, to inform and infl uence them. She suggested that before a message is It is a direct or indirect form of interaction crafted, it is important to assemble factual between the all the constituents that matter in information and do thorough research on the politics. subject. From her experience, she shared that an emotional issue always has the potential of She asserted that political communication getting traction. Once the issue is fi nalized, is and will always be a central component construct it simply and disseminate it through in political processes, whether it is leaders all possible social media networks so that it communicating with the public, candidates reaches a sizeable crowd, she advised. competing for votes, candidates and parties struggling for attention and sympathy, Concluding her session Ms. Krishnaswamy or citizens debating public issues. Ms. observed that political communication is a Krishnaswamy shared that there is no vast area and is evolving continuously. One prescribed timing or way for communication mantra that works each time one plans to to take place; it continues to happen all create a public message according to her is the time. The periodicity and ways in which to “observe, analyze and dissect” the relevant political communication continues to happen information. are given below:

• Throughout the political process of governance, elections, activism and opposition.

SHE 27 LEAD Panel discussion on ‘Media Political parties are increasingly cultivating women as voters and focusing on women’s and politics’ with issues, but still shy away from giving tickets to Ms. Namita Bhandare and female candidates. There is an urgent need for a truly representative parliament with a Ms. Shazia Ilmi greater number of women in it. Despite the lack of power trickling down from the top, The expert panelists of the day were award more and more women are leading social winning journalist and gender expert Ms. movements and emerging as mass leaders, Namita Bhandare, and seasoned journalist Ms. Bhandare said. turned successful politician Ms. Shazia Ilmi. The session was moderated by Ms. Rakhi The second panelist, Ms. Shazia Ilmi Bakshi moderated the session. commented on the amplifi cation of negative commentary on women politicians in the media. She shared about her own personal struggles with narrow social mindsets, and expressed how whenever a woman attempts to enter public life, all aspects of her womanhood are put on a pedestal and scrutinized. She spoke of the need to move beyond this fl awed and incomplete perception of women, and start seeing Ms. Namita Bhandare Ms. Shazia Ilmi them fi rst and foremost as human beings The session began with a discussion between with capabilities and ambitions of their Ms. Bakshi and Ms. Bhandare on the position own. of women in Indian politics and their depiction Both speakers highlighted how in order to by the media. Ms. Bhandare highlighted how be seen as a successful politician, one is media posturing by politicians is becoming expected to embody certain “masculine” increasingly muscular, thus excluding women traits. Ms. Ilmi then urged the participants from the conversation. She shared how to take control of their own narratives the 2019 Lok Sabha election was hailed as and redefi ne this fl awed conception of historic for women, even though only 14.6% power. There is power in empathy, in women were elected as parliamentarians. The sensitivity and in gentle fi rmness, she said. media plays a big role in tempering public Any person entering politics must work expectations, and has a responsibility to on their communication skills and learn to advocate for greater representation of engage constructively with the media. Ms. women. Responsible media coverage can Bhandare highlighted how patriarchy harms help change the narrative by highlighting men too, sharing how female politicians the struggles and successes of women are more likely to focus on developmental entering politics. Ms. Bhandare used the issues that can increase the health and well- examples of current MPs Pramila Bisoyi being of both women and men. and Ramya Haridas, who rose from the grassroots and won their respective Lok Sabha Discussing the rampant rise of cyber bullying elections against all odds. Such positive and negative commentary on women success stories and role models must be politicians, the panelists spoke of the need of highlighted by the media. a zero-tolerance policy towards such behavior.

SHE LEAD 28 Women across party lines must bond together Recognizing the power of the media in in a sisterhood and name and shame such framing public opinion and generating healthy violators. The media must also highlight such debate, both panelists spoke of the urgent instances and ensure accountability. When need of an environment that fosters critical combating such behavior, one must take thinking and healthy disagreements. As the strong legal action and also use the power session drew to a close, Ms. Rekha Mody of social media to generate positive public from Stree Shakti joined in and spoke of the support. Ms. Ilmi also highlighted the need to need to create an alliance of women in media hold big technology companies accountable to advocate for the fair representation and for any malicious content on their platforms. portrayal of women in politics.

SHE 29 LEAD SHE LEAD 30 Chapter 8 DAY 6, CAMPAIGN TOOL AND STRATEGY

The second part of the training program human behavior and how humans make resumed after a break of 5 days. The fi rst decisions in the real world. It is extremely session of day 6 was dedicated to exploring important that one uses this science while the concepts and principles of Behavioral campaigning. She further explained what Science and their application in winning behavioral science means: elections and convincing voters. The second • Behavioral Science studies the way session of the day was focused on ‘Building people’s emotions, their environment, and effective campaign strategies’, and discussed other social factors infl uence their decision. the steps of building a strong strategic plan of action for the months leading up to an • Behavior Science is particularly interested election. The expert talk of the day was with in how heuristics, biases and framing can Ms. Archana Chitnis- Ex MP and Ms. Bandana lead us to make a decision. Kumari- MLA, AAP, and revolved around It can be used to infl uence people’s behavior, building effective political campaigns. and help make them better decisions. In politics, it is used to analyze why people vote Session -1 Using Behavioral the way they do, and what it will take to make Sciences in campaigning them change their minds in your favor. Ms. Agarwal further went on to discuss the The session was various types of tools that can help one utilize conducted by Ms. Kanksshi Agarwal, behavioral science in political campaigns: founder NETRI. The • General Laws- applicable to most session introduced humans. These are the basic ways of participants to the giving complete information and deep fundamentals of insights to the people and enable them to behavioral science make informed choices. using case studies that demonstrated how people often vote for short term gains over • Experiments- Will be shaped by specifi c the long policy changes, and also how voters’ circumstances, identities, geographies and personal biases affect their voting pattern. Ms. other socio-economic and political factors. Agarwal also discussed how candidates may Though these tools have a high potential use effective behavioral science strategies to of infl uencing people’s minds, one needs overcome such challenges and mould their to be very careful while designing such campaign to infl uence more people. experiments as they may sabotage the entire campaign. Ms. Agarwal began by emphasizing that during campaigning, what matters most is that As a candidate, one must aim to study the a candidate is able to successfully mobilize behavior of voters, opponents and the people, organize them and make them vote media. Ms. Agarwal also impressed upon for her. Behavioral science is the study of the importance of analyzing the tools used SHE 31 LEAD by one’s opponents to woo voters. She irrespective of the level of election one is gave examples of the many ways in which standing for, it is the campaign strategy which behavioral science is used in Indian politics: determines the difference between winning and losing. A winning campaign is one that • Election Sops- These are crowd pleasing takes the time to reach out to people, builds schemes and policies that are often a persuasive story or message, and follows introduced just before major elections. through with its strategy and agenda. Such behavioral strategies focus only on getting short-term results, and may not be The session then moved on to discuss the most ethical. the key elements of building effective • Anchoring- It is very important for us to strategies and campaigns: anchor our narrative in a way that hooks • Knowing your constituency and voters: people into believing one’s message. Any Understanding the history, geography, political message should therefore be and culture of one’s constituency, along relatable and relevant. with the political challenges faced by its • Framing- The way a message is framed constituents, is imperative. One must also must depend on the emotion one seeks interact with infl uential opinion leaders of to evoke in people, and the kind of action a region. that emotion will preferably lead to. The • Building a narrative: An effective message should refl ect a sense of urgency narrative is the most important aspect of and nudge people towards taking action. any successful political campaign, and it Once you are able to infl uence people’s is essential to build a narrative that voters can relate to. thought process, it is important to resonate with them on a sub conscious level. At a sub • Campaign team: having a reliable team to conscious level, it is one’s sense of identity that execute one’s campaign plans is a must. nudges people to make a particular decision. • Having a budget: Without adequate For example- A statement like I am the funds, it is next to impossible to run for changemaker is more impactful to most people an election. It is necessary to take the than a statement like I will bring the change. economics of running a campaign into account right from the beginning. Having Ms. Agarwal reiterated that applying behavioral a reliable, effi cient and honest fund-raising science to a political campaign is not easy and budgeting team is essential. and can go wrong if it is not researched well. • Messaging: Any political slogan, She concluded by observing how behavioral catchphrase or message must convey sciences will be essential in strategizing its intention in crystal clear terms. A election campaigns in accordance with the message should also help the constituent changing nature of the political environment. immediately think of your particular brand of politics. Session -2, Building • Social media promotion: in these modern effective strategies and times, social media has become the easiest medium for politicians and political campaigns parties to reach their target audiences. The session was conducted by Ms. Anita • Direct promotion: Tools such as banners, Manoharan- Programme Lead, ISD. She leafl ets, short manifestos, and direct mail introduced the session by remarking how are great ways to persuade people of a

SHE LEAD 32 geographic region to vote for a particular from Aam Admi Party, Ms. Bandana Kumari. candidate or party. In some areas, door- The panel discussion was moderated by Ms. to-door campaigns still remain the most Savita Sethi, consultant, Stree Shakti effective campaign tools. Beginning the session by sharing her political • Media and public relations: Any politician journey, Ms. Chitnis recalled growing up with should have a rock-solid public relations politically conscious parents, and coming strategy which enables them to maintain a of age during the turbulent times of the presence on social media, television, and emergency. As a student leader, she learnt the print and digital media throughout the ins and outs of political advocacy, and started election season. working at the grassroots level. After being briefed on the key elements of building a strong campaign strategy, Talking about effective campaign strategies, participants were asked to a develop plan for Ms. Chitnis shared how losing her very fi rst the next 6 months of their political careers assembly election by a mere 195 votes proved with each other. Ms. Manoharan also used to be her most valuable lesson. This experience the example of the recent Delhi Assembly helped her realise the importance of every elections to introduce participants to various single vote, party worker and volunteer. novel electoral campaign and messaging Advising the participants, she spoke of the strategies. She concluded the session by importance of working at the grassroots and saying that each election campaign is unique connecting with all manner of constituents, in itself, and it is essential that all participants a strategy that helped her win her second factor in the distinctive elements of their own election by a landslide margin. constituency while curating their political campaigns. Offering some sage advice to the participants, Ms. Chitnis shared the vital Expert Talk- Building effective elements of a successful political campaign: political campaigns, with i. Voter list: calling it the single most important tool for a political campaign, Ms. Archana Chitnis and she highlighted the signifi cance of Ms. Bandana Kumari properly understanding the voter list. Conducting detailed research in order to understand one’s constituents via surveys, volunteers and booth workers is vital.

ii. Party structure: the nature, ideology and structure of one’s political party heavily infl uence a political campaign. It is important to work within the party structure and utilise its network to aid one’s political campaign.

Ms. Archana Chitnis Ms. Bandana Kumari iii. Your personal vision: Personal factors become more important for a political The panel was joined by three time MLA and campaign as one moves down from former state cabinet minister from Madhya Lok Sabha, to Assembly and Panchayat Pradesh Ms. Archana Chitnis and former deputy elections. Moreover, with increasing speaker of the Delhi Assembly and current MLA

SHE 33 LEAD voter expectations and aspirations, their political and social rights and a candidate’s personal manifesto responsibilities and urging them assumes importance. It is important to to become equal stakeholders of distinguish oneself beyond the party the political process is of utmost structure, and highlight tangible and importance. Ms. Kumari shared how realistic missions that one seeks to take doing this reaped benefi ts in her own up through the campaign. campaigns, with many women voting iv. The digital revolution: Political independently for the fi rst time and campaigning and electioneering, like making their own electoral choice. every other sphere of society, have been transformed by the sea change iii. Doing the groundwork: Election in information technology. On one campaigns must be about working hand, this has introduced an element for one’s constituents. Talking about of caution in every political campaign, her second campaign strategy, Ms as mistakes and errors go “viral” at Kumari shared how she devoted warp speed. On the brighter side, herself to previously ignored and technology has opened up avenues to underdeveloped areas of her reach out to every single constituent - constituency, working on their whether urban or rural. development. This in turn helps spread political awareness in citizens and bring them closer to the electoral process. Our second panelist, Ms. Bandana Kumari joined in the second half of the session, shared profound insights gained along her personal political journey. From being an avid social worker, starting an NGO of her own, to working passionately for the ‘India Against Corruption’ movement; she learnt all about effective mobilizing strategies and campaigning through working at the grassroots.

Advising the participants on building effective political campaigns, she urged them to be mindful of the following:

i. Choosing the right campaign issues: Giving her own example of building a campaign around the simple issue of electricity access, she highlighted the importance of taking up issues that affect the daily life of the common man.

ii. Cultivate women as voters: Women represent perhaps the largest and most historically ignored political force. Spreading awareness about

SHE LEAD 34 Chapter 9 DAY 7- RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

The last day of the She Leads training • The need to reach out to low income programme started with a brief period of groups and not restrict one’s fundraising intention setting followed by a session on campaign to only high income groups was fundraising for political campaigns. The discussed. The presenter stressed the expert talk of the day was with Mr. Prithvi importance of identifying power groups Reddy, who shared the practical experiences who can contribute positively towards a of raising funds for political campaigns campaign and align with its ideologies; and the various avenues and strategies and discussed strategies of approaching explored by him and his political party. In the them for fund raising. concluding session of the day, participants • Using technology and crowdfunding for shared the knowledge and insights they reaching larger populations that support gained during the 7 days of She Leads, one’s political ideologies can help boost followed by affi rmations of continued support any fundraising campaign. from the programme partners and organizers. During the interactive session, many experienced participants also shared Session- Fundraising for the strategies they adopted in their past political campaigns fundraising campaigns.

Ms. Kalyanee from NETRI, presented the session on fundraising for political campaigns. Expert Talk - ‘Political The session explored the various aspects of Fundraising, avenues & planning a fundraising campaign- setting a fundraising goal, developing strategies to strategies’ with Mr. Prithvi reach donors and establishing a timeline for Reddy execution. A good fundraising campaign also establishes trust in a candidate’s credibility Leader of the ‘India and increased chances of staying in power, it Against Corruption’ was emphasized. movement and a seasoned Highlights of the session: fundraising expert, Mr. Prithvi Reddy • Fundraising is an important aspect of any was the expert political campaign strategy and should be panelist on the last given an ongoing priority. day of the training programme. The session • The changing nature of fundraising was moderated by political activist Tara strategies and ways in which many leaders Krishnaswamy, founder of Shakti- one of the are moving beyond traditional funding partners of She Leads. strategies was deliberated.

SHE 35 LEAD The session began by highlighting how political constituents, Mr. Reddy advised the fundraising is often associated with dishonorable participants to set clear boundaries and unpalatable acts. Dishonest political regarding this from the very beginning, fundraising remains the root cause of corruption in order to establish themselves as in politics. An open and honest dialogue about honest politicians. fundraising is the need of the hour.

A majority of political parties still believe Explaining the need for fundraising, Mr. elections cannot be won without huge infl ux Reddy enumerated the various expenses of money. This perception is fl awed, insisted incurred by a party or candidate: Mr. Reddy, sharing how elections can be won • Election campaign funding: This with minimal money if one is creative and includes funds needed for voter transparent. outreach and polling day expenses. Mr. Reddy shared how 17 % of Indian Crowdsourcing of funds has become a viable voters make their fi nal decision on the alternative for candidates committed to honest day of polling itself. fundraising, and allows even the smallest of donors to have a sense of ownership towards a • Funds required to run your offi ce campaign. It is important to convey the value post an election victory. of honest fundraising to constituents. Ethical • Funds required for managing public fundraising helps safeguard taxpayers’ money, expectations post victory: Sharing the country’s resources, and does not restrict how election victories often come politicians to serving the needs of only with disproportionate expectations powerful interest groups, enabling them to of fi nancial benevolence from some work for all constituencies.

SHE LEAD 36 your story to constituents. When planning a In the next segment of the session, the fundraising campaign, it is important to start panelists dissected the most important in advance. Running a campaign at least a aspects of delivering a successful year in advance is advisable. However, one fundraising pitch and shared the following : must also be cognizant of election dates and • Structure of the pitch: The candidate’s legal limits to funding. “story” must be at the forefront of the pitch. ‘Who you are’, ‘why you do As the session closed, Mr. Reddy urged what you do’, ‘why you are running for the participants to differentiate themselves offi ce’, ‘what will you accomplish if you as honest politicians, and not worry about win’ - these vital questions must be competing with opponents raising unethical clearly answered in the pitch. funds. He concluded by emphasizing the need for creation of positive role models for running • The importance of relentless follow clean political campaigns who will inspire more up: Denial from a potential donor people to participate in principled politics. shouldn’t be a deterrent, because one must remember that funds are being raised not for an individual but for a Concluding session larger cause. • Reach out to all small and big donors The fi nal session on the last day of the as long as they contribute ethical training programme was taken by Ms. Tejal, funds. Different people are driven by Consultant, ISD. Conducting the session in different reasons. It is important to an engaging and interactive manner, she have conversations with constituents ensured that the closing session leaves to understand this, and cater the pitch participants feeling energized and excited accordingly. to translate their lessons to their lives even after the programme ends. The idea behind • Ensure transparency: Specify the concluding session was to reinforce expenditure heads to potential the different layers of learning that the donors, and maintain detailed lists of participants acquired over the last 7 days of all elements of fundraising. This helps training and fortify the social connections that ensure accountability and a sense of the participants had made with each other. ownership in donors. • Work on someone else’s fundraising The participants were asked to write down the campaign: This is the best way to shed most signifi cant insights they gained from this any personal inhibitions associated with experience; this may be either a new learning fundraising, and prepare for your own or validated previous learning. All the campaign. participants shared their thoughts in the break out rooms. While each one’s learning was relevant to their current space and context, Mr. Reddy also highlighted the importance of some of the common lessons and takeaways a good fundraising from the programme are stated below: “Politics is the best team. Team cause one can donate to • Enabled them to link their personal members must be in India and this message narratives to build a leadership profi le and people who can be must be empathetically conveyed to citizens”. brand. trusted, and are able to clearly translate - Mr. Prithvi Reddy • Helped them design their public narrative for their constituents and cater it to SHE 37 LEAD address the most pertinent issues of a leadership roles in politics and various sectors, constituency. and inspired them to devote themselves to • Introduced them to fundraising techniques furthering women’s causes. Thereafter, the beyond the traditional ways. participants were asked to visualize where they saw themselves in 10 years time. Many • Helped them understand the power participants proudly visualized themselves structures while developing their electoral as MPs or MLAs, and holding signifi cant constituency positions in political decision making offi ces. • The Camaraderie and support offered by cohort members led to creation of a The day ended with the entire She Leads positive network. team thanking the participants and offering their support in their political journeys even • The expert talks gave them real time after the programme ends- by providing them insights and helped them better networking and mentorship opportunities. The understand the ins and outs of political team reiterated their trust in the participants life. and the power of committed female leaders All of them shared the sentiment that She with the vision and ability to make a lasting Leads helped them visualize themselves in change in the Indian political landscape.

SHE LEAD 38 Chapter 10 CERTIFICATE DISTRIBUTION CEREMONY

Organisers, programme partners, special politics at Delhi University’s premier institute, guests and several participants gathered in a Miranda House. She Leads will work with the socially distanced event to celebrate the fi rst college as a co- creator and resource partner. cohort of She Leads on 8th March, 2021 at the India International Centre in New Delhi. That The announcement was followed by brief this ceremony coincided with International remarks by the programme partners. Ms. Women’s Day added further meaning to the Kanksshi Agarwal, founder of NETRI; and Ms. occasion. Due to safety concerns amidst the Hemakshi Meghani and Ms. Anita Manoharan, covid-19 pandemic, the ceremony was limited co- founder and programme lead of the Indian to a small group of people, and all safety School of Democracy shared their views and norms were diligently enforced. takeaways from the training programme. Ms. Kanta Singh, Chevening Gurukul Fellow also The event began with a fi lm screening that spoke on the event and highlighted the need showcased glimpses of the seven day training for such leadership programs for women. The programme. Ms. Savita Sethi opened the coming together of multiple organisations event and shared a brief overview of the intent dedicated to the representation of women in and idea behind She Leads. This was followed politics, to curate the fi rst training programme by a special announcement by Ms. Biayalaxmi under She Leads made this a truly unique and Nanda, acting principal of Miranda House. comprehensive initiative. Ms. Beatrice, the She graced the occasion to declare the launch wife of Brazil’s ambassador to India attended of a three month certifi cate programme for the event as a special guest to extend her training young women interested in joining support to the initiative.

SHE 39 LEAD Thereafter, a certifi cate distribution ceremony close, several important announcements were took place for the participants, 11 of whom made for the way forward. The organisers from Delhi NCR attended the event. The committed themselves to spearheading at participants shared their experience of being least 2 cohorts of the training programme part of the fi rst cohort of She Leads, and spoke annually, and declared their intent to reach about how the programme helped them move out to colleges and universities across the forward both in their political ambitions and country to start similar courses. The fi rst personal life. Ms. Rekha Mody, founder of step in this direction was taken at the event Stree Shakti - The parallel force concluded the itself with the announcement from Miranda ceremony with a vote of thanks. House. With this commitment, She Leads aims to continue its journey and work towards As the fi rst batch of this unique political seeing more women in Parliament by the next training programme for women drew to a general elections.

SHE LEAD 40 Annexure-1 MEDIA COVERAGE

SHE 41 LEAD SHE LEAD 42 Annexure-2 TESTIMONIALS

“The Sheleads training program was excellent. “She Leaders - this group has given immense There was a clear understanding of the need motivation, courage and inspiration . The best for women to take politics seriously. Thanks thing I learnt is that we are born to be strong. to the She leads team from the depth of my A strong women knows how to keep her life in heart.”– Beena R, Kolkata order without moving away from her aim”, – Hema Raman, Haryana “I would like to thank She Leads for taking up one of the most important initiatives of “She Leads has been an eye-opener for motivating and inspiring more women to be me. It has broken all the glass ceilings and part of Indian Politics. The program gave an helped me face the Tough world of Politics opportunity to learn from the experiences with Courage.This Programme’s uniqueness of seasoned politicians across parties. This is in the application of concepts, whether gave me a new perspective and helped me its Identity Politics, Campaign anagement identifying the areas where I need to focus or Fund Raising Campaign. Not only that, more.” – Sheilza Bhatia, Gurgaon it has developed itself into a supportive system, which is the dire need of the hour, “The She Leads especially for Women program was in India. I feel so excellent. Gained grateful to be a part new knowledge and of this wonderful experiences through journey and look all the sessions. Got forward to bringing a lot of motivation. I all knowledge of was able to approach Politics into practical politics seriously. All application. ” – the best to the She Priyanka Srivastava, leads team and thank Delhi you.” – Bushra S, “For long enough, I Kudumbasree had wondered as a young member of a She Leads is a very old party, where wonderful training. to look for the right Gained new tools and tactics to knowledge through be able to deliver all the sessions. I in politics. “She Leads” arrived as my answer was able to approach politics more seriously. to this very critical question? One learning Thanks to the She Leads team.” for me is- it is worth it to keep believing in – Shahida Kamal, Kerala oneself.” – Mahima Singh, Haryana

SHE 43 LEAD “The human mind consistently thrives to “As far as She Leads program is concerned unfold itself to the maximum and can only it was a great opportunity to network with satiate itself with learning. SheLeads Training strong women from diverse areas. The Programme for women leaders educated program helped me in learning why women me more on women in political spaces & should come in leadership positions in India. leadership which were unexplored realms Based on the insights of the program I’ll of facts and knowledge to me before. I proudly be starting a leadership program completely enjoyed learning and growing in my university. It was a great learning along with my fellow learners and participants. experience with She Leads.” Congratulations on crafting beautiful modules, – Sudesh Chhikara, Haryana looking forward to more such initiatives.” – Juhi Garg, Dehradun “I have learnt huge amount of guidelines for contesting elections, funding,narrative of “The 7 days well organized program by She one’s cause to venture into political arena.” Leads has given me a exposure to the fi eld – Asha Rani, Dehradun of politics, the pleasure to meet well known political personalities and learning from their experiences. It has helped me to get focused on the areas to work on and boost my confi dence to see myself as social leader in future. Meeting the fellow mates has been also very inspiring. Thank you She Leads.” – Joysree DasRoy, Kolkata

SHE LEAD 44 Annexure-3 AGENDA

S.No. Day/Date Topic 1. Day 1/24th February’2021 Induction 9:00- 10:am Introductory Session – Lead Partners 10:00- 10:45 Icebreaker & participants introduction 10:45-11:00 Break 11:00-11:45 am Programme, norms and Zoom set up 11:45-12:00 noon Break 12:00-1:00pm Why are we here? 1:00- 1:30 pm Closing 2. Day 2/25th February’2021 Politics and Power 9:00-9:20 am Intention Setting 9:20- 10:20am Women in Politics- Trends & Challenges 10:20-10:30 Break 10:30- 11:30 Expert talk - Pathways of women, journey and motivation, with Margaret Alva 11:30-11:40 Break 11:40-12:40 Mapping power structures – Constitution, administration and Political Parties in Indian Context 12:45- 1:15 pm Triad Time 1:15-1:30 Summing up 3 Day 3/26th February’2021 Identities & Leadership 9:00-9:20 Intention Setting 9:20 to 10:20 am Identities & Biases within & around us 10:20 to 10:30 am Break 10:30 to 11:30 Expert Talk - Identity Politics (with specifi c reference to women) and trends of the future with Dr.Heena Gavit 11:30 to 11:40 am Break 11:40 to 12:40 pm Leadership skills- ‘Why should people follow me/ How would I represent people?’, with Mr. Ghanshaym Tiwari 12:45 to 1:15 pm Triad Time 1:15 to 1:30 Closing 4 Day 4/ 27th February’2021 Constituency Management 9:00 to 9:20 Intention Setting 9:20 to 10:20 am Understanding & Cultivating your constituency

SHE 45 LEAD S.No. Day/Date Topic 10: 20 to 10:30 am Break 10:30 am to 11:30 am Expert talk- Exploring policies around health and livelihood for women, with Mr. M.V. Rajeev Gowda 11:30 to11:40 am Break 11:40am to 12:40 pm Public Narrative - Story of me (Marshall Ganz framework) 12:45 to 1:15 pm Triad Time 1:15-1:30pm Closing 5 Day 5/28th February’2021 Media Handling and Communication 9:00 to 9:20 Intention Setting 9:20 to 10:20 am Public Narrative I - Story us/now(Marshall Ganz framework) 10:20 to 10:30 am Break 10:30 am to 11:30 am Expert Talk - Political Communication, with Ms.Tara Krishnaswamy 11:30 to 11:40 am Break 11:40 am to 12:40 pm Panel Discussion - Media and Politics, with Ms.Shazia Ilmi and Ms.Namita Bhandare 12:45 pm to 1:15 pm Triad Time 1:15-1:30 Closing PART 2 6 Day 1/6th March 2021 Campaign tools and strategy 9:00 to 9:20 am Intention Setting 9:20 to 10:20 am Using Behavioural science for campaigning 10:20 to 10:30 am Break 10:30 to 11:30 am Building effective Strategy & Campaigns 11:30 to 11:40 am Break 11:40 to 12:40 Expert Talk- Building effective political Strategy & Campaigns, with Ms.Archana Chitnis and Ms.Bandana Kumari 12:45 to 1:15pm Triad Time 1:15-1:30 Closing 7 Day 2/7th March’2021 Resource management 9:00 to 9:20 Refl ections from previous day 9:20 to 10: 20 am Fundraising for political campaigns 10:20 to 10:30 am Break 10: 30 to 11:30 am Expert talk- Political fundraising, avenues and strategies, with Mr. Prithvi Reddy 11:30 to 11:40 am Break 11:40am to 12:10 pm Triad Time 12:15-1:15 Closing Circle 8 Day 3/8th march 2021 Certifi cate distribution ceremony

SHE LEAD 46 Annexure-4 LIST OF SELECTED PARTICIPANTS

S.No. Name Age Email ID State

1 Anjana Agrawal 48 [email protected] Delhi

2 Dr Shalini Sharma 45 [email protected] Hyderabad

3 Namita Chhetri 46 [email protected] Hyderabad

4 Tabassum Khan 24 [email protected] Delhi

5 Kiran Somvanshi 39 [email protected] Maharashtra

6 Ayesha Rubina 51 [email protected] Hyderabad

7 Dr.SushmaJoshi 55 [email protected] Delhi NCR

8 Apoorva Jha 21 [email protected] Delhi NCR

9 Dr Juhi Garg, PhD 40 [email protected] Uttarakhand

10 Adv. Usha AP 41 [email protected] Kerala

11 Manisha Ahlawat 45 [email protected] Uttar Pradesh

12 Sujitha 31 [email protected] Tamil Nadu

13 Malini Misra 42 [email protected] Karnataka

14 Falguni Rajput 47 [email protected] Maharashtra

15 Priyanka 38 [email protected] Karnataka

16 Abha Maryada Banerjee 52 [email protected] Delhi

17 Dr Meena Sonde 49 [email protected] Maharashtra

18 Kiranjeet 52 [email protected] Delhi NCR

19 Sameeksha Thakur 39 [email protected] Delhi NCR

20 Dr. Shahida Kamal 52 [email protected] Kerala

21 Sheilza Bhatia 46 [email protected] Delhi NCR

22 BEENA R 45 [email protected] Kerala

23 BUSHRA S 35 [email protected] Kerala

SHE 47 LEAD S.No. Name Age Email ID State

24 Sujita Brahma 43 [email protected] Odisha

25 Anu moni 45 [email protected] Kerala

26 Lalithamba 46 [email protected] Karnataka

27 Kavya Ecofeminist 34 [email protected] Kerala

28 Ariba Khan 27 [email protected] Delhi NCR

29 Joysree Das Roy 46 [email protected] West Bengal

30 Shelly Bhasin 37 [email protected] Delhi NCR

31 Subhashini Menon 61 [email protected] Karnataka

32 Anjali G Sharma 42 [email protected] Delhi NCR

33 Nitisha Pandey 30 [email protected] Delhi NCR

34 Dr. Garima Singh 45 [email protected] Delhi NCR

35 Anu Sehrawat 20 [email protected] Delhi NCR

36 JoramJaya 50 [email protected] Arunachal Pradesh 37 Sudesh 56 Kuksudesh @gmail.com Haryana

38 Bharti Sharma 20 [email protected] Uttar Pradesh

39 Deepshikha 20 [email protected] Delhi

40 Prof. Shweta Singh 45 [email protected] Haryana

41 Mahima Singh 34 [email protected] Haryana

42 Dr. Hema Raman 50 [email protected] Haryana

43 Sadab khan 23 [email protected] Madhya Pradesh

44 MeenalJakhar 46 [email protected] Delhi NCR

45 Asha Rani 54 [email protected] Uttarakhand

46 Shelly Bhasin 37 [email protected] Delhi

47 Tabassum Naqvi 59 [email protected] Uttar Pradesh

48 Shireen Moti 30 [email protected] Delhi

49 ElsaMarieDsilva 47 [email protected] Maharashtra

50 RichaSahni 41 [email protected] Delhi NCR

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