HEARTS & MINDS WOMEN OF INDIA SPEAK SHAPING THE POST- DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE & AGENDA 2015 Published in June 2013 Copyright © UN Women 2013 The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of UN Women, the United Nations or any of its affiliated organisations. Reproduction of this publication for educational or other non-commercial purposes is authorised, without prior written permission, provided that due credit is given to UN Women and content is not altered in any way. Cover Photo: UN Women/Praveen Kaliga Design Concept: Divya Gupta & Impressions Communications Printed by: Impressions Communications HEARTS & MINDS WOMEN OF INDIA SPEAK SHAPING THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE & AGENDA HEARTS & MINDS WOMEN OF INDIA SPEAK SHAPING THE POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT DISCOURSE & AGENDA 7KLVUHSRUWDQGSKRWRHVVD\DUHDLPHGDWVKDULQJWKH³OLYHGH[SHULHQFHV´RIZRPHQDQGJLUOVLQ,QGLDDQG ensuring that the voices of especially those who remain socially, economically and geographically marginalised DUH PHDQLQJIXOO\ UHÀHFWHG LQ WKH HPHUJLQJ SRVW GHYHORSPHQW GLVFRXUVH DQG DJHQGD 7KH DQDO\VLV contained in this report is based on in-depth interviews with women and focus-group discussions with almost HOHFWHGZRPHQUHSUHVHQWDWLYHV²DFRQVWLWXHQF\RYHUDPLOOLRQVWURQJLQ,QGLDDQGFRQVLGHUHGDVHTXDO DQGLPSRUWDQWVWDNHKROGHUVLQKHOSLQJVKDSHWKHSRVWJOREDOGHYHORSPHQWDJHQGD THE REPORT TEAM This report is the product of a collective effort under the guidance of the Representative, 0V $QQH ) 6WHQKDPPHU DQG 'HSXW\ 5HSUHVHQWDWLYH 0V 6XVKPD .DSRRU 81 :RPHQ 2I¿FH IRU ,QGLD Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. UN Women’s Gender Responsive Budgeting Specialist, Yamini Mishra, worked with the team of authors mentioned below and UN Women staff to make this report a reality. A number of people provided detailed comments and advice throughout the research process, from 81:RPHQ¶VSURJUDPPHVSHFLDOLVWVSDUWQHUVWR¿HOGVWDII Lead Author, Editor & Report Coordinator: Divya Gupta Co-Authors: Swapna Bist-Joshi, Anubha Singh Photographs: Divya Gupta, Praveen Kaliga, Pranab K. Aich, Mayank Pratap Singh, Swapna Bist-Joshi Photo Essay (Inner Back Cover): Produced by Divya Gupta; Edited by Divya Gupta & Ganesh Prasad UN Women’s Review, Strategy, Advisory & Editorial Group Anne F. Stenhammer, Sushma Kapoor, Yamini Mishra, Moumita Sarkar, Navanita Sinha, Bhumika Jhamb, Suraj Kumar, Meenakshi Kathel, Bharti Sharma, Rachna Bisht, Kiran Negi, Sabrina Sidhu Production Team: Divya Gupta, Impressions Communications, Moumita Sarkar, Sabrina Sidhu, Mary Khuvung FOREWOR D ,QWKHOLIHRIHYHU\QDWLRQWKHUHDUHPRPHQWVDQGHYHQWVWKDWUHJLVWHULQSXEOLFFRQVFLRXVQHVVDV VLJQDOOLQJDFOHDUEHIRUHDQGDIWHU²ZKHQVRPHWKLQJVKLIWVIXQGDPHQWDOO\ZKHQVRPHWKLQJRFFXUV WKDWFKDQJHVDFRXQWU\RUHYHQWKHZRUOGIRUHYHUZKHQZHDUHIRUFHGWRORRNLQWKHPLUURUDQGDVN ourselves, how did we get here? ,QODWHDWUDJLFHYHQWWRRNSODFHZKLFKLQYROYHGWKHEUXWDOLVDWLRQUDSHDQGHYHQWXDOXQWLPHO\ GHDWKRID\HDUROGJLUOLQ,QGLD¶VFDSLWDO1HZ'HOKL7KLVZDVRQHVXFKPRPHQWRUVRLWLVKRSHG by millions of people across the country. The tragedy made international headlines and pried open a much-needed debate on women’s safety and the unacceptably high levels of violence against women ²E\QRPHDQVDXQLTXHO\,QGLDQSKHQRPHQRQDQGRIWHQVLGHOLQHGE\GHYHORSPHQWDJHQGDVDQG public policy. Thousands of young women and men mobilised for collective action to make their JRYHUQPHQWDFFRXQWDEOHDQGHQIRUFHWKHUXOHRIODZ,WDOVRSUHVHQWHGDUDUHKLVWRULFZLQGRZDQG WKHQHFHVVDU\SUHFXUVRUVRIWHQUHTXLUHGIRUPDMRUVRFLDOWUDQVIRUPDWLRQDQGFRXUVHFRUUHFWLRQ² SXEOLFPRRGDQGRSLQLRQ²WRSRVVLEO\EHJLQWRGHOLYHUJHQXLQHVDIHW\HPSRZHUPHQWDQGHTXDOLW\ IRU,QGLDQZRPHQDQGJLUOVQRZDQGLQWRWKHORQJUXQ The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were arguably an ambitious and unprecedented attempt WRVHULRXVO\WU\WRUHVROYHLQDWLPHERXQGPDQQHUWKHJUHDWHVWKXPDQFKDOOHQJHVRIRXUWLPH²DQ increasingly threatened planet suffering from uncomfortably high levels of human indignity and SUHYHQWDEOHGHSULYDWLRQKXQJHUGLVHDVHLQHTXDOLW\FRQÀLFWYLROHQFHDQGGHDWK Against this backdrop, the MDG framework did try to address what it considered at the time as the most pressing challenges facing women and girls such as increasing access to education for girls DQGUHGXFLQJPDWHUQDOPRUWDOLW\,WHYHQGHOLYHUHGFRQVLGHUDEOHWKRXJKQRWVXI¿FLHQWSURJUHVVRQ LWVJHQGHUUHODWHGJRDOV+RZHYHUZLWKWKHSDVVDJHRIWLPHDQGEHQH¿WRIKLQGVLJKWLWKDVEHFRPH FOHDUWKDWWKHIUDPHZRUNGLGQRWGRMXVWLFHWRWKHGHJUHHUDQJHDQGFRPSOH[LW\RIFKDOOHQJHVIDFLQJ women on a daily basis, particularly the most marginalised women who have the least voice and agency. The feedback from women in this report reveals that there are, in fact, disturbing trends of either stagnation, slow progress or even reversal in many areas determining women’s basic needs DQGVXUYLYDOOHDYHDVLGHJUHDWHUSURJUHVVZHOOEHLQJHPSRZHUPHQWDQGHTXDOLW\)RULQVWDQFHLQ WKH,QGLDQFRQWH[W $OWKRXJK WKH 0'*V LQFOXGHG ZDJH HPSOR\PHQW IRU ZRPHQ LQ WKH QRQIDUP VHFWRU DV DQ HPSRZHUPHQWLQGLFDWRULWKDVVWDJQDWHGIRUWKHSDVW¿YH\HDUV $QLQFUHDVLQJ³IHPLQLVDWLRQ´RISRYHUW\DJULFXOWXUHROGDJHPLJUDWLRQDQG+,9DQG$,'6LV WDNLQJSODFHZKLOHVRFLDOVHFXULW\DQGSURWHFWLRQPHDVXUHVUHPDLQJURVVO\LQDGHTXDWH 6KLIWLQJ ZHDWKHU SDWWHUQV DUH OHDGLQJ WR FURS IDLOXUH DQG IRRG LQVHFXULW\ ZKLFK DUH GLVSURSRUWLRQDWHO\LPSDFWLQJUXUDOZRPHQ²WKHPDMRULW\RIPDUJLQDOIDUPHUVDQG *HQGHUEDVHGYLROHQFHUHPDLQVDOOSHUYDVLYHDQGWKHH[LVWLQJOHJDOVDIHJXDUGVDUHLQVXI¿FLHQWWR protect women and girls. Despite the shortcomings of the MDG framework, as it turned out, a development took place over WLPH ZKLFK ZDV SHUKDSV KRSHG EXW QRW H[SHFWHG E\ WKH 8QLWHG 1DWLRQV ² D PDMRULW\ RI LWV member countries that had adopted the framework, began aligning their national development iii SROLFLHV ZLWK WKH DWWDLQPHQW RI WKH 0'*V ,Q VRPH FRXQWULHV DFFRXQWDELOLW\ PHFKDQLVPV ZHUH DOVRHUHFWHGRUEXLOWLQWRH[LVWLQJVWUXFWXUHVWRIXO¿OWDUJHWV7KXVUHJDUGOHVVRIZKHWKHUWKHUHZDV a complete buy-in of the MDGs within countries or not, eventually, substantial resources were mobilised to try and achieve them. Furthermore, there has even been noteworthy progress on some WDUJHWVDQGLQGLFDWRUVLQDOPRVWHYHU\FRXQWU\LQFOXGLQJ,QGLD 5HFRJQLVLQJWKLVYHU\UHDOLQÀXHQFHWKDWJOREDOGHYHORSPHQWDJHQGDVKDYHRQGRPHVWLFSROLF\PDNLQJ and their potential impact on millions of the most vulnerable people of the world, this report is an DWWHPSWWRLQIRUPWKHHPHUJLQJSRVWDJHQGDWKURXJKWKHOLYHGH[SHULHQFHVRI,QGLDQZRPHQ at the grassroots. Their stories are representative of millions of others whose extraordinary daily courage and human resilience hold the tapestry of families, communities, countries and humanity WRJHWKHUZKRDEVRUEWKHYLROHQFHLQVRFLHW\DWJUHDWSHUVRQDOSHULOSDLQDQGXQLPDJLQDEOHVDFUL¿FH and have increasingly become its silent and unsung peacemakers and peacekeepers. For too long, development agendas and frameworks have been prepared without truly consulting or giving voice to those whose lives they aim to improve the most. This report is a humble but conscious attempt to address that gap. The challenges highlighted and analysed here in all their complexity, multi-dimensionality and inter-relatedness will hopefully resonate among women in all VRFLHWLHVDQGFRXQWULHVDFURVVWKHJOREH²WKHLQGLJQLW\DQGGHVSHUDWLRQRISRYHUW\DQGGHSULYDWLRQ the pangs of hunger and worse still, the pain and helplessness of seeing their children go hungry, the physical weakness from toiling away in their households and farmlands all day to take care of HYHU\RQHHOVH¶VQHHGV¿UVWWKHH[KDXVWLRQIURPKRXUVVSHQWIHWFKLQJZDWHUDQGIXHOZRRGIURPIDU WKHLQVHFXULW\DQGLQVWDELOLW\RIWKUHDWHQHGOLYHOLKRRGVWKHGHMHFWLRQRIXQHPSOR\PHQWWKHDQJHU DQGKXPLOLDWLRQRIVXIIHULQJLQHTXDOLW\DQGGLVFULPLQDWLRQDQGWKHVLOHQWHURVLRQRIFRQ¿GHQFHVHOI esteem and struggle to maintain self-respect and protect their very lives in the face of daily mental, emotional and physical violence. $WWKHVDPHWLPHWKHDQDO\VLVFRQWDLQHGLQWKLVUHSRUWLVEDVHGRQGLVFXVVLRQVZLWKDOPRVW HOHFWHG ZRPHQ UHSUHVHQWDWLYHV (:5V LQ ORFDO VHOIJRYHUQPHQW ² D FRQVWLWXHQF\ WKDW LV RYHU D PLOOLRQVWURQJLQ,QGLDQRZ7KHVH(:5VDUHQRWRQO\WKHFKDQJHWKHPVHOYHVEXWDUHOHDGLQJLWDQG have the potential to bring about lasting positive transformation in women’s lives. ,QGLDLVFRQVLGHUHGD³VZLQJVWDWH´LQVKDSLQJQRWRQO\WKHSRVWDJHQGDEXWDOVRWKHHPHUJLQJ global order, thus providing the pragmatic imperative for why we should hear and understand what ERWKWKH³RWKHU,QGLDV´DUHWHOOLQJXV²³ZRPHQ´DWWKH³JUDVVURRWV´$QGZKHQWUDJLFHYHQWVDQG ORVVPDNHWKHSHRSOHRIDFRXQWU\RUKXPDQLW\DWODUJHIHHOOLNHWKH\ZLOOQHYHUTXLWHEHWKHVDPH DJDLQWKH\SURYLGHWKHPRUDOLPSHUDWLYHDQGHPRWLRQDOVSDUNWKDWOLJKWVWKHSUDLULH¿UHIRUGHVLUHG change to take place. Anne F. Stenhammer 5HSUHVHQWDWLYH 81:RPHQ2I¿FHIRU,QGLD%KXWDQ0DOGLYHVDQG6UL/DQND iv ACKNOWLEDGEM ENTS UN Women would like to express its sincere gratitude and dedicate this publication to the women who opened their homes and shared their lives, tears, laughter, humour, sorrow and hopes so generously, as well as the elected women representatives who shared their thoughts and insights on a vast array of challenges still facing rural, poor and marginalised people, especially women, and WRRNWLPHRXWIURPWKHLUGXDOZRUNORDGVRIKRPHDQGHOHFWHGRI¿FH UN Women would like to thank everyone who has been involved in the preparation of the report. ,QSDUWLFXODUZHZRXOGOLNHWRDFNQRZOHGJHWKHKDUGZRUNRIWKHWKUHHDXWKRUV²0V'LY\D*XSWD 0V6ZDSQD%LVW-RVKLDQG0V$QXEKD6LQJK²LQFRQGXFWLQJWKHLQWHUYLHZVDQDO\VLVDQGUHVHDUFK necessary for this report. :HZRXOGDOVROLNHWRWKDQNWKH'LVWULFW&ROOHFWRUVRIDOOHOHYHQGLVWULFWVDFURVV¿YHVWDWHVZKHUHWKH ¿HOG ZRUN IRU WKH UHSRUW KDV WDNHQ SODFH $QGKUD 3UDGHVK .DUQDWDND0DGK\D 3UDGHVK 2GLVKD DQG 5DMDVWKDQ 7KHVH GLVWULFWV DUH SDUW RI WKH 81 :RPHQ SURJUDPPH