The Hindu : New Delhi News : “Need to sensitise civil society organisations”

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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New Delhi

New Delhi

“Need to sensitise civil society organisations”

Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI: To emphasise the need for having a “gender-sensitive” approach for undertaking effective poverty alleviation programmes at the grassroots, a national workshop of civil society organisations and grassroots activists was held in the Capital this past week. This workshop was organised by the Centre for Social Research (CSR).

Speaking on the occasion, National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas observed: “Nearly 70 per cent of the world’s poorest population comprise women and children and two-thirds of the world’s illiterate population is that of women. Women in India are subjected to poverty and various forms of violence which at times results in extreme manifestations like deaths, suicides and trafficking. Though gender budget has been introduced in India to improve the economic and social condition of women but in the absence of gender auditing these efforts may prove to be futile.”

CSR Director Ranjana Kumari said: “There is a need to train and sensitise civil society organisations working at the grassroots. It is not just the rural community but also civil society organisations working there who need to give up gender stereotypes to bring about any kind of change in those areas. Unless women are kept at the centre of development thinking, there is no way we will be able to deal with poverty and similar issues impacting our country.”

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