As in most adivasi regions in India the benefits of ‘growth development’ through liberalisation has not percolated down to men and women equally. The adverse consequences of development militate more against women than men. Adivasi women suffer from a triple handicap: as women, as rural people and as adivasis.

It has been clear to us through our involvement that:

	Stress for family well-being increases for the women when poverty increases;
	Women are driven out of the productive activities with loss of access to and control of natural resources;
	Women’s status within her family and community is adversely affected as their participation decreases;
	Physical needs especially reproductive health care needs of women are unmet or adversely affected;

	Discrimination of women and work on the basis of sex;
	Lack of access to education to girl children;
	Rights violation in relation to marriage, family harmony;
	Lack of property rights for women;
	Sexual exploitation – at workplace, institutions, during ‘development’ activities like mining in adivasi areas;
	Atrocities on women by police during combing operations and investigations;
	Lack of access to health care services (both at family level and government level);
	Domestic violence;
	Cultural and belief systems militating against women;
	Alienation of resources affecting women adversely;
	Displacement of women due to ‘development’ projects.

AREAS OF INTERVENTION

With these issues in mind we have been working on processes to build the capacity of adivasi women leaders to safeguard human rights in a geo-specific area, sensitize adivasi panchayat leaders (both men and women) on human rights violations with special reference to women, and strengthen networking processes among adivasi women to prevent violence against women. Consequently we have undertaken relevant field-based studies to gain insights into processes of Violence against Women (VAW) and disseminate project results by developing a document on capacity building to respond to issues of VAW in adivasi areas.

CAPACITY BUILDING OF ADIVASI WOMEN LEADERSHIP

Six workshops in 6 districts of Andhra Pradesh were organized in Srikakulam, Vizianagram, East Godavari, West Godavari, Visakhapatnam and Khammam. In all 335 women participated with the highest representation from Vizianagaram and West Godavari. All the participants were in leadership programs either as members in panchayats, social activists or as self-help group leaders. Some of the basic issues discussed during these workshops related to education, family violence, health, working environment, property rights, etc.

In addition a series of workshops were also conducted in other adivasi regions of other states in the country such as Orissa, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Assam, Maharashtra and Karnataka. In all 205 participants attended these workshops. The workshops were conducted by our team with the support of local organisations in respective regions. The workshops focused on the issues experienced by women in the different regions.

STRENGTHENING NETWORKING PROCESSES

The networking process in the region involved major meetings of adivasi women representatives from the adivasi areas of six districts of Andhra Pradesh. During these meetings issues related to empowerment of adivasi women, adivasi women’s rights, education awareness, women’s health, adivasi traditions and customs, identifying and dealing with women’s issues, child labour, discrimination of wages on the basis of gender, formation of CBOs etc. were discussed. The difficulties experienced by women on these issues were shared and a commitment to tackle them was expressed.

WOMEN LED CBOs

Through the networking and capacity building initiatives taken up as a part of our project activity various women led CBOs have emerged in the region. The CBOs have been working on various issues: desertion, securing land titles, alcoholism, dowry, wage discrimination based on gender, education related issues, issues related to sexual abuse of adivasi girl children in hostels, health issues and governance particularly relating to adivasi policy.