Mahila[p1]  Shanti Sena [p2] (Women Peace Corps) in Orissa – A Report[p3] 

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Mahila Santi Sena in Orissa was initiated by Unnayan in Jhatiada and Gadighati Gram Panchayats of Rasgobindpur block of Mayurbhanj district in 2005. These groups were formed by taking women Panchayatiraj functionaries, traditional women leaders, selected women SHG leaders who started to work in their neighborhoods, particularly in the sphere of health and education services, good governance, maintaining neighborhood peace and harmony.

 

The overall idea was to build awareness in favour of democracy and development by all and for all, which will lead to the building up of a democratic violence free social order. It also visualized to capacitate the poor and marginalized women and to develop their leadership in elevating the health, education, and nutrition and sanitation status of the community by cultivating the spirit of social responsibilities and inculcating the sense of basic minimum services.

 

A total of 1752 Shanti Sainiks have taken the oath so far and the number of trainee days for the MSS has been 3496.

 

The overall objective of this peace movement:

 

  • To motivate and organise women from grass roots for peace, social solidarity, social justice, participatory democracy and good governance and for creation of a value based society through working in close association with Panchayats.
  • To develop leadership among women for securing their rights, to undertake responsibilities for civil society empowerment and to overcome the barriers to women’s development
  • To bridge the gap between social and economic discriminations, gender preferences by ensuring empowerment through information dissemination
  • To form women’s units at the grassroots level and developing their linkages to form federations that would work as pressure groups and advocacy fronts at various levels.
  • To organise large meeting and public hearing on issues concerning women and for propagation of Gandhian philosophy and social values addressing women’s liberation from subjugated role to political responsibilities

·         To develop the skill of women in conflict resolution, maintenance of social value systems, representation of their issues in appropriate fore, moral and economic self-reliance.

·         To elevate the health and educational status of the communities by cultivating the spirit of social responsibility and inculcating the sense of community health, sanitation, and education among them

  • To create a consultative forum to review women’s issues at the grassroots and find suitable means for their empowerment.

 

Our activities in last two years

Inspired by the philosophy of Mahila Shanti Sena of Shrambharati, Unnayan decided to get involved in furthering its cause in Orissa. With keeping in mind the holistic development of women in the societal change process, several activities have been organized from time to time. Following are the glimpse of MSS activities in last two years.  

MSS PROGRESS

 

 

 

 

S.No

Date

Particulars

Participants

Venue

Responsibility

 

1

27-29 Aug '05

Training

50

Kakbandh

All staff

 

2

29 Nov '05

1st Workshop

400

Kakbandh

All staff

 

3

28th Feb- 1st Mar '06

Training

40

Angul

7 staff

 

4

2nd Mar '06

Workshop

100

Angul

7 staff

 

5

1st Mar '06

2nd Workshop

250

Tambakhuri

Indira, Malati, Anup, Manab

 

6

28th May '06

3rd Workshop

1200

Jhatiada

All staff

 

7

16th July '06

MSS Leaders meet

19

Jhatiada

Malati

 

8

20th July '06

Consultative Meet

20

Kakbandh

8 staff

 

9

1st Aug '06

Meeting

76

Tambakhuri

3 staff

 

10

22nd Aug '06

Half- day training

17

Nalagaja

2 staff

 

11

25th Aug '06

Half- day training

28

Nakichuan

3 staff

 

12

29th Aug '06

4th Workshop

70

Kakbandh

All staff

 

13

21st Sept '06

Consultative Meet

80

Chitarda

Sanjukta, Manab, Malati

 

14

24th Sept '06

Consultative Meet

31

Rasgobindpur

Indira, Piyush, Manab

 

15

15th Oct '06

Consultative Meet

10

Manida

Sanjukta, Manab, Piyush

 

16

26-29th Oct '06

Training of Trainers

28

Kakbandh

Snehakumar and Umashankar Chaturvedi

 

17

16th Nov '06

Consultative Meet

28

Chitarda

2 staff

 

18

19th Nov '06

Consultative Meet

107

Malihata

Manab and Malati

 

19

25th-26th Nov '06

Training

42

Kakbandh

Shanti Sainiks

 

20

20th Dec '06

5th Workshop

900

Kakbandh

All staff

 

In the year 2005, August a three-day training programme was organized with 54 participants at Kakbandh village of Rasgobindpur block, Mayurbhanj district. A follow-up workshop was conducted at the same venue in November 2005. The second training programme was organized at Anugul from 1st to 3rd February 2006. This was followed by a two-day workshop at the same venue (February 4 and 5). ACHARYA RAMAMURTI attended this training and workshop in Orissa. These efforts produced[p4]  a very good result in small pockets of two districts Mayurbhanj and Jagatsinghpur. Being successful in two locations the Unnayan team began work in some new areas, namely Suliapada Block, Morda Block & the entire Rasgovindpur Block of Mayurbhanja District.

1. Consultative meeting with potential community leaders: Two consultative meetings