About Us

“We, women not only need dry ration, milk and grocery during this difficult time, we also need peace of mind and harmony at home and in our basti. With lines of men queuing up from 4 am in the morning, drunken brawls and abuses waking us early in the morning, we decided it was high time that we took matters in our hands and thus our struggle to stop the sale of liquor began…” says Kamlesh.

When the Delhi government declared lockdown and police barricades were installed all around Okhla, the only source of home brewed liquor was the corner house in Mazdoor Kalyan Camp. The police had sealed all the lanes and entry points across most bastis leaving a lane or two allow residents access to the main Okhla Road.

However, since March 22, we observed that the number of people standing at the entrance of the lane leading to Mazdoor Kalyan Camp to purchase liquor was increasing every day. Since all liquor shops in the adjoining areas were closed, men from all the neighbouring bastis flocked to our camp to purchase home brewed liquor, blocking the entrance and making it impossible for women and men to move around freely.

We, members of the Community Management Committee, made several attempts to reason with the two liquor shop vendors to persuade them to stop the sale. Our pleas fell on deaf ears. We were told, “Do as you wish. I know many influential people in this area. I supply them with freshly brewed liquor and as long as I have their support no one can stop me from doing as I please.”

We tried many other techniques. We drove the men away, abused and argued with them, and even threatened to call the police but nothing seemed to work in our favour and the business continued to flourish.

This became almost a daily affair and we often returned home feeling angry, helpless and defeated.

On the morning of April 21, Kamal, Vidya’s son told us that there was a scuffle at the end of the lane between two men over one bottle of liquor. The fight had turned ugly and a crowd had gathered around; some men and women from our camp were trying to stop the fight. Vidya and Kamal also intervened but the men would not stop.

We were scared and alarmed so we made a call on 181 Women in Distress helpline expecting the PCR van to come and set matters right. However, there was no response for over forty-five minutes. Meanwhile, we made several calls to police helpline 100 and in a few minutes Mukhtar Ahmad, Beat Officer and Head Constable Ashvani Mongra came to the camp. Hearing the police siren, the crowd dispersed and the men fled. The police officials asked us to make a written complaint and helped us detail out the concerns. They also assured us of their full support and promised to come the following morning. A patrolling vehicle was also stationed on the main road to keep a 24×7-hour vigil.

The next morning Mukhtar Ahmad, Beat Officer and Head Constable Ashvani Mongra reached the camp with their teams early in the morning. Assisted by CMC members they searched the house and collected all evidence. They however could not nab the two men as someone had leaked the information and they had escaped. Both police officials went door to door and spoke to the residents. They recorded testimonies, made notes, and collected signatures the next day orders for sealing the house were received and since that day sale of liquor has stopped.

“While we women from the CMC made our own efforts, we would like to place on record and acknowledge the support and trust which the two police officials Mukhtar Ahmad, Beat Officer and Head Constable Ashvani Mongra, placed in us. They not only believed us but also helped us complete the documentation formalities and also assured all residents that in case of any problems they were just a call away. They are regularly visiting the camp and even assisting us in distribution of dry food kits, added Mukesh.

“You are working with us as part of our team, so it our duty to offer you all our help. It is because of the good work that the CMC members are doing that the image of police is gradually improving. You have helped bridge the gap between the community and us and we thank you for making this happen”— Mukhtar Ahmad, Beat Officer.

“We are working round the clock but police cannot reach everywhere. We need your support to act as our eyes and ears in the community. We are also gratified that you are updating us on a regular basis, informing us about areas where we can work with you such as distributing ration kits “— Head Constable Ashvani Mongra.

As narrated by Vidya, Kamlesh, Rajkumari, Pista, Jyoti, Sunita and Mukesh

Understanding its Impact on Marginal Groups and Populations

Panel 1: COVID-19 and Gender Justice: Is the Response Adequate?

Date: Thursday, May 28, 2020, Time: 10.30 to 12.30 hrs.

Moderator: Dr. Kanchan Mathur, Honorary Professor, Independent Consultant and Gender Expert, Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur

PANELISTS:

Pushpa Mai, Founder Nai Bhor, Jaipur, a CBO working for the rights of transgender persons; she is a well-known transgender leader in Rajasthan and member of the transgender board. Strong advocate of transgender rights across the State, she has been involved in facilitating relief and financial assistance to vulnerable transgender with support of the local government.

Basanta Nayak is the Senior Programme Manager at the Centre for Youth and Social Development in Odisha, an organization working with urban poor communities for over four decades. An expert on gender budgeting, he is presently involved in leading the organization’s work on SDG Goals which, he believes, has to be shaped by the people.

Meera Parida, Founder, SAKHA, a CBO working for rights and entitlement of transgender. As a member of the Odisha Kinnar Samaj she has represented the concerns of transgender at many national and international forums including the International Visitor Leadership Programme. Meera anchors a TV programme Bhinna Manush Bhinna Katha to sensitize people to issues related to transgender.

Shobhita Rajagopal, is an Associate Professor and Officiating Director of the Institute of Development Studies, Jaipur. She has extensive experience of working on gender and intersectionality issues cutting across sectors including education of marginalized girls, MHM and gender mainstreaming.

The key questions deliberated upon during the panel discussions were as follows:

1. Can we say with confidence that gender is recognized as key issue and there is a collective will to address all the barriers it poses?
2. How can we equip and sensitize society and administration on the challenges faced by transgender, single women and girls?
3. What measures do we need to take to make the system provide all basic and essential services and be responsive to the needs of transgender, women, girls and other vulnerable groups?
4. How to shape policies and interventions that ensure the principle of Leave No One Behind?

While explaining the main objective of the Webinar, Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) stated that for organizations like CFAR who are deeply inured in community engagement processes with the teams literally spending time from dawn to dusk with the community listening to them, deliberating with them, planning and acting together in many ways from organizing campaigns, holding stakeholder consultations and advocating jointly with policy makers, the pandemic is now posing new challenges. With no large gatherings allowed and movement restricted, the time has now come to regroup and change one’s strategies of community mobilization and collective action. We need to invest in each individual community member, strengthen leadership of each person, connect digitally and enable every person to participate, shape local action, get their voice heard and assert their agency. To enable this to happen, CFAR with the support of Water for Women (WFW) and DFAT organized the three-panel webinar on COVID 19- Understanding the Impact of the Pandemic on Marginal Groups and Populations on 28-29 May, 2020, and brought together experts, civil society and community leaders to weigh in on each of the themes especially in the context of COVID and to empower each of the community members with renewed perspective on what more we need to do with even greater conviction to enhance gender sensitivity, social inclusion and universal access to safe WASH services. She concluded by stating that this alone will enable us to secure the policy and budgetary support for a pro-poor COVID response and recovery.

Pushpa Mai said that the funds for COVID were not reaching the Transgender community. There is no mention of transgender in Government Orders and Directives related to COVID-19 response. Transgender persons are stereotyped and seen as earning their livelihood by singing and dancing at weddings and collecting alms on auspicious occasions. We, therefore, need to sensitise the administration by organizing workshops to address their inherent preconceptions against the community and make them aware of the issues faced by the community.

Pushpa asserted that there is an urgent need to build capacities of transgender leaders and community representatives to take forward WASH issues, especially, in the current scenario of COVID-19. She also spoke about the efforts being made to secure inclusive toilets for the community for which she has approached the Jaipur Municipal Corporation to adopt trans-friendly signage in public toilets and construct dedicated toilets for transgender users.

Basanta Nayak pointed out that gender was not adequately integrated in the COVID response efforts of the Odisha government. He highlighted the three primary challenges faced by the urban poor. These were:

• Economic distress and instability faced by the poor including migrant workers, daily wage workers and those in informal sector.
• Absence of integration of gender issues within the overall administrative framework of the city government.
• Inadequate decentralization at the Ward level.

Basanta stressed on the importance of gender-being a cross cutting concern-to be made an integral part of the city planning and budget allocation.

To address these challenges, he proposed setting up of a ‘knowledge network’ which will focus on gender planning, budgeting and strengthening the institutional mechanisms instituted by the government. On the latter, he opined that given the fact that the public finance framework is not gender sensitive, there is an urgent need to evolve alternatives and even models to demonstrate that it is possible and essential. He also stressed on the need to strengthen accountability mechanisms, without which gender integration would be a challenge.

In the current context in Odisha, the role of the village head or sarpanch in managing livelihoods especially of migrant labour is indicating a shift towards decentralization. Basanta appealed for deepening these practices so that there is meaningful decentralization.

Meera Parida said that neither society nor government had given any thought on how transgender persons would cope and meet their basic needs during the lockdown. Inadvertently, the Finance Minister of the country also did not mention transgender when she announced her economic package for all marginalized communities to off-set the crippling effects of both the pandemic and the lockdown.

She also dwelt on the fact that transgender was not a homogenous group and like all other groups they have within their ranks the elderly, unmarried and those with disability and they face the same set of challenges as others.  To date there are no quarantine facilities in Orissa or Rajasthan for transgender persons. They are not so small in number that they can be ignored by those managing the pandemic, she added.

The 73rd Constitutional Amendment gave reservation of seats to 33 percent women. However, the transgender was not granted any reservation and been socially excluded in diverse ways. People are experiencing lockdown now but transgender has been experiencing social lockdown since birth.

Speaking about WASH services, Meera pointed out that a large majority of transgender were either homeless or lived-in rented premises. Post the pandemic they have been evicted by the landlords, hence, how could they be expected to wash hands frequently to protect themselves against the virus, when they do not even have a roof over their head? Transgender also live together in cramped spaces and social distancing is not easy.

She said that her organization SAKHA would want to work with CFAR at the advocacy level to include rights of transgender in all policy formulations and during planning of programmes and services during COVID- 19.

Shobhita Rajagopal began her presentation by saying that COVID-19 had disrupted the lives of the people but the most impacted were the most vulnerable and marginal sections of society. She highlighted that several services had been disrupted during COVID-19 including sexual and reproductive health services, midday meal in schools, distribution of sanitary napkins, and education of children belonging to marginalized families.

The existing inequalities have grown and the administrative response has been gender neutral so far. But if we have to address the differential needs of communities and groups including women, men, children (boys and girls), and transgender, a Gender Task Force needs to be constituted to assess the impact of the pandemic and the response of the government, she suggested.

Gender lens is missing in policy making, planning and implementation of initiatives and measures to prevent and manage the virus. For this to be set right, we need to collate gender disaggregated data so that all response is informed by it.

In the discussion that followed, the panelists responded to the questions posed to them. Some specific points were made:

Shobhita and Basant said that as May 28 is observed as Menstrual Hygiene Management Day, it was absolutely essential for all stakeholders to address issues related to MHM in an integrated manner. However, local solutions need to be devised to address issues effectively. One suggestion was to enable Self-help groups to produce sanitary napkins and sell them and do this at scale by building on existing efforts. In Jaipur, the police department had also distributed sanitary napkins. Menstrual waste must be disposed properly to ensure safe sanitation.

Meera and Pushpa responding to the inclusion of transgender needs and demands in the COVID response and planning by suggesting that there was an urgent need to sensitize the administration on their identity related issues and their capability and needs.

All panelists agreed that with violence against women and especially against transgender having increased during the time of COVID, some institutional mechanism needs to be set up and to begin with more Helplines need to be put in place to enable women who are experiencing violence can secure timely help and support. There is also a need to set up a greater number of Gender Cells and build capacities of people managing these cells.

The panel highlighted the need to conduct a gender analysis study to assess the impact of the economic package and the benefits that have accrued or expected to accrue to different sections and constituencies.

Recommendations

To ensure a gendered COVID-19 response, the following recommendations were made

• Apply a gender lens in policy formulation, planning and implementation.
• Set up a Gender Task Force to mainstream gender issues at all levels.
• Adopt integrated approach to address the livelihood concerns of transgender community.
• Strengthen ‘Care Economy’ and in particular recognize the caretaking roles of women (cooking, cleaning, care for children, elderly and those ailing) while planning COVID-19 response.
• Involve Ward Committees in planning and executing COVID related initiatives.
• Involve youth groups, both girls and boys, in collating gender disaggregated data.
• Sensitize police, doctors and media on gender and transgender rights and entitlements.
• Let CFAR, along with CBOs and NGOs, strongly advocate for mainstreaming gender concerns in COVID response planning and implementation.

Bhubaneswar/Jaipur: This unique handwashing station is helping people stay safe and healthy during the pandemic. It costs little, made entirely of locally available material, and serves the needs of community members of slums in Bhubaneswar and Jaipur. The design for affordable and self-assembled handwash stations was developed in Barabhuja basti in Bhubaneswar’s ward 63, and has, since, served as a model for other community-led innovations.

The need for a foot-operated handwashing station was felt due to the knowledge that the COVID-19 virus can get transmitted when one touches contaminated surfaces. Since community taps are touched frequently, this was seen to increase the risk of transmission. In April 15, the CFAR team visited Barabhuja and shared the guidelines designed for densely populated areas, issued by the Government of India, with the Community Management Committee (CMC) and Single Window Forum (SWF) members. The advice included designing and building low-cost foot-operated handwash Stations. A Barabhuja resident, Rankanidhi Nayak (52), who is a carpenter and mason by profession, agreed to build the foot-operated handwash station.

Rankanidhi tried to make the model in the manner prescribed in the guidelines, but soon realized that without a proper wall or pillar it was difficult to set it up inside the house. “I attended the meeting with CMC and SWF members and CFAR, where the design and the ways of making it were discussed. I was also shown a video on how to do it. I tried to do it in that way with some small changes,” he said.

Rankanidhi said the handwash station could be made “at a very nominal cost”. “People can easily assemble it themselves and identify a place for it such as under the stairs or outside the house, etc. Ensure that this is near a drain so that the used water can flow into it,” he said.

Mamata Subudhi, a CMC and Mahila Arogya Samithi (MAS) member, said, “Such a handwash station should cost about Rs. 450 to Rs 500 so that we can afford it. If it is for one person, it should not exceed Rs. 100 to 150. We need to experiment with many sizes and bring the cost down to the maximum extent.”

Jaipur model

Meanwhile, in the water-scarce city of Jaipur, handwashing stations using pipes and taps have been designed and installed by communities. The first was installed by a group of five community representatives in ward 10 of Kishanbagh Harijan Basti, a 35-year-old settlement in the Vidyadhar Nagar Zone of Jaipur. It came about in response to the pressing needs of the community.

Poonam, a sanitary worker from the basti said, “We are in the field for over 12 hours, collecting and segregating waste, cleaning manholes and choked drain and sewer lines. There are no facilities for washing hands for us. We can only wash and bathe when we return home. This increases the risk of infections not only for us but also for our children and other family members.”

The residents of the area are mostly frontline contractual sanitary and health workers involved in road-sweeping, rag-picking, desilting drains and manholes and desludging clogged sewer lines. It is ironical that although they provide sanitation services to others, a large proportion of their own households do not have sanitary toilets or piped water connections.

Why a handwashing station?

In a communication training on COVID prevention in August, the Community Management Committee, an empowered community forum instituted by CFAR in urban slums as part of its community engagement strategy, where female sanitary workers spoke of the high risk they were exposed to. They said that they did not have protective gear provided either by the urban local bodies or by the contractors.

A CFAR team member shared a video on the Bamboo Tippy Tap station set up by a community in Africa which made handwashing easy and fun for everyone. It was made using a hollow bamboo. However, since bamboo was not available locally, the CMC members suggested that they could use a PVC or a cement pipe and affix a tap to it, install it at the entrance of the settlement.

First handwashing station

Immediately after this, Subhash, Lakhan, Vishal, Radhe Shyam – members of the Male Forum –and Poonam, a Single Window Forum member, decided to set up the handwashing station in their settlement. It was decided that the station would be installed near the temple in an open ground which was at the entrance of the basti to make it easily accessible to residents. “We felt this spot will be ideal and many people will use the facility,” said Poonam.

The five-member team found a spare seven feet long cement pipe lying unused in the settlement. Two members dug a pit in the ground to place the pipe, and a small hole was made in the cement pipe and a tap was attached to it. The pipe was fixed firmly in the pit, using a paste of sand and cement. Once this was done, water was filled from the top with the help of a bucket. A soap bar was placed on a soap dish fixed on the pipe with the help of a rope. The Male Forum members volunteered to look after the station and also ensure that it was filled with water at all times. The members of the Community Management Committee took charge of providing soap and persuading people to use the facility.

Many more stations

Since then, handwashing stations have been set up in five more localities, including Transport Nagar, where is in front of the community toilet directly and benefits 55 households. In Swami Basti which has many persons with disability and children, the station has been installed in the school premises directly benefitting 45 households and four persons with disability. In Sundar Nagar, the station has been placed at the entrance of the basti benefitting 60 households. This station was made by Rafeek, a carpenter and a master trainer, who was supported by Aslam, a Male Forum member. Handwashing stations have been installed in Barabhuja, Bapu Basti and Rajeev Nagar too, where they are serving a large number of people, helping them stay safer and healthier during the pandemic. In all the locations, they are being managed and maintained by community members.

The handwashing stations have become a hit with the people, and are used by children, women, disabled persons, the elderly and others. “This is innovative, affordable and easily accessible for children and persons with disability,” said one of the users.

Launch NO Masks NO Entry Campaign in Jawahar Nagar

Jaipur, October 28: The Centre for Advocacy and Research in partnership with Jaipur Municipal Corporation and NULM launched No Masks, No Entry awareness cum free mask distribution campaign in Jaipur. The objective of the campaign is to encourage citizens to adopt safe personal hygiene practices including wearing masks, washing hands using the correct technique and proper toilet usage. The campaign is a part of CFAR’s ongoing work on strengthening access to water sanitation and hygiene in 6p urban slums of Jaipur supported by Water for Women Fund, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia.

This campaign began with a nukkad natak in the JMC Adarsh Nagar Zonal office by youth forums from Sitaram Nagar and Patel Nagar kutchi basti. The young people highlighted the importance of mearing masks, and urged the audience to take care of persons with co-morbidities and come together to break the chain of the pandemic.

This was followed by a rally led by women from Shiv and Parvati Self Help Groups which began from Adarsh Nagar, covered several settlements including Jawahar Nagar Tila 4, 5 and 6, which were among the most densely populated slum clusters in the area. Other activities included distribution of free masks to sanitary workers, shopkeepers, and pedestrians, IEC on handwashing and  display of posters in prominent location, walls and autorickshaws.

In his inaugural speech Mr. Lok Bandhu, Commissioner JMC Heritage stressed on the importance of positive behaviour in flattening the curve and combating the rising cases of infections during unlock down. “The government and people have to work together to make this campaign successful. The city administration cannot contain the pandemic without the support and ownership of people. When everyone adopts the practices of wearing masks, using toilets properly and maintaining social distancing, cases will not only reduce but we will also be able to drive away the disease from the country,” he appealed.

Mr. R K Meena Deputy Commissioner, Adarsh Nagar Zone shared, “We understand that wearing masks and washing hands is one of the easiest steps towards prevention. But this has to become a part of our daily life. The Corporation is seeking support from civil society organisations to distribute free masks with the support of our SHG groups to those who cannot afford them. We aim to reach out to every lane and person in the area and encourage them to support the campaign by adopting safe practices”.

Resonating the resolve, Anita Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, NULM shared that the campaign seeks to involve active participation from citizens. “It is encouraging to see the support received from women’s SHG groups. They have already distributed over 500 masks and are leading from the front chanting slogans, “Mask nahi, pravesh nahi, Haathon ko dhona zaruri hai, Corona se banani jo doori hai.”

Roshni, President of Parvati Self Help group shared that residents living in slums and densely populated areas are more prone to infections. “The diseases affect elderly, persons with disability and those with chronic ailments and through this campaign we are reaching out to every needy person in these kutcha bastis and urging them to wear masks”. Sugna, President of Shiv Self Help group added “We are also educating people on nine steps of hand washing and proper of toilets and urinals.”

New Delhi, November 9: On the occasion of National Legal Services Day, paralegal volunteers working across 11 districts of Delhi under the aegis of the District Legal Services Authority were felicitated as COVID Warriors by Delhi State Legal Services Authority (DSLSA). There were two nominations from each of the 11 districts in Delhi and 11 were finally chosen for the award. One of them was CFAR’s Senior Field Coordinator Shashi Kaur.

Shashi, a paralegal volunteer linked to DLSA East, a grassroot worker was recognised for her exemplary work in the JJ clusters of East District. In the course of her work, Shashi was involved in enumerating vulnerable households for dry ration, social entitlement and humanitarian relief, linking children and pregnant women to nearest hospitals, facilitating testing and quarantine services to infected persons and registering survivors of domestic violence for free legal aid services. Under the guidance of Mr Pawan Kumar, Secretary DLSA East, she was also involved in the registration of 180 construction workers for renewal of Labour Cards.

In his opening remarks at the event, Shri Kanwal Jeet Singh Arora, Member Secretary DSLSA, shared that it was not possible for a 14-member team of judicial officers to reach every individual in need of support across 11 districts of Delhi. “We were able to reach the communities during the pandemic because each one of you made the mission your own and extended unconditional support to DLSA and DSLSA,” he said.

This sentiment was echoed by Mr Gautam Manan, Special Secretary, DSLSA, who highlighted that November 9 was especially chosen by the DSLSA to thank each one of the COVID warriors as it marked the anniversary of the Legal Services Authorities Act, which was promulgated to provide free and competent legal services to citizens facing economic and other social vulnerabilities. “We thank each one of you who acted as our eyes, ears and hands to reach out to most poor communities through dry rations, medicines, counselling and legal aid services in Delhi,” he stated.

Shashi expressed her gratitude to the Legal Services Authority and said she was happy that as a CFAR staff member she got an opportunity to work for people on the margins. CFAR makes an effort to reach the most marginal and hidden key population groups who live on the margins.

Shashi said that during the pandemic, these were the most severely affected as they lost their livelihoods and had no money to buy food or pay rent. “We sought support from relief agencies and raised funds through donations to support these communities with milk, cooked food, dry ration and sanitary pads and also linked them to ration through public distribution system (PDS) the e-coupon scheme of the Delhi government and nutrition supplements through Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights across 72 settlements in six districts of Delhi,” she said.

The ceremony was hosted at Patiala House Courts and attended by about 50 invitees including DLSA Secretaries, Judicial Officers, leaders from civil society organisations and other senior officials from the Legal Services Authority.

“Inclusion in Sanitation is a collective effort. Jaipur Municipal Corporation (JMC) is looking for community platforms like the Single Window Forum and Community Management Committee to work with us to reach all the vulnerable communities, says Shri Harshit Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Health, Jaipur Municipal Corporation on World Toilet Day

Big achievements

• Commissioner, Jaipur Heritage to organise a city level campaign in Jaipur to provide toilets to marginal groupsAdditional Commissioner, Jaipur Greater commits to make all public and community toilets gender friendly by installing transgender signage by end November in a planned manner
• Deputy Commissioner, JMC, to achieve 100% desludging of single and twin pit toilets in Jaipur in partnership with Single Window Forum
• Deputy Commissioner, Health resolves to achieve sustainable sanitation in partnership with Single Window Forum and Community Management Committees in Jaipur
• Deputy Commissioner, Kutcchi Basti (Unauthorized Slum) and National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) pledges to achieve the goal of a toilet for every household by 2021 with community support

Jaipur: November 19, 2020: The World Toilet Day celebrates for those having access to safely managed toilets and raises awareness of the 4.2 billion people living without access to it. The World Toilet Day 2020, on the theme Sustainable Sanitation and Climate Change was observed with great fervor by communities, civil society and government officials in Jaipur. The event was organised by Centre for Advocacy and Research, as part of its ongoing work on strengthening access to water sanitation and hygiene across 69 urban slums of Jaipur supported by Water for Women Fund, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Government of Australia.

Akhila Sivadas, Executive Director, CFAR in her opening remarks said, “In the context of an unprecedented health disaster such as COVID-19, we need to recognize the need for sustainable sanitation system that cannot only withstand extreme weather events, but also help mitigate climate change. Without strengthening the sanitation system and making it responsive to the many millions who are deprived of basic and safely managed sanitation the cities will be neither inclusive nor sustainable.”

In his inaugural address, Shri Harshit Verma, Deputy Commissioner, Health, Jaipur Municipal Corporation, said, “Inclusion in Sanitation is a collective effort. JMC is looking for community platforms like the Single Window Forum and Community Management Committee to work with us to reach all the vulnerable communities. We will ensue that we sustain basic right to sanitation to everyone and that too with community engagement. As the first step, on World Toilet Day, we commit to install the transgender signage in all public and community toilets in Jaipur in a planned manner to be completed by the end of this month.”

Shri Lokbandu, IAS Commissioner, Jaipur Heritage, stated, “keeping the pandemic in sight we need to give utmost importance to hygiene and toilets. There are many unresolved issues which JMC needs to address in a campaign mode. We will organise a city level campaign in Jaipur aimed to provide toilets to all marginal groups to shrink the curve through sustainable sanitation methods”.

Shri Atul Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Motor Garage, Jaipur Municipal Corporation, spoke of the Municipal Corporation’s efforts for sustaining ODF. JMC is working with communities to plan sustainability of ODF and moving consistently towards ODF + and ODF ++. “We aim to achieve 100% desludging at affordable costs which the community can pay in all kutchi bastis where there are single and twin pit toilets. In partnership with the Single Window Forum, we will reach every household in the city and this process will be anchored by Jaipur Municipal Corporation,” he said.

Expressing concern about Transgender persons, Shri Arun Garg, RAS Additional Commissioner, Jaipur Greater said, “The transgender signage has to be driven ahead now. We resolve to speed up this process by next week and ensure that it takes actionable shape.”

Urging the officials to translate their policies Pushpa Mai, Founder, Nai Bhor, urged the officials to translate their policies into concrete action. “The access to public and community toilets for transgender both in slums and in public places is a much-needed service. We are ready to support and lead these efforts with the government at all levels”.

Ms. Anita Mittal, Deputy Commissioner, Kutchi Basti and NULM, Jaipur speaking about toilets in slums said, “Sanitation in slums is the responsibility of JMC and community plays a major role in making it sustainable. To achieve this goal, we seek the support of the community in conducting a survey to highlight where access to toilets needs to be enhanced and how and we as JMC will ensure that toilets are installed or constructed in those locations. Together we resolve to make this happen by World Toilet day 2021.”

Shiv, a disabled master trainer highlighted the plight of disabled persons. “If the basic design of the toilet is not made in consultation with us how will the government ensure that we use it?” he questioned.

Several other activities were part of the day. These included – release of statement of intent for making sanitation for all a practice by stakeholders and community, felicitation of community leadership across wards for facilitating equitable sanitation services for marginal households, Aao Bhagidari Badhayein, a kathputli performance by men and boys and a signature campaign in two kutchi bastis, Jawahar Nagar and Kishan Bagh.

The three events were attended by over 170 government officials, service providers, sanitary workers, CSOs and community representatives.

Community and frontline workers campaign for girls and women’s right to menstruate with dignity

As part of the Government of Rajasthan’s led Maasik Dharm Swachhta Evam Prabandhan Yojana or Menstrual Hygiene Management Programme and on the occasion of the launch of 16 Days of Activism against Violence against Women and Girls, November 25, 2020 in Jaipur,  the Community Management Committee (CMC) members, frontline workers such as ASHAs, ANMs, Anganwadi workers and representatives of health and sanitation programmes such as Mahila Arogya Samiti of Nagtalai, Transport Nagar, Amagadh, Shakti Colony, Lakshminarayan Puri, Parvat Colony of Ward 67, are launching a campaign to make all stakeholders – women, girls, men, community leaders, shopkeepers, youth, local service-providers, teachers, sanitary workers to name a few – realize that Menstrual Hygiene Management is Everyone’s Business.

Periods do not stop during the pandemic

The pandemic and the nationwide lockdown that followed in March 2020 revealed the extreme distress that urban poor women and girls were subjected to. All services – schools, ICDS, PHCs, counselling centres –were closed down. Along with the halting of free distribution of sanitary pads, the prices of these articles in the open market shot up, making these unaffordable for most, especially for women and girls from poor families living in informal settlements. Not only their access to sanitary pads became very difficult, they also found it hard to use public taps and public toilets while they were also severely compromised on hygiene practices, including safe disposal of used menstrual absorbents. It was devastating, emotionally and psychologically, many of them told us. Worse, there was an absence of policy response to this common and pressing problem. In the initial phase of the lockdown, sanitary napkin was not listed as an essential item. It was only after the government realized the omission that this was set right.

In the light of this very traumatic experience of abject neglect and complete disruption of the minimum support and services, the campaign title, “Make MHM Everyone’s Business”, suggests raising awareness and securing everyone’s commitment to do their bit as policy-makers, decision-makers, family members of women and girls, citizens, neighbours, partners, colleagues and friends to make MHM truly safe for all women and girls. This campaign stresses the need to recognize that we can no longer just be bystanders and observers and exhorts us to act together to make MHM safe for women and girls.

Campaign Thrust

• Together, overcome the shame, guilt, silence, stigma and neglect that surrounds the issue of MHM
• Affirm commitments on ensuring ‘Safe MHM for All’ in Ward 63
• Together find ways to improve access to information, absorbents, WASH services and safe disposal and ‘Leaving NO One Behind’
• Integrate MHM in Urban Health and Nutrition Day (UHND), Mothers meetings, MAS and ASHA training and across key programmes for women’s empowerment and girls’ development
• Involve boys/men as allies and supporters of the right of girls and women to safe MHM
• Recognize MHM as an issue linked to sexual and reproductive health, education, adolescent development and women’s empowerment

The campaign will be taken forward at many levels in collaboration with the key stakeholders – from the government to the academia, experts, civil society organizations and the private sector. Different formats such as facilitating dialogue, holding gender sensitization workshops, conducting awareness campaigns by organising street plays, community discussions, talks by experts, undertaking focused micro-planning by all concerned to decide on how best to engage with the issue in every way will be used to reach a wider set of people.

In Swami Basti, Jaipur, India, Ramesh is proud to show off the newly installed, accessible handwashing station that he, his family and entire community can benefit from every day to maintain their hand hygiene – important for their health always, but particularly with the threat of COVID-19 never far from their minds.

Swami Basti is a poor community in Jaipur, home to many vulnerable people and households who have suffered disproportionately due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 22 per cent of the world’s poorest people have a disability. Disability and poverty are often linked as people living in poverty have a higher chance of acquiring a disability due to lack of medical care, poor nutrition, violence, unsafe housing, and getting injured at work.

Ramesh, who lives with a disability will not only benefit from this accessible foot operated handwashing station, he also played an important role in its creation!

Through the Water for Women Fund project, supported by the Australian Government, Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) in collaboration with the Municipal Corporation or Urban Local Body, play a role in addressing the diverse WASH needs of the community (there are community forums  called community management committee in each slum federated into a Single Window Forum at the Ward level and each of these committees and forum are managed and run by representatives of marginalised groups such as single women, persons with disability or from the transgender or sexual and gender minority groups). Ramesh is an active master trainer who educates community members on techniques of handwashing, which he learnt at a communication workshop conducted in August.

Ramesh and other members from the Single Window Forum set up the facility after the training, which now benefits 45 households including the disabled.

Ramesh and his wife Saroj are disabled. With two children to take care of and access to water being a challenge, this handwashing station has been an important addition for the family and the community as a whole.

The self-help group run by women is making Sakhi sanitary napkins with use of eco-friendly material

New Delhi: They are already being hailed by India’s national media as Delhi’s padwomen. The women of Mazdoor Kalyan Camp, a modest locality in New Delhi, are a determined lot. They sit in their ‘unit’ on one of the coldest days the city has experienced in over a century, cutting, pasting and folding– the essential steps needed for making sanitary napkins. One of them, Jyoti, even has her infant as she follows the steps required in making a napkin. She has the company of seven other women who sit with her, each engrossed in their task. “This is the most important thing we have done in many years to make ourselves and our families financially secure,” says Jyoti.

The journey of these women towards self-empowerment began two years ago when the Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) began an initiative in their area, an unauthorized settlement crammed with tiny houses, with a high density of population and several shared services like toilets and water. The services were far from satisfactory – the community toilets were dirty; taps were few while the area was littered with waste and the drains were choked. “It was nothing like what you see now,” says Vidya, another member of the SHG.

The Community Management Centre (CMC) set up by CFAR comprised women from the locality who learned to identify their problems, mobilise community opinion, and approach the civic department responsible for managing it. In due course, the women CMC members became knowledgeable on the subject of managing water and sanitation issues in communities, including solid and faecal waste management and drains. “We – realised that menstrual waste was a major concern in the settlement as most napkins were non-biodegradable. The use of napkins available in the market made of silicon and plastic sheets was a major cause for reproductive tract infection (RTI) and inflammation,” said Pista.

The CMC-empowered women had been looking for livelihood opportunities and were introduced to an initiative in which they would manufacture sanitary napkins, using easy-to-use machines. The CMC thus transformed into a self-help group and the Baba Sahib Sakhi Sanitary Napkin Unit was born. Seven women-Vidya, Kamlesh, Jyoti, Sunita, Pista, Seema and Mukesh decided to form it. They visited an operational unit located at Khurrampur in Haryana to understand the process.

Prior to the start of the unit the group had to deal with two major challenges. The first was finding the space for the unit while the second was the absorbent capacity of the pad.

“We devised an improved version which lasts longer and is more absorbent and this is what we are producing in this unit. Vidya and her family supported us by giving us the space in their house without any rent,” said Kamlesh.

CFAR had a partnership with Vatsalya Foundation from Vadodara, Gujarat, which has developed the model of small low-cost units which can produce sanitary napkins using bio-degradable material. The napkin has been approved and certified by Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) and the Department of North Eastern Region – DONER, Government of India. The machines used in the unit are manual except one which is used for sanitising the product though a UV filter. The group underwent a three day-training in which they learnt how to produce and market napkins. “The napkin produced in this unit would be 100% organic and made of banana fibre and can be burnt, leaving behind a non-toxic ash which can be mixed with soil,” said Juhi Jain, Senior Programme Manager with CFAR.

Carrying the brand name of Sakhi, the sanitary napkins are being marketed by the group proudly in adjoining neighbourhoods and bustling markets. National media has recently written about their initiative, which has brought them appreciation from people who had not heard about them. Even as boxes fill up with sanitary pads, the women from the Baba Sahib Sakhi Sanitary Napkin Unit are now focusing on another important aspect – marketing. “We are better than the competition (big brands promoted by multinational companies) because we are safe and hygienic and are also using eco-friendly material,” says Vidya.

The success of this initiative will pave the way for many more similar enterprises. “We hope this will soon become a success story so that we can support more women in becoming agents of change,” says CFAR’s Executive Director Akhila Sivadas.

In partnership with Delhi Commission for Protection of Child Rights (DCPCR), CFAR is facilitating children in the age group 0-6 years to get half litre toned milk every alternate day.

When CFAR began relief operations in the most vulnerable settlements of Delhi immediately after the lockdown, we started getting requests for milk and biscuits for children in the age group 0-6 years. With parents having lost their livelihood due to the pandemic were left with little cash in hand. This was impacting the purchasing power of households directly, forcing them to compromise on items such as milk and biscuits. As one mother, Jyoti told us: “My husband is a daily wage worker and I do domestic work. We have both lost our jobs and have limited cash to take care our daily needs. The government and other relief agencies are providing dry ration kits but no milk powder or any other nutritional supplement for our children. We, therefore, have to feed our children with rice and dal water.”

Given the urgency, CFAR appealed to the Advisory Task Force of the Delhi government for providing some measure of support to families with children in the age group 0-6 years.

In keeping with this, DPCPR began a campaign partnering with CSOs to provide half litre milk every alternate day for children across Delhi settlements. The money for the milk was raised by partners with support of DCPCR.

CFAR supported DCPCR by enlisting children, identifying vendors, facilitating meetings between DCPCR Rapid Action team and point persons (who introduced the families) and ensuring distribution of packets to enlisted HHs.

On April 19, 2020, as many as 231 children were given milk packets. These were from six settlements- JJ Camp Anand Vihar, Khichdipur, Mazdoor Kalyan Camp I, B 45 Sanjay Camp, Gautampuri, and Indra Kalyan Vihar.

The distribution was facilitated by Community Management Committee (CMC) members, many of whom are ASHA, ICDS workers, SHG members and Swachha Grahi working in partnership with the Delhi government for over two years, with CFAR.

In JJ Camp Anand Vihar, Heera and Surekha reached out to 22 children. Heera, is a Swachhagrahi, ASHA worker and a PLV under DLSA, East.

Heera told us, “I have no children of my own, but all these are my children and I am happy that the government is thinking of our children”. Surekha, also an ASHA worker added:” This is double benefit for me, I can help households with children and also give information on handwashing and social distancing as part of my work.”

In Khichdipur, Priya and Madhu, both members of CMC and SHG delivered milk packets to 27 families. Priya said: “I felt very happy and relieved. Children need nutrition and to keep them healthy milk is necessary.” Madhu, also said: “The lockdown has affected households where income is low and children are the most affected as families have to curtail expenditure and milk is one of the first items they have stopped buying.”

Priyanka, who is a member of the adolescent forum and SHG in Indra Kalyan Vihar wants to make her settlement an ideal one and started training women in making handicrafts and selling them. “This is a welcome initiative; Parents feel helpless as they do not have money as all work has stopped. Getting some relief for the children is welcome.”

Munni, CMC member, added: “Children need nutrition to remain healthy. Parents blessed us and thanked us for helping them. I feel grateful for this opportunity to help 12 households in my basti”.

In B-45 Sanjay Camp, Anita and Pushpa had a big responsibility of reaching 80 households. Anita is a Swachhagrahi and a Master trainer. She told us: “In this time of crisis, all of us have to help each other. My children are grown up and I am happy to work with mothers to run errands and deliver milk at home.” Pushpa, CMC member is an Anganwadi helper. She said: “This campaign must be taken to all settlements and across the city. Even after the lockdown this initiative should be made a part of the Anganwadi services so that children in the age group 0-6 years can get adequate nutrition”.

Members from the Baba Sahib Sakhi Sanitary Napkin unit in Mazdoor Kalyan Camp, have now opened the door of their unit for relief. Vidhya, Swachhagrahi, SHG and unit member, said: “Our unit is not functioning so we are supporting CFAR in distributing dry rations. Today, we distributed milk and everyone around told us it was a good effort.”

Jyoti, also a member of the CMC and the unit added, “One good deed begets another, we went door to door giving milk, immediately after we received a call from another NGO asking for packets of sanitary napkins to distribute in other slums. We have been rewarded.”

Last but not the least, three Mahila Panchayat Group members Sarita, Jyoti, Shabnur, linked 63 children to the milk campaign in Gautampuri. Sarita, is an active legal help desk member who said: “A few days back I was taking cases to Mahila Panchayat office, now I taking milk. It is all the same-helping those in need.” Shabnur said: “I was very surprised when I received a call from Vartika that we can supply milk to HHs in Gautampuri. I thought someone was joking with me but when all three of us received the packets we were eager to help,” Jyoti, shared similar sentiments: “Elders in the family blessed us. A mother blessed my children. It is an opportunity to serve my own community and in this time we all have to work together.”

Ms Ranjana Prasad, Member, DCPCR has offered to support CFAR in raising funds for providing milk to children across settlements.

In her message to CFAR, in response the first day delivery and photographs she shared: “Amazing…Its a moment for me…”

To take this campaign to other settlements, we are enlisting, many more children from most hidden and excluded population including children affected by HIV.