For Just

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Futures
Annual Report 2022-23
For Just
Futures
Annual Report 2022-23

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About ActionAid Association
ActionAid Association is a nationally registered organisation working with the poor and marginalised
people in India since 1972. We are working across 25 states and three union territories through our
13 project offices. ActionAid Association is governed by an independent General Assembly and a
Governing Board. Together with communities, supporters, institutions and the government, we strive
for equality, fraternity and liberty for all. ActionAid Association is part of a global federation and a full
affiliate of ActionAid Association International that has a presence in over 40 countries in Asia, Africa,
Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Since 1972, the poor and the excluded have been at the centre of our discourse and actions in
India. Over the past four decades, we have extensively worked with socially excluded communities,
Tribals, DNTs, the urban poor, people living with HIV/AIDS, small-scale farmers, fisher communities,
people affected by disasters and persons with disabilities, with a focus on the most marginalised and
dispossessed amongst them, including women and children.

ActionAid Association is an organisation that works in solidarity with the most marginalised
communities to further social and ecological justice. We believe in equality and justice for all and
support the leadership and empowerment of the marginalised communities in their pursuit for a life
of dignity as equal citizens of India. We draw inspiration and guidance from the Constitution of India
and international covenants that envision a just and equal world.

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Introduction
ActionAid Association finds the efforts for change made by the marginalised and vulnerable very
inspiring. We are encouraged to collaborate with these vital and collective voices and action
towards social and ecological justice. We have strengthened marginalised people’s awareness to
advance localised actions and engage and support the administration on their issues.

ActionAid Association strongly believes that children are ambassadors of change from the
vulnerable sections in the communities and hence, we strive to build a socially just and sustainable
future for the children of the most marginalised. In all our interventions we strive to ensure that
children have appropriate access to free, compulsory and quality public education and safety from
violence, abuse and any kind of exploitation. Our community interventions resulted in identifying
and mainstreaming of 1,20,135 out-of-school and dropout children (57,389 boys and 62,746 girls) in
12 states in India. Similarly, we covered 11,870 public schools across the states. A total of 2,500 child
marriages (girls and boys) were prevented with the support of volunteers and government officials in
5 states. In Odisha, 12,407 villages were declared Child Marriage Free by the Department of Women
and Child Development (DWCD). We facilitated the formation of 791 Child Protection Committees
in Bihar and Rajasthan. We also facilitated the linkages of 100 child labourers to the schemes under
the Chief Minister Relief Fund in Bihar. In Jharkhand we engaged in the development of 10 districts’
district action plans (DAPs) which were adopted by the Jharkhand government for adolescent
empowerment.

ActionAid Association has been focussing on uplifting women’s conditions and was involved in
formulation of women’s policies with a special focus on single women in Uttar Pradesh. We also
focussed on the women’s policy formulation in Madhya Pradesh and interacted with elected
representatives in Gujarat on this issue. We also prepared the advisory for witch branding.

Post pandemic, as it became important to support persons from marginalised communities to rebuild
their livelihoods, we supported more than 2,900 individuals, mostly women, in vocational training and
strengthening livelihoods. We linked many to various social security schemes and entitlements across
the states. We ran 7 facilitation centres to ensure that the workers had access to information and
were able to claim their entitlements and get covered under government schemes. On addressing
bonded labour, detailed case studies and documentation of each case was prepared and shared

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with NHRC and the local administration for each rescue across Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Madhya
Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab. In the last year, 57 bonded labourers got release
certificates, and 23 bonded labourers got a compensation of Rs 20,000 each.

ActionAid Association organised campaigns to promote sustainable agriculture which is in sync with
the ecology and local climate. A total of 6,221 families across various states were sensitised and 2,435
people learnt how to use indigenous methodologies in agriculture. We supported farmers’ groups
collectivising them for collective entrepreneurship through 3 farmer producer organisations (FPOs),
having a membership of around 4,000 farmers. Basant is the first women-led FPO in Bundelkhand
and she has moved forward for getting a license for seed production.

We have been working for the protection and improving the water quality of around 200 lakes.
Community interventions led to the preservation and rejuvenation of around 100 water bodies across
various states. We conducted campaigns for awareness across 12 states and facilitated applications
for land under the Forest Rights Act (FRA). Community efforts facilitated the filing of 586 IFR and 117
CFR applications by the community, strengthening the understanding of 815 forest Rights Committee
members and community leaders on FRA provisions. A total of 389 families received homestead land
titles.

ActionAid Association responded to various disasters with humanitarian support and helped more
than 17,000 families with relief support across various states. Many states suffered from floods during
the year. We carried out relief distribution in the flood affected states – Assam, Gujarat, Odisha,
Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The landslide in Joshimath caused a
huge problem for the people. ActionAid Association supported the affected families with relief who
had to leave their homes and live in alternative shelters.

ActionAid Association celebrates the leadership and agency of community-based leaders who
defend social and ecological justice not only for their own people but uphold these constitutional
values and hope for the whole humanity.

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 Child Rights
With a Focus on
Public Education
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At ActionAid Association we strongly believe mainstreaming of out-of-school and dropout
that children are ambassadors of change in children in public schools across the country.
the communities from the vulnerable sections, The ActionAid Association team has also
so we strive to build a socially just and focussed on school infrastructure development,
sustainable future for the children of the most SMC strengthening, ensuring attendance and
marginalised. We strive to ensure that children children transition to public schools. We are also
have appropriate access to free, compulsory engaged on the issue of gender in the National
and quality public education and safety from Curriculum Framework and have been involved
violence, abuse and any kind of exploitation. in state level as well as national level workshops.
We have ensured the identification and

Impact in Numbers
Out-of-School Children Brought to School 1,20,135
62,746 girls and 57,389 boys
Public Schools Covered 11,870
Child Marriages Prevented 2,500
Child Protection Committees Formed 791

(education policies, programme and schemes),

Strategic Engagements status of girls’ progress in education made
towards achieving gender parity in education.
National Level We have also been influencing systemic
steps for sustaining the progress made and
Since early 2022 ActionAid Association has provisions of the right of children under the RTE
been engaged in developing a base paper Act, 2009. Some areas that we investigated
for discussion on a gender just curriculum include curriculum for description, standards for
vis-a-vis ‘the New Education Policy 2020’ for learning, teaching learning material, classroom
engagement at state and national levels. This transactions, evaluation assessment (how it will
focusses on context, gaps and needs with be measured if a student has learned; pattern
respect to girls’ education, gender equality in of QPs and exams) and other areas like time
education in the global and national context management in school, involving local artisans

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and community members, project based/ In partnership with the Women and Child
game-based / play-based learning and Development Department and different
partnerships. administrations and UNICEF, ActionAid
Association has been leading from the front
State Level in Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand and
Rajasthan on adolescent empowerment and
Our support and engagement with the local ending child marriages. Our ground efforts on
administration was successful in drawing strategic engagement in five states brought
attention to the reality of a large number of remarkable results as 12,407 villages in Odisha
out-of-school children (OoSC) in Uttar Pradesh have been declared Child Marriage Free by
(including children affected by seasonal DWCD with prevention of 2,500 plus child
migration and children with disabilities/abilities), marriages across the country. In Odisha, 12,407
who neither get enlisted in enrolment registers, villages have been declared Child Marriage
nor are drawn back to the fold of schooling. Free by DWCD with prevention of 1,855 child
Strategic engagement through the Nai Pahal marriages across state. In Bihar, the team
Initiative resulted in a large jump in enrolments has regularly engaged and facilitated the
and attendance and sustainability of the formation and strengthening of 449 Child
new process. As a result of the intervention, Protection Committees in 8 districts. They have
several other policy changes and refinements successfully facilitated linkages of 100 child
in implementation were noted at the state level labourers with the schemes under the Chief
in Uttar Pradesh. Each of these is expected to Minister Relief Fund. In Jharkhand the team
have a sustainable impact on the enrolment successfully engaged in the development of
and attendance of children in the years to 10 districts’ DAPs for children and adolescent
come in the state. This was firmed up with empowerment. In this regard a government
the development and sharing of guidelines notification has been issued for government
(such as for identification and mainstreaming officials so that a district can implement the
of OoSC) from time to time. Overall, a system intervention as per the DAP.
of evidence-based state level engagements
with authorities was planned and executed in
In Rajasthan, the team has successfully
a steady manner. All this played a pivotal role
facilitated the formation and strengthening of
in issuing the SHARDA (School-Har-Din Ayen)
262 village level Child Protection Committees
circular and triggering policy level changes.
and also successfully linked 8,548 orphans with
Identification and mainstreaming of 1 lakh OoSC
the state government’s Palanhar programme.
children including children with disabilities was
successfully completed in Uttar Pradesh.

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We have been working to facilitate and facilities in government schools as per the
engage with state governments in recent years Right to Education Act, 2009. We have also had
to promote and protect child rights, with a consultations to assess the National Curriculum
particular focus on improving public education Framework (NCF), which brings to light the aims
and child protection. ActionAid Association and commitments of the National Education
is also focusing on increasing the enrolment, Policy. In this regard state level consultations \
attendance and transition of vulnerable children on the gender equity component in NCF were
to government schools in these states. Mapping also held after the assessments in several states
and mainstreaming OoSC and dropout children in India.
(including children affected by seasonal
migration and children with disabilities/abilities) During the assessments, the teams found that
have been done in 14 states (UP, Uttarakhand, the three waves of the Covid-19 pandemic
Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra adversely affected the lives of vulnerable
Pradesh, Karnataka, Kashmir, West Bengal, communities and their children. These waves
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and directly impacted the children’s education.
Punjab). In Uttar Pradesh we have launched The situation led to many instances where the
several programmes to address specific children became child labourers and girls got
challenges in public education, including married before they turned 18. Children also lost
development of school infrastructure in rural their interest in education. Some children lost
and urban areas with the aim of providing their parents too during Covid-19, making them
basic amenities such as drinking water, even more vulnerable.
toilets, school boundaries, playgrounds and
community kitchens. In Maharashtra, Gujarat, National/State Campaigns
West Bengal and Goa we have also engaged
with government schools to promote STEM Back to school campaign on education: The
education, where computer and other devices campaign ‘Back to School’ or ‘School Chalo
for SMART classes to schools in remote areas Abhiyan’ or ‘Yes to School, No to Child Marriage/
have been provided thereby improving access Labour’ across the country focused on in-school
to education for children in these areas. learning and mainstreaming of out-of-school
children including dropout/pushed-out children
through various awareness generation activities.
Studies and Research The campaign reached out to 11,34,420 people
Several rapid assessments in states (Bihar, comprising 2,35,165 boys, 3,02,450 girls and
Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal) have been 5,96,805 adults. The campaign emphasized
done to understand the availability of basic ‘ensuring preparedness of schools for the safety

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of school children, encouraging members of school children. Through our initiatives we
SMCs, PRIs, parents and guardians to enrol or covered 11,870 government school across Uttar
send back their children to school, motivating Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Bihar, Maharashtra,
children to attend the school on a regular basis Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan,
and mobilising government officials at various Telangana, West Bengal, Odisha and others.
levels to ensure mainstreaming of children We also trained 2,500 active volunteers on
particularly children trapped in child labour and RTE compliant schools. The aim was to gain
child trafficking. local support for strengthening the schooling
system and identification and mainstreaming
Several weeklong activities like awareness of OoSC including children with disabilities. We
walks, marathons, wall writing, drawing also strengthened the volunteer networks at
competitions and social media and signature village, block and district levels to redress school
campaigns were undertaken and interactive related grievances at the panchayat and tehsil
sessions were held with the special participation levels so that they can contribute to increasing
of more than 2,000 SMCs, 2,500 teachers, enrolment, attendance and transition of children
5,000 plus government officials and 25,000 to government schools.
parents of families of dropouts and out-of-

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Campaign on scholarships: A campaign on the local community on child protection issues
act on scholarships was also conducted across (legal age of child marriage (boys and girls),
the country. It reached to 2.5 lakh children and dowry, child trafficking and child labour) with
finally 52,688 children successfully received the support of the district child protection
the pre-matric and post-matric scholarships. department. During the campaign several
ActionAid Association along with community activities were taken up to orient the local
volunteers reached 2.5 lakh community community and parents. In Rajasthan, Bihar,
members in 120 districts in 11 states (Gujarat, Jharkhand, Odisha, UP and West Bengal,
Kashmir, Bihar, Bangalore, Haryana, Himachal we were intensively engaged in ensuring
Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, many activities in the intervention areas. We
Maharashtra and Rajasthan) across the country. successfully reached out to 12 lakh adolescents
In Delhi, career counselling was provided to 714 and sensitised them on child protection issues
young girls and 246 students were helped in like child marriage legal age, child trafficking,
filling forms for scholarship schemes. child labour and bad effects on health. We also
reached out to 25 lakh people in six states.
Campaign on child protection: We organised a wA total of 2,500 child marriages (girls and boys)
campaign on child protection issues to sensitise were prevented with the support of volunteers

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and government officials in five states. These Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Maharashtra, Rajasthan
state teams also engaged frontline workers, and Odisha.
Child Protection Committee members and
task force members during the campaign in Community Meetings: Across UP, Bihar, Odisha,
the districts. In every state the vehicles for the West Bengal, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya
awareness campaign were flagged off by the Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab,
district magistrate, the district development Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we successfully
commissioner, collectors, sub-divisional arranged weekly meetings with community
magistrate and the labour commissioner. members and various community level
structures to mobilise them on issues like quality
Community Engagements education, girl enrolment, children’s attendance,
SMART classes in school, school infrastructure
Mapping and Mainstreaming of Out of School
development and child protection issues (child
Children (including children affected by seasonal
marriages, child trafficking and child labour).
migration and children with disabilities/abilities):
Our interventions also worked for developing
ActionAid Association has closely worked with
partnerships among the government schools
concerned government departments to ensure
and the communities for strengthening school
children’s enrolment, attendance and transition
functioning.
from one class to the next. We engaged
with teachers, government officials, frontline
workers, community volunteers, SMC members Interface meetings with Government officials:
and community leaders for identifying and Several meetings were organised with the
mainstreaming OOSC and dropout children. We concerned government officials to ensure
also strengthened the frontline workers, SMCs, awareness programmes at all levels across
PRI representatives and various community the state. We had several meetings with the
structures to ensure that 100 per cent of the education department at the district, block
children are in school. Along with volunteers we and panchayat levels to ensure that the
completed the mapping of OoSC and dropout activities under the intervention were carried
children and jointly identified 1,20,135 out-of- out. We did timely sensitising of government
school and dropout children including those officials to ensure the functional committees,
affected by seasonal migration and children task forces and management committees were
with disabilities (57,389 boys and 62,746 girls able to perform their roles in the respective
in 12 states- Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Hyderabad, departments.
Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya

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Celebration of Child Rights Week: On the
occasion of Children’s Day, a two-week
long campaign was carried out to celebrate
childhood and child rights across the country.
Several activities were designed where children
and adolescents directly shared their voices and
views on issues which affected them with the
various stakeholders. In this series, at the Bihar
panchayat level a Bal-Darbar was organised
in which 311 panchayats across the state were
covered. Bal-Darbar was meant to engage with
children and adolescents and educate them
about their right to participate in all matters
that they were concerned with, their needs,
aspirations and giving them due respect in all
decision-making processes.

Assessment of Government Schools: ActionAid and NCF at the A N Sinha Institute of Social
Association conducted rapid assessments Studies, Patna. Other rapid assessments were
in government schools in Bihar, Kashmir, done in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra
Hyderabad, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Pradesh, Telangana and Kashmir.
Telangana. This rapid assessment was done
to understand the basic facilities available in Training and Capacity Building: ActionAid
government schools as per the RTE Act, 2009. Association trained about 80,000 children/
The rapid assessment in Bihar was conducted adolescents on financial literacy skills, child
in 25 and 400 public schools including Kasturba protection, health and hygiene and the
Gandhi Ballika Vidyalayas and madarsas, Covid-19 pandemic issues across the country.
to understand the basic facilities as per RTE We also engaged project volunteers in orienting
Act, 2009. One rapid study was done in 25 adolescents and children in several states. The
government schools in 3 districts (Samastipur, AA team also built the capacities of the frontline
Muzaffarpur and Patna) on the National workers and 5,000 government officials on their
Curriculum Framework (NCF). A state level important role in addressing child marriages,
consultation on the gender equity component child trafficking and child labour.

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The team also capacitated 3,000 faith leader developing the implementation strategy for
and PRI representatives on child protection regularly addressing children’s social protection
issues through regular interface meetings issues in their respective states.
across the country. In several states, we also
strengthened the members of the school Linkages with Government Schemes: The teams
management committees on their role in facilitated the linkage of vulnerable children and
the school’s day-to-day functioning and adolescents with government schemes. A total
management; 500 teachers were trained on of 40,302 children/adolescents were linked with
curiosity-based learning using the Science government schemes across the country. The
Technology Engineering and Mathematics teams also facilitated 52,688 children in getting
(STEM) method and 5,96,805 community scholarships in several states. A total of 12,250
members (1,27,864 men and 4,68,941 women) adolescent girls and boys were encouraged
including traditional leaders were oriented on to take the Covid-19 vaccinations through
the impact and prohibition of child marriages model vaccination camps. They were also
through various strategies such as movement sensitised on Covid-19 appropriate behaviour
of caravans reaching the village level, gram and successfully took two doses of the Covid-19
panchayat Child Protection Committee, vaccine. 8,548 children (no parents and single
SHG meetings, village health nutrition day parent) were identified and linked with the
and observing national and international Palanhar programme.
days ensuring Covid-19 norms such as social
distancing, wearing masks and small group A total of 30,343 girls and boys were provided
gatherings. financial assistance amounting to Rs 32,19,87,000
from the Building and Other Construction
Activation of Child Protection Committees: Workers (BOCW) board and Corporate Social
ActionAid Association facilitated the formation Responsibility (CSR) linkages in Odisha for
and strengthening of 5,000 plus Child Protection access to education, vocational /technical
Committees, 9,056 task forces on child marriages education and skill training. A similar exercise
and dowry across various state (Rajasthan, was done in Rajasthan.
Odisha, Bihar, West Bengal and Jharkhand).
These committees and task forces were formed Formation and Strengthening of Adolescent
and strengthened to ensure the reduction in Group: 2,350 adolescent groups were
percentage of child labour, child trafficking and strengthened. These have a membership of
child marriages across the country. ActionAid 35,250 boys and girls from marginalised hamlets.
Association provided technical and monitoring The groups were formed for developing a local
support to concerned government officials in

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level mechanism for addressing the various child capacitated on RTE compliant schools
protection issues so that they can address these and child protection issues. Handholding
issues locally. support was provided to volunteers in holding
community meetings till they were able to do
A total of 2,62,435 (1,39,620 females and so independently. Soon after their selection,
1,22,815 male) adolescents and youth were the volunteers underwent capacity building.
reached out to with targeted messages and In villages, we often hold meetings with the
information on prevention of Covid-19 through community at Anganwadi Centres (AWCs)
field functionaries, teachers and partners and try to identify proactive people to work
in platforms like Advika, Village Health and as volunteers. Local youth, literate people
Nutrition Day, Kishori Mela, state and district or people showing an inclination to impact
adolescent conventions, Gaon Kalyan Samitis. education were selected. Often 2-3 interactions
are required to engage each volunteer. We try
Systematic selection, capacity building and to find innovative ways to engage and motivate
engagement with volunteers: Approximately them. In addition, they are added to School
10,000 volunteers were identified and selected Management Committees (SMCs), wherever
across the country. They were particularly possible.

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 Women and
the World
of Work
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ActionAid Association’s work and understanding series of meetings, workshops and awareness
of issues of workers, urban spaces and access campaigns that helped them know about
to social justice, has greatly evolved across addressing their issues and accessing
India in the last two decades. Our work has entitlements. Leadership training was imparted
focused not only on furthering people’s access to the identified leaders with focus on women
to social security and entitlements but also workers to help sustain their efforts in addressing
pushing for their access to housing, insurance, gender-based inequalities and discrimination.
healthcare, education for children and civic
services. ActionAid Association recognises that The Covid-19 pandemic resulted in severe
building the most deprived, among them the dislocations in the lives of workers, especially
informal workers, in governance is essential for the poor, neglected and women workers. We
nation building. At the same time, improved concentrated on rebuilding livelihoods post the
participation of the most deprived communities, pandemic, carried out campaigns to link the
including women, in decision making may communities to various social security schemes,
alleviate certain inequalities. Thus, building conducted research and engaged with the
strong community leadership and its agency government at the district and various other
and supporting the leadership towards a life state levels.
of dignity is a sustainable strategy. It is this
strategy which helped us to bring the attention
of various stakeholders on issues of workers like
Strategic Engagements
construction workers, domestic workers, manual ActionAid Association is part of the core CSO
scavengers, beedi workers, home-based women group constituted by the National Human
workers, brick kiln workers, street vendors, fisher Rights Commission (NHRC) on bonded labour.
folks, bonded labour, artisans, blacksmiths, Recommendations submitted by ActionAid
weavers and tea garden and coffee estate Association have been issued as advisories
workers. We engaged with these communities by NHRC, key amongst which are delinking of
to ensure social security, decent wages, compensation with conviction in addition to
decent work, abolition of forced labour and others like including newer forms of bondage
caste-based menial occupations, and address under the definition, provision of land for
exclusions in the labour market with focus on agriculture, housing, livelihood and enterprise
women workers. building support under rehabilitation.

We worked towards strengthening the On December 29, 2022, ActionAid Association

collectives of informal workers through a organised a national consultation on gender-

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 >> Announcement by the Bhubaneswar
Municipal Corporation (BMC) and
department of labour regarding provision
of rest rooms, urinals, safe drinking water
facilities and Aahar Kendras for labour at
various labour posts across the city. These
had been some of the key asks by ASM fothe
last few years.
>> A special notification was issued by the
based violence against women workers State Urban Development Agency for the
in the informal sector in India. There was protection of homeless people in Odisha
representation from various community-based which was ASM’s longstanding demand.
organisations working with street vendors,
construction site workers, domestic workers,
In Rajasthan, ActionAid Association with
and other informal sector workers, besides the
Kachi Basti Mahasangh, Rajasthan Mahila
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC),
Kaamgar Sangh, Rajasthan Nirman and
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA),
General Mazdur Sangh and Ghumantu Shajha
journalists, activists and leading women’s
Manch, organised a public meeting in Jaipur
rights organisations such as Jagori. The
on the issues of workers in Jaipur and across
objective of the consultation was discussing
Rajasthan. Recommendations like the regulation
the various forms of violence faced by women
of employment conditions, registration of both
in the informal sector and to find mechanisms
employers and workers and social security
to tackle it at the institutional as well as
measures for domestic workers were made
community levels.
to the Chief Minister and labour minister of
Rajasthan.
In Odisha, ActionAid Association and
Asanghathit Shramika Mancha (ASM) have been
In Tamil Nadu, there was significant progress
engaging with the government for increasing
in addressing the longstanding concerns
the wages for workers. The efforts of our
of salt-pan workers due to the continuous
engagement led to:
engagement of ActionAid Association. One
>> Increase in the minimum wages from Rs 333 major achievement was the substantial increase
to Rs 345 (unskilled), from Rs 373 to Rs 385 in wages for both men and women. Previously,
(semi-skilled), from Rs 423 to Rs 435 (skilled) workers were earning Rs 400 and Rs 390, but
and from Rs 483 to Rs 495 (highly skilled). now their wages have been raised to Rs 490 and

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Rs 500 respectively. Moreover, in recognition of years. They had to travel long distances to a
the challenges faced during the rainy season, nearby hamlets to obtain sustenance for their
the Tamil Nadu government has provided families. The previous year, the government
salt-pan workers with a compensation of Rs established a mobile PDS shops in Mudukkukadu
5,000, benefiting 543 members of the Working and Veerayakkanthattu villages as a result
Women’s Federation. Another significant of our engagement with the concerned
development is the inclusion of salt-pan authorities and people’s representatives.
workers in the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Currently, the residents of Mudukkukadu and
Employment Guarantee Scheme, a longstanding Veeranaickenthattu villages receive monthly
demand of the salt-pan community. As a result, rations via a mobile vehicle. This year, the
106 women have now been linked to MNREGA, government resolved a longstanding issue
enabling them access to employment during the regarding the establishment of PDS in Rajapandi
lean season. Nagar village. Further the collectives have
been engaging with the local administration for
Through sustained engagement with the leasing salt-pans to women salt-pan workers’
government, ActionAid Association facilitated collectives and resolving the challenges in
support to 160 fisherwomen. They received aid transportation of fish by public transport.
in the form of essential equipment, including dry
mats, vistas, umbrellas, weighing machines and We extended our support to state governments
plastic trays. In another positive development, in drafting policies:
the government covered 60 per cent of the cost
for ice boxes, while the workers contributed the >> We supported in drafting of the state
remaining 40 per cent. homeless policy in Rajasthan
>> We supported the state government of
Additionally, the persistent issue of limited Chhattisgarh in drafting the state scheme for
access to public distribution system (PDS) shops Urban Employment Guarantee and the Slum
in Rajapandi Nagar, Thoothukudi, has been Redevelopment Policy
addressed by introducing mobile ration shops.
These mobile shops will now visit Mudukkukadu, In Karnataka, we worked with National Law
Veeranaickenthattu and Rajapandi Nagar 14 School, Bengaluru for policy development for
once a month, ensuring improved access to choultry workers.
essential food supplies for the salt-pan worker
community. Residents of these villages had
lacked access to PDS outlets over the last few

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Studies and Research
National Level
A study was conducted to understand the
nuances of the existing urban employment
guarantee schemes in the country. This
study was undertaken with a comparison of
the provisions of these schemes in 7 states
- Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan,
Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Kerala. cooperatives in achieving social and economic
To understand the intricacies, nuances and justice for workers, through control over own
the status of schemes, primary discussions income and participation in governance.
and consultations were also organised in 3
states – Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and A study to understand the impact of structural
Tamil Nadu. Case studies and provisions of adjustment policies on the frontline workers.
urban employment guarantee schemes from The study in India focused on livelihood
other countries were also studied to guide us in conditions and labour rights of community
reaching a set of recommendations for an health workers, sanitation workers and
ideal scheme. burial ground and crematorium workers
in the neo-liberal policy ecosystem which
Study on cooperatives and economic
guides India’s public health outcomes. The
democracy - In the context of precarity faced
study was undertaken in 5 states – Bihar,
by the informal workers the solutions have to be
Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and
multifaceted, which can include land reforms,
Kerala. It aimed to study the role of the neo-
support for climate resilient small-scale farming
liberal policy ecosystem, specially post the
and solidarity economy. Also having observed
structural adjustment programmes in the
the immense suffering of informal workers in
informalisation of the labour force and the
the wake of the Covid-19 lockdown, there has
impact of informalisation of the labour force on
been a rethink of the solidarity economies rather
the working conditions and rights of frontline
than individual livelihoods. In this context, AA
workers engaged in public healthcare delivery
undertook this study which tries to understand
in the country. It also aimed to study ways
the practices of four cooperatives including
for ensuring dignified living and livelihood
2 national and 2 international ones. Through
conditions for marginalised frontline workers
this effort we tried to understand the role of
in India.

I 20 I
State Level In Karnataka, we also initiated a study to
understand the plight of sugarcane workers on
We worked with various state governments to the Maharashtra borders. We also undertook
carry forward the issues that emerged out of the documentation of the living conditions of
various studies and research that we undertook women oppressed by the devadasi system.
across the states.
We undertook a study on the status of migrated
We conducted a study on the status of choultry communities in Assam, Arunachal Pradesh,
workers and brought out a report titled, Manipur and Mizoram.
‘Shadow: Ensuring Dignity and Security in the
Lives of Choultry Workers.’ These workers, largely
Publications
women, do the cleaning and sometimes assist in
cooking in choultries or marriage halls for events We brought out the following publications on
such as weddings, birthdays, death ceremonies, the issues of workers:
mass feeding and religious and social functions. >> Cooperatives and Decent Work – The Kerala
Drawn from communities living in poverty Experience
and exclusion, these workers are susceptible
to gender, class and caste discrimination >> Social Security and Informal Workers
and exploitation - low wages, long working
hours, unsafe work conditions, insecure work Workshops and webinars
environment and lack of social security and We took part in a panel discussion on
dignity, besides the stigma they face at the ‘Challenges and Prospects Before the Labour
family and societal levels. During the meeting for Movement in India’ in the 62nd ISLE Conference
sharing the findings of the study, the dignitaries at IIT Roorkee.
elaborated on the various government schemes
relevant in the context of this sector of workers The following webinars were organised during
and assured them of full support from their the year:
respective offices. A letter was submitted by
the choultry workers collective to the >> Relooking at the Issue of Homelessness –
commissioner, labour department on the issue Present status and the future options
of introducing a category of choultry workers in >> Listening to Refugee Voices
the e-shram portal.
>> Towards a Policy for Gig Workers

I 21 I
Campaigns was raised in 5 districts in Haryana – Sonipat,
Panipat, Kaithal, Hisar and Fatehabad. The
Kaam Mango Abhiyan issues were put forward to the block and district
Through our efforts in Uttarakhand 913 people authorities during the Kaam Mango Abhiyan.
got work under MNREGA in which 281 were The authorities responded positively on ensuring
women and 69 were single women. Twenty- facilities for women as per the MNREGA Act. The
two women worked as MNREGA mates. Similar initiative reached out to 9,830 women MNREGA
campaigns were organised in Maharashtra, workers to apply for work demand applications.
Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Bihar, Jharkhand, Similar efforts were taken up in Himachal
Gujarat and West Bengal. Pradesh.

Issues of women’s safety and facilities for In Karnataka, we initiated a campaign to

crèches, work-site sheds for children and enhance the pension of erstwhile devadasis.
childcare services for women MNREGA workers

I 22 I
Campaign on Social Security Schemes women were helped in filing applications for
social security schemes.
We have been working for ensuring social
security schemes for the informal workers
through the campaign mode. This was In Gujarat, 6519 persons were registered
carried out across the states of Uttar Pradesh, under e-shram through 42 registration camps
Gujarat and in the UT of Kashmir. Through the organised. Thus, we were able to link 30,049
campaigns in these states, we facilitated access informal sector workers to the e-shram portal
of 18,049 persons to e-shram cards. Through our including 10,000 workers registered in the portal
efforts in Rajasthan, we were able to link 2,100 in Uttar Pradesh, through our intervention
informal sector workers to the e-shram portal.

Our team and volunteers organised campaigns

on social protection and livelihoods of
unorganised workers and landless labourers
in 250 villages which reached out to 80,000
people and we facilitated e-shram registration
of 10,000 informal labourers in Uttar Pradesh.
We used e-rickshaws, yatras, ratri chaupals and
community meetings to create awareness about
the e-shram portal. Our team opened its own
free of cost ‘Jan Sewa Kendra’ and registered
labourers at their doorstep. We organised
510 meetings with community members to
create awareness and inform them about the
benefits of accessing social protection schemes.
Another campaign for awareness on BOCW
schemes and labourline was conducted jointly
with the efforts of Dihaari Maazdoor Sangha,
Vigyan Foundation and ActionAid Association.
It covered informal workers engaged with 60
labour posts in 5 districts – Lucknow, Kanpur,
Varanasi, Meerut and Shahjahanpur in Uttar
Pradesh. Around 10,000 construction workers
participated in the campaign. In Delhi, 121

I 23 I
A full-fledged campaign was run by the AA workers under BOCW work for Rs 55 lakh. We
Kashmir team to ensure access to social security were able to link 3,876 informal workers with
schemes for informal sector workers, particularly government social security schemes and issues
women workers. These programmes were carried of 49 informal workers related to wages and
out in collaboration with the labour department harassment were addressed. We were able to
and other departments. A total of 1,700 link 731 families to food schemes and convince
registrations were done for accessing old age 210 mining workers to undertake silicosis test. Of
schemes. A total of 1,530 was registered under them, 34 tested positive and we facilitated the
e-shram thanks to our efforts; 350 registrations linkage of these workers with silicosis related
were done under the Pradhan Mantri Jan government schemes.
Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and 345 registrations
were done under IAY. Campaign on Minimum Wages
A campaign aimed at creating awareness
In Rajasthan, we also helped register 5,571
on the significance of minimum wages and
informal workers under BOCW and through
government welfare schemes was launched
our efforts we were able to provide 11 families
in Dabhoi, Sinor and Waghodia - three blocks
with death claims of informal workers/ migrant

I 24 I
in Vadodara district, Gujarat. The campaign We realised that it is important to build
focused on sensitizing the informal workers on collectives particularly of women who have
the minimum wage rates set by the government, faced the adverse impacts of the pandemic
using street plays to make the campaign more more acutely. The basic objective of these
engaging and effective. Rural dwellers were collectives is to bring people together such
also educated on MNREGA’s provisions. IEC that they can collectively solve the problems
material on government schemes and minimum they face and engage with market mechanisms
wages were shared with the people for a better together, which would otherwise prove to be
understanding. overwhelming for any individual. A feminist
perspective is needed to make the efforts truly
Community Engagements transformative and impacting all spheres of
society. The promotion of women’s livelihoods
The last few years have been quite
and feminist solidarity economies through
challenging for all of us, with the impact being
women’s collective enterprise could create
disproportionately higher on marginalised
new avenues to sustainable incomes and build
sections. The socioeconomic distress caused
gender equality.
by the loss of livelihoods among people living in
precarious circumstances has been tremendous.
>> In Bihar, we initiated goat farming by
women’s collectives in Nalanda and
Towards workers’ enterprises
Muzaffarpur in which 14 members were
In all our operational areas we have involved. Local breed of goats with all the
encountered the hardships faced by persons infrastructure and handholding support for 6
from vulnerable communities while struggling to months were provided to the collectives.
run their households as their access to income
>> Agricultural tools were provided to 200
was adversely hit because of the pandemic.

Impact in Numbers
Number of individuals who underwent skill building and 2,900
vocational training

Number of families provided input support for livelihood 590

Number of farmers producer organisations (FPOs) formed 3 FPOs
with 4,000 members

I 25 I
 women working under MGNREGA and doing >> We supported 4 women collectives of
agriculture work. marginalised and Musahar communities
in Ghazipur and Jaunpur for fishing. The
>> 23 street vendors from Patna were supported
initiative helped increase the availability of
for sustaining livelihood in the aftermath of
fish as a source of protein in the communities,
the Covid-19 lockdowns. They were provided
which improved their food security. This
with 4-wheeler vending carts, digital
created opportunities for the communities to
weighing scales and fruits/vegetables.
sell their fish and received orders worth
>> ActionAid Association engaged with women Rs 5 lakh.
informal workers in urban slum areas
>> We also supported vegetable cultivation
of Bengaluru and supported them with
amongst the Musahar communities in
livelihood opportunities. 75 women were
Maharajgunj and Kushinagar. The support
provided support for individual livelihood
involved providing seeds, fertilisers and
activities such as petty shops (grocery,
technical training to the collectives to enable
snacks, food, readymade garment shops),
them to grow and sell vegetables for income
vending (fruits, vegetables, fish) and tailoring
generation among women. They were able to
support in the form of sewing machines.
earn a sustainable income, contribute to the
>> The ActionAid Association running 2 groups local economy and improve their
of women making organic cleaners and 1 families’ nutrition.
group in mushroom cultivation in Bengaluru.
>> In Ghazipur and Jaunpur districts of UP,
we provided training to the Musahar and
Uttar Pradesh
minority women on goat farming techniques
>> 3 women’s collectives from marginalised and best practices. The training covered
families came together to be trained as various aspects of goat farming, including
tailors which helped them in increasing their goat breeding, feeding and healthcare.
earnings. ActionAid Association provided We provided people with 52 goats and
these women with training on how to use necessary equipment to start their own
sewing machines and taught them various goat farms.
sewing techniques. Once the training was
complete, ActionAid Association distributed Uttarakhand
sewing machines to the 30 women to start
In Uttarakhand, 114 women and 37 single
their own small sewing businesses.
women were linked with various skill building

I 26 I
programmes in which around 59 women started gainful employment. Fifty-six women were
their work to prepare papads, pickles and chikki helped to attain gainful employment in
and sell these to the local vendors and through various sectors like offices, organisations,
NRLM. factories, beauty salons and home based
lucrative small businesses like tailoring and
Madhya Pradesh salon-based activities.
>> 20 units of vermicompost were set up in 15 >> Around 50 young women members were
villages for women to initiate vermicomposting linked to the Nagar Nigam vocational
as an alternate livelihood option. course on computers and driving courses.
The Nagar Nigam is also paying them Rs
>> Our teams facilitated 618 people to apply
2,500 per person each as stipend for the
for subsidised loans Between Rs 10,000 and
course. Another 35 young women are taking
Rs 50,000 to start new livelihoods through
handicraft training (Macramé) at present.
camps and the online process under Chief
Minister’s Public Service campaign run by
Maharashtra
the government. Till the end of the reporting
period, 213 people had received the amount. In Mumbai, 104 young women were provided
Through this financial assistance, people various skill and vocational training such as
have started new initiatives or expanded bridal mehndi application, handicrafts training
their existing livelihood options like animal and chocolate making.
husbandry, purchased sewing machines,
started beauty parlours, vegetable vendors Odisha
and readymade clothes shops.
We focussed on provision of livelihood support
>> Our team in Rahatgarh, Sagar mobilised to single women, one of the most vulnerable
women into 4 self-help groups and helped constituencies we engage with. We supported
them to get a loan of Rs 20,000 from the single women from marginalised communities
government to take up income generating to start grocery shops, starting bangle shops,
livelihood activities. With this financial setting up poultry businesses and 4 women were
assistance, they have started making supported by the horticulture department for
disposable cups and plates, cones for henna vegetable cultivation. Twenty-five single women
and incense sticks. They have a profit of Rs were linked to different government schemes
13,000 to Rs 15,000 per month. and programmes like rations, widow pensions
>> In Bhopal we trained 200 women in and fruit plantation under MGNREGA.
vocational training to attain skills for getting

I 27 I
We also engaged with the young women in that they ran their FPOs smoothly. Also, AA
urban poor locations of Bhubaneswar and some engaged with 4,500 fish workers and fish
of them were supported with sewing machines. farming communities directly to ensure their
Thirty-five adolescent girls learnt tailoring right to water, small scale fish vendors’ right
during this period. A total of seventy adolescent to access saleable fish and fish market and
girls are now engaged in different private sector protecting and claiming women fish workers’
activities. 200 young urban women were linked rights and entitlement. In North 24 Parganas
to the skill building programme. district, AA worked with 2,000 farmers directly
to strengthen their collective and ensure their
West Bengal identity as farmers so they could avail of all
the schemes. 197 farmers’ interest groups (FIGs)
In West Bengal we prioritised our work with
in 2 districts (South 24Pgs and East Medinipur)
the agricultural women’s groups where one
were supported. 7 FIGs were given chicks and
economic model was experimented with the
goats to support their group business at Khejuri
agricultural labourers in the form of ‘Farmers’
I, and 100 farmers of Canning –II were given
Producers’ Company’ and effort was made to
traditional seeds. Workshops and meetings
build a sustainable resilient livelihood model
were conducted with the groups to strengthen
to ensure that farmers had control over their
their capacity in managing a group business.
product, marketing and the overall mechanism
We also supported the groups by linking them
of the company. They became the shareholders
to schemes. 7 FIGs have received one incubator
and board of directors and women got a
from Khejuri-I Block office. 40 FIGs have
decisive role.
benefited from this support. This was a result
of the engagement between the block office
In East Midnapore and South 24 Parganas and FIGs. Formation of 1 FPC in East Medinipur,
districts, AA worked towards ensuring the Khejuri-I. All FPC members were given training
livelihood of the small and marginal farmers on FPC management. The FPC conducted its
and engaged with 2,974 farmers directly annual general meeting in which ActionAid
to strengthen their collective, the Farmers’ Association also participated.
Producers Organisation (FPO) through different
grassroot level meetings, leadership building
Livelihood regeneration support to landless and
and accessing the entitlements. To strengthen
single women headed families- 200 families
the programme, AA also involved volunteers
to revive self-economic ventures like poultry
in 4 blocks of the districts. A resource centre
farming, tailoring business, vending with mobile
was formed to support the farmers to ensure
cart and sanitary napkin production.

I 28 I
>> 175 single, economically vulnerable tribal / their livelihood in the cyclone in the block
minority women started poultry farming and and did not have any means to re-establish
could earn a profit of Rs 6,000 in a month. it. The support for the manufacturing
machine and raw materials along with
>> 24 women initiated self-economic venture
training has transformed their lives. Women
through sewing machine support and mobile
started producing eco-friendly sanitary
van / cart support and 2 opened petty shops
napkins as well as initiated awareness
in their locality.
promotional activities for menstrual hygiene.
>> 35 tiger widows initiated poultry and duck Their village Ganeshnagar did not have any
farming. pharmacy, where the women of the village
>> 10 women of the most deprived communities could access sanitary napkins. They had to
of South 24 Parganas, Namkhana Block depend on using clothes. So, this initiative
received support under the livelihood has not only helped these 10 women to be
support programme. They were trained and economically independent but also enabled
encouraged to initiate start-ups by setting around 300 women of the village to access
up a sanitary napkin unit. These women lost sanitary napkins and maintain menstrual
hygiene.

I 29 I
Linking with government social schemes for >> In 4 cases of death at the workplaces,
informal sector workers families of those who passed away were
supported in getting the dead bodies.
We have been working through the workers
facilitation centre in some operational states >> 3,659 labourers linked with BOCW. 97 families
to reach out to migrant and informal sector were supported in accessing PMAY, 380
workers to help ensure linkages to government received PDS cards, 62 got land pattas
schemes better - the key services that we under Abhiyan Basera and 573 under Lohiya
provide include registration of workers; legal aid Swachh Bihar Scheme.
for workers; their linkages to financial services Similar workers facilitation centres were
and social security schemes; facilitating migrant supported across other states.
workers’ access to healthcare facilities; creating
awareness among the migrant population on
In Kashmir, 3 workers facilitation centres are
social security services and labour welfare-
functional in Kupwara, Bandipora and Pulwama
related laws; ensuring immediate response to
and we were able to link these women with
cases of bonded and child labour; follow-up of
schemes of Mahila Shakti Kendra for start-up
cases of accidents of labourers and violation of
loans and other benefits. We formed 6 women
compensation-related provisions; and running a
collectives, among these 3 women collectives
labour helpline.
belong to informal workers and were linked
with NRLM as well as the Women Development
Through Workers Facilitation Centre-Gaya, Corporation in Srinagar district.
Bihar
>> 376 cases of minimum wages of informal In Uttar Pradesh, we established 3 workers
labourers were supported through liaison facilitation centres. Through these centres,
with government departments and meeting around 3,150 construction workers registered
employers. under Uttar Pradesh Building and Other
Construction Workers Welfare Board
>> 369 individuals supported in MGNREGA
(UPBOCWWB) and out of these 500 workers
registration.
benefited under different welfare schemes of the
>> 82 labourers (55 families) rescued from UPBOCWW Board. More than 10,000 Informal
bondage (inter-state and inter-district) from sector workers were linked with the social
brick kilns, hotels and bangle factories. security board through e-shram, and many
of them got financial assistance of Rs 1,000 in
instalments 2022.

I 30 I
A total of 3,585 workers linked with the health impact on women sugarcane curter
government’s welfare schemes including 1,265 worker. A charter was prepared and shared with
domestic women workers. various stakeholders in Beed districts and at the
Maharashtra state level on the issue of relief to
Thirty-five government shelter homes across sugarcane cutter workers.
5 districts made functional through AA’s
continuous efforts. Regular health check-up Addressing Issues of Bonded Labour
camps are being organised for workers at the
Over the last three years, ActionAid Association
shelter home.
helped in the release of about 1,500 bonded
labourers working across 6 states of Gujarat,
Through continuous efforts ActionAid Tamil Nadu, Punjab, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar
Association, Vigyan Foundation and Dihari Pradesh and Karnataka.
Mazdoor Sangh managed to address more
than 1,000 cases of wage theft out of which 240
In the last one year, we supported release of 205
cases were resolved in which Rs 35 lakh due to
bonded labourers from Rajasthan and Haryana;
the workers was recovered from the employers.
the labourers were from Uttar Pradesh. Detailed
case studies and documentation of each case
Issues of Sugarcane workers was done and shared with NHRC and the local
In the reporting period, we helped in highlighting administration for each rescue. In the last year,
the issues of the women sugarcane cutter 57 bonded labourers got release certificates;
workers in Maharashtra before the policymakers. 23 bonded labourers got a compensation of
Women sugarcane workers face a double Rs 20,000 each; 72 bonded labourers were
burden- handling household chores along with registered under e-shram portal and 30 bonded
strenuous work in the sugarcane fields. Due labourers were registered for the BOCW
to non-availability of basic amenities such as Scheme.
sanitation and water, there has been severe

I 31 I
 Women’s
Rights
With a Focus on
Their Right of Property

I 32 I
ActionAid Association believes strongly in programmes against such a heinous crime. The
ensuring rights of the women and focusses AAA Odisha team members were invited as
its attention on women’s issues across all its resource persons to the training. In addition,
engagements. our study’s findings were independently cross
verified by the members of the State Women’s
We continued supporting women’s agency and Commission who visited the field to the districts
decision-making powers and their access and and conducted meetings (https://www.
control over resources, including property. We actionaidindia.org/publications/witch-hunting-
worked with feminist formations that challenge in-odisha/).
patriarchy in religion, family and society. We
campaigned for equality of opportunity for girls Engagement with women’s policy and single
from marginalised communities with special women’s policy formulation
focus on education and livelihoods.
ActionAid Association has been closely

Strategic Engagements working with the State Women Commission of

Uttarakhand to develop a ’Women Policy of
There was an immediate need for a protective Uttarakhand state.’ Work was started in 2019-
framework for prevention of witch-branding and 20 with collaboration of the State Women
hunting. Mr Sujeet Kumar, Member of Parliament Commission. ActionAid Association is one of
submitted a private member bill in Parliament the core committee members for drafting the
referring our study on this subject done in State Women’s Policy. The second draft of
collaboration with the State Commission for the policy was shared with all the officials in
Women, Odisha. We also prepared the advisory a state level consultation. This policy draft is
on the issue of witch-branding and presented it special as it is different from the other policies
to NHRC. as it has a separate chapter for inclusion and
empowerment of ‘Single Women.’
State Level
Sharing the Single women Policy and draft
Engagement with Witch-Branding legislation on Witch-Branding with Member of
In Odisha, after our study on witch-hunting, Parliament, Mandla – We have been working
the Women and Child Development (WCD) on the issue of single women and witch
department released more than Rs 30 lakh branding in Madhya Pradesh. A meeting was
to district administrations for witch hunting conducted with Member of Parliament Ms
prevalent districts for awareness generation Sampatiya Uikey to apprise her about the need

I 33 I
for a Single Women Policy and legislation on Studies and Research
witch-branding at both the state and central
levels. She agreed that the number of single A study of Gender Based Violence on women
women who are abused as witches is increasing workers in the informal sector of India – the
at both the state and country levels due to study aimed to generate evidence on the
various socioeconomic conditions prevailing gendered norms which push women into
in the society such as the Covid-19 pandemic informal workspaces and increase their
and economic inequalities. She accepted the exposure to violence and harassment in these
fact that due to absence of policies on these spaces, to document the various form of
issue women are facing acute hunger and violence women face in informal workspaces
poverty and various forms of discrimination and assess their awareness and access to
and exploitation. She assured that she will protective legislations such as the POSH Act.
raise these issues with parliamentary and state This study has been undertaken in three states
assembly committees. The copies of policy and with different set of informal workers – West
draft legislation were shared with her. Bengal – domestic workers, Bihar – farm workers
and other migrant workers, Delhi- home based
workers. The discussions were held on the issue
In November 2022, Ekal Nari Shakti Manch
of discrimination in wages, sexual harassment at
hosted a series of meetings on a mission to
the workplace and access to social security. The
empower women from seven districts at the
participants included social workers, lawyers,
village, state, and block levels in Gujarat.
experts on local committees, women helpline
The meetings were aimed at producing a
members, women working in the unorganised
memorandum of grievances to be presented to
sector and community members.
the state assembly representatives across the
political spectrum. The women engaged in lively
discussions and shared their issues to come
up with a comprehensive memorandum. The
Campaigns
initiative was a resounding success, as Anant Campaign on the Rights of
Patel, an MLA representing Navsari district, took
their appeal to the legislative assembly.
Single Women
In a significant move towards promoting
We were invited to revise the Nari Gaurav Niti, dignified lives and livelihoods for single women,
2005 which will now include the issues of single ActionAid Association launched a powerful
women. campaign across 10 districts in Gujarat
on October 18, 2022. The objective was to
sensitise local communities and instil a sense

I 34 I
of awareness on various issues faced by single level meetings were held to increase awareness
women. The initiative also aimed to strengthen about single women’s struggles and the rights
community support mechanisms and advance that they are entitled to. To further boost our
their access to rights and entitlements. This reach and impact, Information, Education,
campaign saw an impressive turnout, with the and Communication (IEC) materials were
support of the Ekal Nari Shakti Manch, and disseminated. Arrangements were made to
covered 98 villages and urban locations across facilitate village and block-level conventions,
19 blocks in Ahmedabad, Botad, Dang, Kutch, including meetings with panchayat officials and
Navsari, Patan, Sabarkantha, Tapi, Vadodara government representatives to help shape a
and Valsad, running successfully till December much-needed support system for single women.
10, 2022. Working hand in hand with community- Through this campaign, over 1,100 single women
based human rights defenders, several village- were empowered to break free from long-

I 35 I
standing traditions that had been holding them undertaken. In this campaign Ekal Nari Shakti
back. By stepping up and taking leadership Manch and the young women from urban
roles, nearly 350 single women supported other locations organised different awareness-raising
women in need by building community support and capacity building programmes against
mechanisms. The intervention provided vital the social issues faced by women from multiple
process and documentation support to 836 societal segments. The programmes were
single women, helping them access necessary also aimed at highlighting the importance
government schemes and entitlements. To top it of education in strengthening the social
off, the process of facilitating access to property footing and further struggle in addressing
rights began for 28 single women, further and challenging the status quo regarding
empowering them on their journey. the various inequalities and discriminations
faced by single women. To draw attention to
Campaign on violence the condition of women and contribute to the
creation of an essential support structure for
against women them, meetings with panchayat representatives
As part of the 16 Days Activism Against Gender- and government officials were conducted
Based Violence this campaign was carried out along with conventions at the village and
in all 12 bastis of Madanpur Khadar for raising block levels. The primary concerns were the
awareness about gender-based violence and numerous regressive practices and forms of
discrimination. Information was disseminated abuse experienced by women, particularly witch
among the community women about the hunting, early marriages and hindering their
provisions of laws, policies and schemes social security and property rights.
protecting women’s rights and how they can
approach concerned authorities if they face In Kashmir, a full-fledged signature campaign
any gender-based harassment, atrocities, was carried out to eliminate gender
or violence in their family, working place or in discrimination and gender-based violence. A
public. Similar campaigns were carried out in total of 930 women and young girls were made
Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, aware of gender-based violence in Kupwara,
Delhi and Punjab. Our meetings were attended Bandipora, Budgam, Uri and Baramulla.
by 24,790 persons.
In Rajasthan, a campaign was inaugurated on
A similar campaign covered 11 blocks of 14th November 2022 by the district collectors of
Sabarkantha, Dang, Navsari, Valsad, Kutch, Barmer, Tonk, Bundi and Alwar by flagging off
Ahmedabad and Botad in Gujarat was also the awareness chariot. The chariot had banners,

I 36 I
flex and other media to make the campaign >> 7,655 women received counselling through
successful. During the event officials from DCPU, Gauravi.
CWC and Child Line were present.
>> 731 women survivors of violence were
rehabilitated in families, permanent shelter
In Madhya Pradesh we have been working homes and skill-based vocations.
consistently to address violence faced by
women and girls in the state. Over the reporting >> 95 missing girls were traced with the help of
period, we intervened through capacity building the police and were rehabilitated either in
of officials, providing counselling and medical families or in hostels as per their choice.
assistance to help women and girls. >> We extended medical support to 249 women
and provided shelter to 401 women.
We imparted training to 500 police personnel
who were trained on handling cases of GBV. Campaign on menstrual hygiene
>> 9,152 women who approached Gauravi - a Mahavari Swachhta Jagrukta Abhiyan- Myths,
one stop crisis centre to fight VAW, were stigma and harmful gender norms around
supported. menstruation exacerbate the difficulties for

I 37 I
young women. In Delhi, young women leaders in rates and availability of napkins to the young
urban locations carried out a campaign to make girls and women. Free bio-degradable napkins
the young women and girls aware about myths were distributed to young urban women to
and stigma of menstruation, menstruation increase usage rates and bring changes in their
cycle, hygiene practices and menstrual hygiene practice levels. The activists reported usage of
management. The campaign helped women sanitary napkins, improved changing habits and
and girls counter taboos and misconceptions consciousness about health and hygiene.
about menstruation.

Kolkata police in collaboration with young

Campaign on Gender
urban women groups, initiated a campaign Responsive Toilets
on menstrual hygiene to address the fear Young urban women started a campaign on
that women in going to the police stations a ‘Gender Responsive Public Toilet’ in 2018. In
for accessing napkins in West Bengal. As 2019 they were engaged in preparing a study on
an outcome of the consistent campaign on the status of public toilets in respect to access,
menstrual hygiene and SRHR, sanitary napkin availability and safety which was conducted
vending machines were set up at the police and designed by ActionAid Association. The
stations by Kolkata police to increase access young urban women captured the status of

I 38 I
toilets in their localities and interviewed various The community was also made aware of gender
stakeholders to show the mindsets and gaps in issues, patriarchy and different women rights
rendering services. During the reporting period, aspects. Information on legislations to protect
in Kolkata, West Bengal 500 young girls and women were also discussed in the community.
women were mobilised and a organised a silent
walk with placards and festoons was organised. This year 7 trainings were organised to build
Specific demands were submitted to Mr Swapna their capacity to use digital devices and online
Samaddar – Member, Mayor-In-Council, Slum modes for filing applications, complaints and RTI
Development of Kolkata Municipal Council and how they can raise community issues and
and to Dr Shashi Panja – Minister, Women and get these issues redressed by using their digital
Child Development. As an outcome of their long devices such as phones, computers and laptops.
struggle, in this reporting period, the Kolkata During the training, participants were oriented
Municipal Corporation announced the setting on state government’s online portal, PGMS
up of 150 women specific toilets in all wards of (Public Grievance Monitoring System), process
Kolkata along with one rest room for the women to lodge grievances through PGMS, tracking
(especially for lactating and pregnant women). the status of grievances lodged and process to
appeal further in case of action not taken by
Young Urban Women organised campaigns the authorities. Participants were also oriented
around 16 days activism against gender-based on the online RTI portal of the government
violence; menstrual hygiene; workers day; One and about the steps to file RTI applications,
Billion Rising and the International Women’s Day first appeal and second appeal as per the
in slums in 13 cities. These campaigns covered provisions of the RTI Act, 2005. 438 leaders
more 15,000 persons, where they organised from young urban women collectives/basti
different awareness programmes like a post groups underwent capacity building through
card campaign and a signature campaign. A this workshop. Later, young urban women
suggestion box follow up was done through a collectives’ leaders filed 139 complaints through
door-to-door awareness campaign by pasting PGMS and 38 RTI applications were submitted
stickers on gender-based violence and the using the online portal.
demands were submitted to the state women
commissioner’s office to create a safe city for Each city focused on organising skill-based
women. In this campaign young urban women training for young urban women in 13 cities –
also involved their community stakeholders like computers, bakery & confectionary, driving,
ASHAs (Accredited Social Health Activists), ICDS artificial jewellery, fashion designing, mushroom,
workers and slum presidents and secretaries. hand embroidery, water hyacinth product

I 39 I
making, home care, nursing training, training Municipal Corporation (BMC), City Mayor,
for making jute bags and training for 2- and Water Corporation of Odisha (WATCO), Ward
4-wheeler driving. More than 800 women have Corporator and gave applications on different
been trained so far. We have built networks with public services issues like- street lights, dustbins,
local and national organisations/ foundations/ drainage and public transport. This finally
companies for these short-term courses. resulted in 10 streetlights getting installed
in different slum pockets. Mo Safei Gadi (My
ActionAid Association organised a programme garbage collector) regularly comes to the
in collaboration with the Ahmedabad Police slums to resolve their dustbin issue and WATCO
Department in Ahmedabad on Safety and has started the work for providing 24 hours
Security of Women & Adolescent Girls and water facilities to different slums under the
Issues of Police Perception Among the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation.
Community. At the event, a Compendium on
Government Services for Girls and Women
drafted and published by ActionAid Association
Community Engagements
was released by the ACP Ahmedabad in Empowering Women’s Safety
presence of police personnel and other
stakeholders.
through Community Mapping
In October 2022, a community mobility mapping
Linking Young Urban Women with government initiative was undertaken by 41 members in
schemes: Making Safe and Secure Public the Perumbakkam resettlement site in Tamil
Places for Women & Girls: A delegation 11 Nadu. The primary objective was to gain
young urban women put a demand draft to insights into the community and identify safe
the Delhi Commission for Women for women’s and unsafe areas based on the experiences of
safety – eve teasing, stalking and snatching three specific groups of women: single women,
and for domestic violence. As a result of their flower sellers and college students. Following
engagement with DCW, CCTV cameras were the completion of the mapping activity, the
installed in, police patrolling during the day and residents collectively composed a letter
night increased and streetlights got repaired. addressed to the Chief Minister, which was given
to him during his visit to the resettlement site.
More than 240 YUW from different slum The letter highlighted the identified issues and
pockets interacted regularly with different line concerns regarding women’s safety.
departments and authorities like the State
Commission for Women and Bhubaneswar As a direct response to the residents’ concerns,
within a remarkably short span of 20 days,

I 40 I
officials from the commissionerate of police civil society organisations. Young women who
responded and initiated an inquiry into the needed livelihood support, particularly in the
matter. Commencing from December 16, post Covid-19 scenario were identified. An
2022, police personnel have been diligently awareness programme was also conducted
conducting regular patrols and recording their about government schemes for women.
activities in the register placed outside the
ActionAid Association’s women’s resource centre. The programme focused on raising awareness
among community members and facilitating
Working with Young them in linking with schemes and services
through micro campaigns. It built the capacity
Urban Women of YUW leaders on issues of gender responsive
Our intervention in the last year saw 308 public services, sexual reproductive and health
city/ district/ state consultations and 52 rights, leadership building, making plans for
capacity building workshops and campaigns. micro campaigns and redressal of community
Various recommendations drawn through the issues specific to girls and women. The efforts
consultations were submitted by Young Urban resulted in installation of CCTV cameras and
Women (YUW) leaders to various government streetlights, YUW collective members were
departments. The focus in the year was to linked with the institutions and authorities
create a national platform of YUWs and at district and state levels such as the State
strengthen city collectives in every city. Further Commission for Women, District Magistrate, One
these city efforts were to focus on government Stop Centre and officials at local police stations.
linkages and sustainable support to women YUW leaders are now planning to expand the
informal workers, through which we were able to work to other cities/districts in the state to
reach a greater number of women who are now build a state YUW collective. During regular
part of our YUW groups. awareness raising meetings young women were
encouraged to share the difficulties that they
Meetings with the labour department were faced at workplaces. 255 cases were identified
held for the registration of more than 5,000 across 13 cities (especially during the 16 days
women informal workers under e-shram portal.1 activism against gender-based violence and
Sixty-three trainings on skill enhancement and awareness on legal rights of women) where
economic empowerment were organised by young women opened up and recognised that
ActionAid Association, either independently there is exploitation in their workplaces and that
or in collaboration with technical training they have opportunities to upgrade their skills to
institutes operated by the Government of India/ get out of the exploitative forms of employment.

I 41 I
More than 1,740 young women were empowered Concerns were raised about the safety
who shared and narrated stories of exploitation of children and the women’s inability to
during the Young urban women study circles, attend work due to traditional caregiving
which are organised at the city collective level responsibilities. In a community mobilisation
in each of the 13 cities. The study circles are meeting, all the women decided to approach
physical spaces (hired or community centres) the authorities for the establishment of an
equipped with learning materials, used for city anganwadi centre. Members of YUW collectives
collective awareness meetings and capacity approached various authorities including MD
building workshops. of the division office of the Tamil Nadu Urban
Habitat Development Board. As a result, 2
As National Youth Policy, 2021 came up in the ICDS centres were inaugurated on November
public domain for further recommendations and 26, 2022, benefiting the community. Fifty-five
feedback as it was felt that understanding the children have been enrolled in both the centres,
changing need and vision of the youth on the addressing the childcare needs of working
ground was vital. As the draft NYP outlines a mothers.
10-year vision for youth development and it is
oriented towards the Sustainable Development Another petition was collectively submitted
Goals (SDGs) discussions have been held by young urban women in Perumbakkam
with the young leaders of the communities to relocation site, Chennai, highlighting the need
highlight their opinions and recommendations for improved security measures. Subsequently,
around health, protection, education and in response to these efforts, CCTV cameras
sports. These were shared with the ministry. were installed in some blocks of the community,
enhancing overall security and safety.
Anganwadi Centres for Working
In Delhi, young girl leaders intervened on the
Mothers made functional issue of safety on streets roads and parks during
In a floor meeting at Block 97 in Perumbakkam the night and took up community led actions and
relocation site in Tamil Nadu, a need ranking efforts to ensure installation of CCTV cameras
and problem tree exercise was conducted and repairing of streetlights in 9 sub-areas of
by interns from the Department of Social Madanpur Khadar in Delhi. Sessions on girls’
Work (Aided), Madras Christian College which safety and gender responsive education were
highlighted the problem of non-functional conducted in 2 schools and school management
anganwadis in the block. committees of those schools were roped in for the
continuation of such discussions in schools.

I 42 I
Young Urban Women and access to prevent violence against women through
community mobilisation and education. We
to better infrastructure intervened in around 58 cases and resolved
The YUW groups in various areas of Lucknow them through community dialogue and support
have been struggling for basic infrastructure groups. We have 500 support groups across
facilities in their areas such as toilets, safe districts at the village level to prevent gender-
drinking water and roads. These impacted their based violence and creating awareness about
daily life severely. A few of them had made women’s rights.
some efforts in the past but without success.
The issues of broken roads, open defecation Training on women’s rights was organised in
due to non-functional public toilets, lack of Gaya, Nalanda, Muzaffarpur and Samastipur
drinking water came up during meetings. The districts in Bihar for women leaders, PRI
YUW groups prepared a collective plan to members, informal sector workers, especially
resolve these issues and followed it up with women farmers and frontline workers. More
community meetings, mapping and signature than 200 participants attended the training. A
campaigns, meeting the representatives of training on Gender Discrimination and Violence
the city corporation and facilitating their visits in Family and Society was organised in Gaya
to the slums. As a result of their efforts, road and Nalanda districts in Bihar in which more
construction was done in the Hardasi Kheda, than 100 men and women participated.
sewer line repair work was carried out and the
toilets became functional benefiting more than Through Gauravi, the one stop crisis centre in
50 households. Supply of clean drinking water Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh we trained 150 women
started in Takrohi. in leadership and women rights. A total of 350
women were trained in new vocational skills such
as auto/ bus drivers, beauticians, computer
Addressing Violence operations, catering, mushroom cultivation, and
Against Women others. We ensured jobs to 276 women who were
In Uttar Pradesh, women from marginalised placed through this centre during the reporting
communities are particularly vulnerable to period. The centre completed 3 celebration
gender-based violence, including sexual events / meetings reaching over 2,700 women to
assaults, domestic violence and human raise awareness about gender-based violence.
trafficking. We provided legal assistance, We dealt with 139 domestic violence cases
counselling, support groups and medical care and the centre handled 1,350 cases of violence
to survivors of violence, as well as working against women, thus bringing the total number of
cases handled to 1,408 in this year.

I 43 I
 Public
Finance

I 44 I
 extended coverage to about 16,364 individuals,
Strategic Engagements encompassing districts in Rajasthan,
villages and schools. ActionAid Association’s
National Level interventions in Tamil Nadu led to noteworthy
National level engagement played a pivotal role ground actions. Facilitation efforts enabled 543
in addressing critical issues affecting diverse women engaged in saltpan work to receive
communities nationwide. These efforts involved compensation of Rs 5,000 each for the rainy
collaborating with government bodies, NGOs season. This accomplishment underscores the
and stakeholders for strategic engagement and organisation’s dedication to the well-being of
influencing practices on a broader scale. vulnerable workers. Volunteer efforts effectively
raised awareness and encouraged student
Campaigns participation in state government scholarship
programmes.
ActionAid Association organised campaigns
across multiple themes to highlight the issues of
Our activities in Rajasthan encompassed
concern and bring about a synergistic approach
essential resource support for marginalised
to the issues that led to positive and good
communities. Families received ration cards,
results for the vulnerable communities. A number
pension registrations and pending MGNREGA
of such campaigns were organised across the
payments. Moreover, communities secured
states during the year around the theme of
homestead land pattas, ensuring stable housing
public finance:
options for those in vulnerable circumstances.
A Scholarship Campaign in Bihar achieved
ActionAid Association’s work in Madhya Pradesh
notable success, resulting in the submission of
yielded impactful ground actions. The Chief
163 scholarship applications. This underscores
Minister’s Public Service Campaign extended
the organisation’s unwavering commitment
benefits to eligible beneficiaries, granting
to education and empowerment of students
access to various schemes and programmes.
through essential financial aid. Similarly,
Facilitation efforts aided individuals in applying
Rajasthan’s Scholarship Campaign proved
for subsidised loans, encouraging new livelihood
impactful, reaching over 12,000 students across
ventures and economic empowerment. Ground
five districts, with 9,716 applications submitted.
actions in Delhi focused on aiding women in
filling applications for social security schemes.
The Social Security and Livelihood Campaign
Furthermore, career counselling was provided
registered 4,073 beneficiaries from various
to 714 young girls, and 246 students received
districts. The Act for Scholarship Campaign

I 45 I
assistance in applying for scholarship schemes,
enhancing access to education and skill and equipment. Rs 20,000 was provided to 10
development. informal workers, Rs 2000 to each, as support
for purchase of safety tools.
Odisha’s ground actions made significant
contributions to education and livelihoods.
Over 30,000 girls and boys received financial
Community Engagements
assistance for education, vocational training Linkages with Government
and skill development. Additionally, policy schemes
level engagements against witch branding We have been continuously engaged in
and hunting catalysed awareness generation linking with government financial schemes
and critical discussions on women’s safety and and arranging the scholarship campaign in
rights. Ground actions in Hyderabad centred on respective states in India and in this regard,
providing social security cards, including ration the team mobilised volunteers and members
cards, old age pensions and labour cards, to to develop a concrete plan to ensure the
workers. These efforts contributed to enhancing linkages of children/ adolescents to government
the well-being and livelihoods for vulnerable schemes. In Bihar we linked 15,827 adolescents
individuals. with the cash plus services and schemes and
scholarships. Around 100 rescued child labour
As a result of our engagement with the local were linked with the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund.
administration in Odisha, 11 informal workers
started petty businesses like tea stalls, grocery Along with community volunteers we facilitated
shops, egg shops, shoe shops and fish shops a number of awareness generation programmes
with support provided by ActionAid Association. and as a result 368 women successfully availed
Each informal worker was provided Rs 10,000 widow pension benefits, 303 elderly individuals
as livelihood support. Thus, a total of Rs availed old-age pension benefits, and 1,279
1,10,000 was provided to 11 informal workers as workers successfully registered with the welfare
livelihood support. Besides, 5 informal workers board. 256 families were enrolled in the CM Free
from the urban slums of Bhubaneswar were Housing Scheme, 250 children were provided
provided support for poultry. Each informal scholarships, and 598 women benefited under
worker was provided Rs 4, 000 and in total the Livelihood Restoration programme. 543
Rs 20,000 was provided for starting poultry in women engaged in salt-pan work received
their respective areas. In addition, 10 informal compensation of Rs,5,000 each for the rainy
workers engaged as construction workers were season due to long term efforts. Moreover,
provided with support to purchase safety tools 223 individuals successfully renewed their

I 46 I
membership with the welfare board, ensuring In Uttarakhand 65 women were linked to the
their continued access to various welfare Janani Suraksha Yojana and 69 women were
schemes and benefits, 73 bank accounts were linked to the widow pension schemes and 533
successfully opened, enabling individuals (303 in Tamil Nadu and 230 in Hyderabad) elder
to access financial services and participate people were linked to old age pension schemes
in the formal economy, 92 domestic workers from which they benefitted. The AA team in Uttar
were enrolled in social security schemes, 110 Pradesh facilitated 10,000 people in accessing
individuals were enrolled in the Chief Minister’s various social protection schemes. During
Health Insurance Scheme, ensuring their access #Actforscholarship campaign, the team along
to quality healthcare services, 70 individuals with community volunteers reached out to 3 lakh
received scholarships for higher education people and facilitated 10,000 students. It also
specifically aimed at supporting women, covered 5,000 schools and colleges through 650
enabling them to pursue their academic goals awareness meetings.
and empowering them to excel in their chosen
fields, and 27 differently-abled persons received In Tamil Nadu, 73 bank accounts were
access to various schemes aimed at supporting successfully opened, enabling individuals to
their specific needs and ensuring their inclusion access financial services and participate in the
and participation in society. formal economy. 27 differently abled persons
received access to various schemes aimed at
In Rajasthan 226 families got ration cards, 199 supporting their specific needs thus ensuring
registered for the pension schemes and 315 got their inclusion and participation in society.
pending payments under MGNREGA. 100 DNT
communities also received homestead land The Gujarat team facilitated the registration of
pattas (titles) in Bharatpur, and 467 DNT families 4,073 people in different social security schemes
in Tonk and 2,153 families were linked to various in 9 intervention districts. The team mobilised
social protection schemes in Rajasthan. 200 4,940 children in 49 schools and facilitated 493
women were linked to government livelihood children for pre-and post-matric scholarships.
schemes and team has also facilitated
9,716 students’ application registration for In Madhya Pradesh, financial assistance
scholarships. The team also linked 8,548 children support was provided to 213 people for start-
(no parents and single parents) from the ups for animal husbandry, some purchased
Palanhar programmes, 226 families got ration sewing machines for sewing clothes, some
cards and 119 registered under pension schemes. started beauty parlours, vegetable vending

I 47 I
and readymade clothes shops. 500 members BOCW, Odisha Rural Development and
of YUW collectives were linked to the Ayusman Marketing Society (ORMAS) and CSR for linkages
Card, the Sambal Yojana card and the labour with education, vocational /technical education
card. 4 young urban women, as small-scale and skill training.
entrepreneurs set up their stalls in the Raksha-
Bandhan Mela organised by WCD. 400 of the The Hyderabad team also intensively engaged
250 women received loans for start-ups for their with community volunteers in establishing
livelihood. community linkages to social security schemes
and as a result the team ensured 60 new ration
In Odisha 30,343 girls and boys were provided cards and 70 labour cards and 230 people were
financial assistance of Rs 32,19,87,000 through linked to old-age pension schemes.

I 48 I
I 49 I
 Land, Forest,
Agriculture
and Water
I 50 I
ActionAid Association has been working on training on sustainable agriculture benefited
the issues of land, water, forest and commons 6,221 families across various states. 2,435
across the states. In 2022-23, we strengthened people learnt about usage of indigenous
marginalised people’s agency to advance methodologies such as mixed farming,
community engagement conservations of indigenous pest control practices, producing
commons – land, water, forest. Training and organic manure, conservation and use of
capacity building programmes were organised indigenous seed varieties and multi-layer
for community leaders, youth and women to farming models. Seed banks and grain banks
develop their understanding on the issues of were facilitated among the marginalised
land – agricultural, homestead, commons communities that can help them in the
– grazing and pastoral, procedures of filing conservation and exchange of indigenous
applications and engaging with the local varieties and access the food grains during
authorities. lean periods.

We conducted campaigns for awareness and During this period, ActionAid Association
facilitating applications for land under FRA in supported farmers’ groups collectivising them
12 states. Fresh claims of 586 IFRs as well as for collective entrepreneurship through 3
117 CFRs were filed by the eligible people. We farmer producer organisations (FPO), having a
engaged with Forest Rights Committees and membership of around 4,000 farmers. Basant is
strengthened their understanding of FRAs and the first women-led FPO in Bundelkhand which
their role, as these play a significant role in has moved forward in getting a license for seed
processing the claims at the village level. A total production.
of 815 community leaders and young people
were oriented on the provisions of FRA. Around Further advances were made in the direction
500 landless families were facilitated to apply of protecting and promoting ecology. Capacity
for homestead land. Among these and the building of HRDs on the issue of climate change
earlier ones, 389 families received homestead and ecological justice was done across states.
land titles. Through community volunteers and HRDs we
engaged in monitoring and raising a voice
Campaigns were organised to promote for the protection and improvement of water
sustainable agriculture and sensitising quality of around 200 lakes. Our interventions
communities to adopt farming practices led to preservation and rejuvenation of around
that enrich soil quality and are in sync with 100 water bodies across various states.
the ecology and local climate. Skill building

I 51 I
 In Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, 3 training sessions
Forest Rights Act were organised to strengthen the understanding
of the community leaders on FRA in Dharchula,
Strategic Engagements Askot and Bagad Jauljibi. A total of 130
Continuous follow up by CBO members in people, including 83 women, members of our
Karnataka, with the forest department, ITDP, CBO and van panchayat and 12 government
revenue and RDPR helped in expediating the officials participated in the training. The DM
process. As a result, the survey related to 22 CR participated in one of the training sessions and
claims was completed by the authorities in HD gave an order for the formation of a micro-plan
Kote taluk in Mysore district. In Masthigudi 177 for each van panchayat. The forest department,
tribal families were able to access 531 acres of members of the van panchayat along with the
forest land which they are using for cultivation community developed a micro-plan for 70 van
of Jowar. panchayats. The Raji community suggested the

I 52 I
plantation of the trees such as bay leaf, oak and Campaigns
reetha and the construction of a protection wall.
The micro-plan of Kalika van panchayat has The FRA campaign was organised in Banswara
been completed and the forest department has district, Rajasthan to create awareness
started its work. The local community also got among the community for the assertion of
wage work in the plantation and construction community forest rights. The organised efforts
work. of the community-based organisations at the
grassroots and strategic engagement helped to
take forward the issues of forest management
A district level interface on the issue FRA
and forest conservation under forest rights
implementation was organised in Chamba,
including both IFR and FR. A total of 96
Himachal Pradesh, in which 84 people
community rights claims were filed in Bagidaura
participated, including 36 people from the local
and Gangadtalai blocks. Among these 18 claims
administration. This resulted in the formation
have been approved and the remaining are in
of a committee to facilitate and monitor the
process at the Sub Divisional Level Committee
process of filing FRA claims. As a result, 5 CFR
(SDLC) and District Level Committee (DLC).
claims expected to benefit nearly 100 families
were filed. Thirty-three meetings in 10 gram
panchayats were organised on the issue FRA In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, we
claim applications. organised awareness campaigns on the
importance of protection and conservation of
natural resources including forests and water
The Gujjar and Gaddi communities move to
bodies. The campaigns reached out to more
various parts of the Chamba district, Himachal
than 5,000 people among the Gond, Kolam, Koti
Pradesh in search of grasslands to graze
and Pradhan tribal communities in Telangana
their cattle. They were facing administrative
and Yanadi communities in Andhra Pradesh.
challenges in the movement of cattle and
An awareness campaign was organised on the
accessing grasslands. Our engagement with
Forest Rights Act in Adilabad district, Telangana.
the local administration along with CBO leaders
It reached out to 450 members of 22 villages.
helped in resolving the issue. After assurance
from the community leaders on the protection
of the tree plantation, an order was issued by Campaigns were organised for effective
the forest department allowing movement and implementation of the Forest Rights Act in 50
grazing for the cattle of pastoral communities villages of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh. As
Gaddis and Gujjars in Chamba district. a result of this campaign 5 forest villages have
been converted to revenue villages. Seventy

I 53 I
tribal families got possession over land under and soon these families will get titles to
FRA in Bahraich district. their lands.

A forest rights campaign was conducted in In Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand 33 Raji families filed
Mandla and Balagat districts in Madhya IFR claims. Among these 28 families received the
Pradesh to make the community aware of possession letter from the chairman of the tribal
the provisions and procedures of filing claims. commission and the officer of the social welfare
The process of filing CFR claims continued department. Landless families from 35 villages
in 51 villages. Gram sabha resolutions were filed 44 claims for homestead land. Thirty-one
passed and mapping for the forest area was families received the claims covering a total
completed. In Birsa block of Balaghat district land area of 3.002 hectare. Accessing land
over 200 village panchayat and janpad (block) claims under FRA, 2006, still remains a challenge
panchayat members were trained in the PESA due to the attitude due to structural issues. Till
Act and FRA. now 29 families from 5 villages have received
claims out of the 35 claims filed.
Community Engagements
We engaged in generating awareness and
In Dang district, Gujarat, awareness meetings
strengthening the community groups actively
were organised with tribal communities on
working for the implementation of the Forest
FRA provisions. The communities and FRCs
Rights Act in Jharkhand. Seventy-two claims for
were made aware of the procedures and
IFR and 4 for CFR claims were filed in
the documentation required for land claims
Giridih district.
under FRA, reaching out to 300 people in 18
villages. As a result, GPS mapping and other
formalities have been completed for 236 people The rate of rejection of forest rights claims has
seeking land titles. The appeals of 160 people increased after adoption of the Van Mitra App
got approved, entitling them to IFR and the that was launched to expedite land allotment
remaining applications are under review. and check corruption in Madhya Pradesh.
Resolutions were passed in gram sabhas to
stop the review process through the Van Mitra
In Sambalpur district, Odisha, a 8 Forest Rights
portal and reverting to the process through
Committees were strengthened to take forward
Forest Rights Committee (FRC), SDLC and DLC
the process of community forest rights claims
as per the act. Along with the request to re-
(CFRs). Seven community claims were submitted.
examine the rejected cases, the resolution and
Apart from this, 130 IFR have been approved
memorandum to end the use of the portal were

I 54 I
submitted to the Chief Minister through the were received and 3 IFR claims were accepted
block and district administration in 10 districts. and patta issued by the sub-divisional officer,
Around 20 community trainings and meetings the other claims are under process. Panchayat
were held in 51 villages across 10 districts level meetings on forest rights were conducted
in Madhya Pradesh by HRDs. A total of 950 in Madhupur block and Musabani in Deoghar
community HRDs were oriented on FRA in these district of Jharkhand.
trainings and meetings.
A training manual on the process to claim
In Akole block, Ahmednagar, Maharashtra our community forest rights was made in Hindi. It
teams facilitated the community for filing CFR introduces the forest rights act, provisions of
claims and helped the community to follow it up community forest resources in the act, what
at SDLC and DLC levels. Among these 5 villages are the rights protected by the act, different
received CFR approval in 2022 for 1067.08 authorities under the Forest Rights Act, their
hectares of forest land. This is an inspiring constitution, powers and duties, the process to
achievement and has encouraged other villages claim Community Forest Rights, the evidence
to follow a similar process. need for the determination of forest right, and
the grievance and appeal mechanisms. We also
A Three-day long awareness programme was annexed samples of various application formats
organised on FRA in Jharkhand. Around 200 and communications which are useful in the
people from the tribal community participated process of claiming CFR. The training manual
from Madhupur and Giridih districts. In Deoghar helped our HRDs to understand the steps and
district, 138 IFR claims were filed and submitted facilitating community HRD training on the issue
to the sub-divisional level committee for further and taking the claim process forward at the
action. In Giridih district, 72 IFR applications village level.

Impact in Numbers
Number of Individual Forest Rights (IFR) applications filed 586
Number of Community Forest Rights’ (CFR) applications facilitated 117
Number of FRC members and community leaders trained on FRA 815
Number of applications filed for homestead land 500
Number of families who received homestead land titles 389

I 55 I
 Campaigns
Commons and In Haryana, a campaign for homestead
Homestead Land land – Bhu Adhikar Abhiyan – was done that
reached out to 47 gram panchayats in Sonipat
Strategic Engagements district. A total of 417 families were identified
In Maharashtra, a campaign in partnership and supported in submitting their applications
with people’s organisations across 11 districts to the gram panchayats for allotment of 100
collectivised thousands of Gairan Dharak square yards residential plots to them under
(people accessing grazing land/commons) to the Mahatma Gandhi Gramin Basti Yojana. As
submit their demand for grazing land to the part of this campaign, we identified 85 potential
Chief Minister through the district administration. community leaders, organised two training
The campaign helped in continuing the status sessions for their capacity building on the issue
quo and people’s access to gairan lands. of land, housing and entitlements, and engaged
them with the campaign. In Panipat 30 families
In Belgavi district, Karnataka, the houses of were supported in applying for housing related
120 families in Chikkodi and Athani taluk were schemes.
affected by floods in 2019 and 2021. Their
continuous efforts and meetings with the Community Engagements
authorities and the housing corporation resulted In Rajasthan, we organised a state level
in the allocation of Rs 5 lakh for the 120 families workshop on the issue of the marginalised
for constructing new houses. Fifty marginalised community’s access to land with CBOs and
families of Shankarahatti village, Athani taluk community leaders in Jodhpur. Around 60
were helped to get back their land records from participants from 7 districts participated and
the gram panchayat. Till now 35 families have discussed challenges and strategies to prevent
got their land records, whereas for 15 families land alienation and ensure the community’s
the process is being pursued with the land access to land. They also prepared an action
revenue officers. In Chikkodi taluk around 175 plan for the state level campaign on the land
marginalised families were facing the issue of issue.
burial land. The applications were moved to the
land revenue and social welfare department
In Sambalpur district, Odisha, 160 landless
and follow-up is going on to access the land.
families were identified in 15 villages for
homestead land. Out of these 80 families have

I 56 I
received the land pattas. Applications have In Bharatpur, Rajasthan 100 De-Notified Tribal
been processed for the remaining 80 families. community members received homestead
land pattas. They have been making
13 training sessions s were organised on the continuous efforts and following-up with the
issues of land and related aspects including local administration after the submission of
gairan land and commons in Maharashtra applications.
in the districts of Sangli, Usmanabad, Beed,
Parbhani, Hingoli, Jalna, Nanded, Ahmadnagar, In Pithoragarh district, Uttarakhand 35 families
Nasik, Nandurbar and Nagpur. A total of 545 including 13 single women raised the demand for
community based human rights defenders homestead land. The community leaders of their
(HRDs( attended the training to strengthen their villages supported them in raising their demand
understanding of laws and strategies on land in the panchayat, and the district magistrate
related issues. in the district level meeting held on 1st August
2022 in Pithoragarh. Among these 28 families
In Punjab, capacity building training of 125 including 13 single women got the homestead
volunteers was done in the districts of Mansa, land. These families also got benefits under
Jalandhar, Amritsar and Tarn Taran on the the PM Awas Yojana. Agriculture land was
issues of common land and the 5 Marla transferred in the name of 3 single women as a
Scheme. In 2021 the Government of Punjab had part of the inheritance process after raising the
announced the 5 Marla scheme, under which issue with the local administration.
plots of 5 marla (1 marle = 272.25 square feet)
were to be distributed to marginalised landless Urban Homestead Land
families. The HRDs organised a month-long
In Karnataka, the efforts of the CBO Slum
campaign on the issue of shamlat land in Tarn
Janara Sanghatane ensured that a Government
Taran. The gram panchayat of Koharka had
Order was passed on the issue of land titles
passed a resolution to allot 5 marla plots to
filed for 125 families residing in Gottigere area,
marginalised families in the village and sent
Bengaluru City. The engagement with the
applications to the district magistrate who
state resulted in a considerable reduction of
marked them to the concerned BDPO (Block
registering the land title document from Rs
Development and Panchayat Officer). But in
2,000 to Rs 450. Similarly, the land purchase
the meantime, with the formation of a new
cost for 600 sq. ft has been reduced from Rs
government in the state, the fate of the 5 Marla
10,000 to Rs 2,000 for SC communities and Rs
Scheme became uncertain.
4,000 for people from the general category.

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In Bengaluru city, community efforts resulted Ecological Farming
in getting approval for housing allotments and
the process of allotment is in progress for 25 We have been actively working towards
families in the Chennasandra (Kadugodi) slum. promoting ecological farming in several
In Vinobha Nagar, the request for land allotment districts of Odisha, West Bengal, Jharkhand,
for 68 families and housing allotment for 13 Bihar, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Assam and
families in Kalasipalyam area is in the process. Manipur. The ground actions in Sambalpur,

I 58 I
Odisha included community meetings with the the total number of FPO members has gone up
farmers focusing on awareness generation on to 836. The FIGs of East Medinipur were provided
ecological farming and benefits of cultivating saplings that helped them develop one orchard
indigenous crops and conservation of seeds. to rebuild their livelihood. Forty-five FIGs
Farmers were oriented on preparing organic were trained in integrated farming and pond
manure and pest control using indigenous management to continue practicing sustainable
practices. Campaigns were organised across agriculture. Our regular engagement with the
these states to sensitise farming communities block administration helped 4 FIGs in receiving
about the ill-effects of chemicalised farming one incubator from Khejuri I Block office. It has
and generating awareness about ecological enhanced the income of farmers engaged in
farming. The farming communities are engaged poultry farming. Three nurseries were prepared
in conservation of indigenous varieties of seeds by the FIG with sapling support provided to
through seed banks. To strengthen food security them, benefitting around 300 farmers. In East
and eliminate malnutrition, grain banks and Medinipur and South 24 Parganas adolescents
kitchen gardens were promoted in the project were oriented on organic farming. They took
villages across states. the lead in developing a nutritional kitchen
garden in the school premises. Eco-clubs were
In Giridih, Jharkhand 50 people were provided formed in schools in both districts for promoting
training on sustainable agricultural practices sustainable agriculture.
that include cultivation of indigenous crops,
preparing and using organic manure, using The Farmer Producer Organisation in
traditional methods of pest control and Jharkhand has around 1,000 farmers associated
conservation of local seed varieties. They were with it who are engaged in ecological farming.
oriented in the formation of a farmer producer Another collective of 600 women farmers is also
organisation, to help them to work collectively practicing and promoting ecological farming in
and market their products. Nalanda, Bihar.

In East Medinipur, West Bengal, the farmers’ In Madhya Pradesh, 10 women farmers’
collectives called farmer interest groups (FIGs) groups and 4 SHGs comprising 190 women as
were oriented, strengthened and advanced members, got seed money of Rs 2,50,000. The
as farmers producers organisation. One such two groups received Rs 40,000 as an award
farmer producer organisation (FPO) was formed for their remarkable work. Around 20 units of
in East Medinipur district. With 30 new members

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vermicompost were set up in 15 villages for and non-farm-based livelihood models for
women to initiate vermicomposting as an community resilience in Bundelkhand, Uttar
alternate livelihood option. Pradesh. The region is affected by climatic
extremities – droughts, erratic rains resulting
Livelihood promotion for Tribal women -- crop failure and increasing vulnerabilities.
sustainable agriculture practices and other The livelihood programme in Bundelkhand
livelihood options -- broom making, apiary and aimed at enhancing livelihood opportunities
kitchen gardening training was organised. Three among marginalised communities in the
hundred women have developed organic and three districts of Jhansi, Lalitpur and Mahoba
kitchen gardens in their backyards. in Uttar Pradesh and it started 7 livelihood
models - poultry farming, vermicompost,
In Adilabad and Asifabad districts of Telangana, nutrition garden, seasonal agriculture, multi-
ActionAid Association has been working with layer farming for vegetable cultivation, goat
several initiatives of Telangana government rearing and horticulture for fruit production.
including the Haritha Haram programme for Besides conducting capacity-building, we also
promoting afforestation and increasing the supported the communities in terms of technical
green cover by engaging the communities in inputs, material, insurance and marketing to
their socioeconomic development and their promote their livelihoods. So far, our livelihood
basic needs of health and nutrition. intervention has been able to reach 2,000
households in 40 villages – 10 villages in one
Fifteen nutrition gardens have been initiated in block in Jhansi, 15 villages in one block in
the homestead land of 15 families in Banswara, Lalitpur and 15 villages in two blocks in Mahoba.
Rajasthan. Minimum 10 types of crops are Training was organised for 2,000 women farmers
included in the kitchen garden to ensure food involved in different models which focused on
security and nutrition for the family members how to prepare organic compost and pesticides,
and children. We also initiated a collective of which apart from being an environment friendly
migrant workers on agriculture in Banswara, substitute will also reduce input costs and are
Rajasthan. This helped in engaging the workers easy to prepare as the materials are locally
in agricultural production. We also provided available. Plastic drums with a capacity of
training to 32 women on agriculture and 35 litres has also been provided so that the
entrepreneurship. organic pesticide can be stored safely. In the
winter crop cycle, seed production units using
ActionAid Association has been promoting a local variety of drought resistant seeds of
climate-resilient sustainable agriculture wheat and green peas was taken up by 150
women farmers. The women farmers received

I 60 I
technical training including on biopesticides BASANT FPO is in the nascent stages and
and organic fertilisers. The Uttar Pradesh State requires quite a bit of strengthening and forward
Seed Certification Institute, Lucknow, provided linkages to become profitable. A training
certification during this period to 18 farmers of programme was organised for the board of
Lalitpur and Jhansi districts, for production of directors of the FPO in Mahoba district. A formal
‘wheat seed of 1,317 variety’ on 30.95 hectares collaboration has been established with the
of land. Training programmes on preparing premier Indian Grassland Research Institute,
vermicompost manure were organised across 40 which is providing technical support and offering
villages in Mahoba, Lalitpur and Jhansi districts. solutions to problems arising in the field. A stall
One hundred and eighteen women farmers linked with the BASANT FPO was set up in three
were supported for multi-layer farming, helping districts - Jhansi, Mahoba and Lalitpur - as part
them to cultivate three types of vegetables of a programme organised by the government’s
simultaneously. Krishi Vigyan Kendra (Agriculture Research
Centre) in collaboration with the Indian Council
ActionAid Association facilitated and registered for Agriculture Research and Banda Agricultural
the first women-led FPO in Uttar Pradesh in University. Nearly 899 households who have
Bundelkhand for promotion of rural women animals such as cows, buffalo and goats were
entrepreneurship. The FPO called BASANT has supported in accessing services from the
1,950 women members. The process of obtaining veterinary hospital Khailar, Babina, following
the license from FSSAI has been initiated. the engagement with the local administration.

I 61 I
 Water and
Ecology
I 62 I
 change and biodiversity are intrinsically
Strategic Engagements connected both by cause and effect.
A biodiversity conference was organised
To generate awareness on climate change
by ActionAid Association in collaboration
and addressing the ecological crisis ActionAid
with the Botany Department of Guwahati
Association organised a convention of the
University on the critical subject of shrinking
agricultural labourers and fisherfolk in East
biodiversity in the Northeastern region of India.
Medinipur, West Bengal, in the context of
ActionAid Association brought together a
climate change and the ecological crisis. Around
group of resource persons, academicians and
1,000 fish workers who were engaged in fish
practitioners who have been working with such
collection, catching-selling and vending of fish
issues for a long time in the Northeastern states.
in the market as well as agricultural labourers
In this 2-day event, more than 15 resource
participated to discuss the impact of climate
persons and 150 participants participated and
change on their lives and livelihoods. Another
discussed the impact of shrinking biodiversity
convention of women informal labourers on
on the livelihoods of communities whose
the theme ‘Climate change, Gender and
lives are inextricably tied to the state of the
Labour’ in Cooch Behar along with Gitaldaha
environment. The Northeastern region is
Bikas Samity (GBS) and Pramila Bahini, a local
marked as one of the biodiversity hotspots of
women’s collective was also organised. Around
the world. Yet, we all know its vulnerabilities,
800 women from 5 blocks of Cooch Behar joined
and that a combination of climate change
the discussion on climate change and its effect
and environmental insensitivity permeates
on women. Women workers’ representatives
the region’s development agenda has caused
spoke on issues like impact of climate change
great concern, particularly in recent decades
issues of availability of work, wage disparities,
resulting in a sharp decline in its biodiversity. The
unfavourable working conditions and absence
impact is already visible and evidenced on the
of social security to address disaster and
ground. It calls for urgent measures to be taken
climate change related work loss.
to repair and correct the situation to avoid a
possible disaster. The impact and repercussions
on farmers, jhumias, fisherfolk, pastoralists and Studies and Research
others whose lives, livelihoods and vocations A study titled ‘Lost to the Sea’ was done
are woven into the fabric of the ecosystem and by ActionAid Association with the objective
climate will be very considerable. However, it of understanding the vulnerabilities of
does not take long to understand that climate communities affected by seawater intrusion and

I 63 I
 highlighted the loss of natural buffer zones,
forest barriers and mangrove ecosystems due
to salination, sand intrusion, deforestation and
increase in unsustainable, unregulated prawn
cultivation for the export market and loss of river

LOST TO and sea-based fishing livelihoods for

small fisherfolk.

THE SEA The marginalised communities can play a major

A Study On Sea Intrusion And role in mitigating the impact of climate change
Displacement In Coastal Odisha
by providing ecological services and protecting
the ecosystem. In the context of climate change,
the Report titled ‘Troubles in the Sundarbans:
A study of social and ecological issues in
Hingalganj Block, North 24 Parganas, West
Bengal’ was published. This report presents the
results of a study that ActionAid Association
undertook to understand how communities
dependent on ecological resources can be
transformed into environmental workers. The
Sundarbans have great significance, being
the single largest mangrove forest in the world.
The area is rich and productive with plant and
iii animal biodiversity, and the forests acts as a
shield against storm surges and gusty winds
that often occur in this area prone to cyclonic
displacement. It was also meant to understand storms. Vast majorities of landless agricultural
the existing adaptive and coping strategies labour, small peasants, pastoralists, Tribal
used by the communities and analyse the and other forest dwellers and small-scale fish
government schemes and policies meant to workers are the natural custodians of ecological
provide support to the displaced groups. The resources. As wetlands have a remarkable
study covered displaced villages in costal capacity to sequester carbon, their role in the
districts such as Puri, Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur, Sundarbans can be especially crucial.
Kendrapada and Balasore. The study

I 64 I
A study on ‘Fishkill in the Lakes of Bengaluru’ 2 blocks - Madhupur and Margomunda – in
was also done. The study covered 5 years and Deoghar district. The participants included
was based on secondary research. The report PRI members, jal sahayaks and community
highlighted the death of fish due to non- members. The community members were
conducive environments in the lake waters. It informed about rainwater management
was submitted to the Karnataka State Pollution through jalkunda, change in crop patterns
Control Board. The report was referred to by and controlling chemical fertilisers for safe
news organisations widely. groundwater, mulching practices, zero tillers
and reducing water usage.
Rainwater harvesting opportunities at Metro
Yellow Line: A study on rainwater harvesting Lake Walks for children were conducted to
opportunities was conducted to assess the introduce children to the lake ecosystem as a
opportunity to collect rainwater at the new part of environment education. Through this
metro station (yellow line) and submitted to campaign school children were introduced to
the Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation Limited the biodiversity - trees, plants, shrubs, birds
(BMRCL). We are yet to see the outcome of this and butterflies in the lakes. Five lake walks
study. were organised in Agara, Madiwala and
Chunchaghatta lakes in which 122 children
Biodiversity Documentation in Lakes: In the participated.
last 12 months, 23 visits were made to 13
lakes as part of monitoring and biodiversity Community Engagements
documentation on ebird.org - a free, online
ActionAid Association has been engaged
platform that allows birdwatchers to record their
with the communities to orient them on water
observations and share them with researchers,
and ecology and work for the conservation of
scientists, and conservationists. During the
natural resources. With the efforts of volunteers
visits to the lakes, we were able to identify
and HRDs water bodies were rejuvenated. In
issues in terms of structure, water quality and
Sambalpur, Odisha a pond was renovated in
the lake ecosystem, and shared it with various
Rantal village and a dug well was constructed in
stakeholders for awareness and sensitisation.
the Meghpal village panchayat.

Campaigns In Gautam Budh Nagar, Noida, Delhi NCR we

In Jharkhand a campaign on water rights was are engaged in rejuvenating 4 ponds in villages
organised by jal mitras. The campaign covered Bagpur, Navada and Talda. Along with these

I 65 I
another 10 ponds which were rejuvenated were rejuvenated in the 7 villages impacting
earlier, are being maintained on a regular around 3,500 families.
basis. The 10 ponds are located in 6 villages -
Kot, Luharli, Nangla Nainsukh, Beel Akbarpur, ActionAid Association has been striving towards
Khatana Dhirkera and Anandpur. improving the water quality of the lakes in
Karnataka, with specific focus on Bengaluru.
The ponds were desilted to increase the Since our last year report, based on the water
water retention capacity, and the bunds were quality in 176 lakes of Karnataka, momentum
strengthened. The cleaning of the surrounding has been growing on improving water quality
areas and plantation was carried out along in the lakes and has been highlighted in the
the ponds to increase the green cover and news. The water quality of three lakes in
prevent erosion. Water user groups or youth South Bengaluru - Doddakallasandra Lake,
groups take care of the ponds in the villages. Chunchunghatta Lake and Kothnur Lakes --
They were oriented on the importance of water has been regularly monitored in association
conservation and management of water bodies. with the local community and RWAs. Issues
Mass awareness was carried out using IEC like pollutants entry into the lake waters were
materials and wall paintings. Engagement with raised regularly with the concerned authorities.
local stakeholders ensured keeping a check on Monthly water sample test reports of three lakes
garbage dumping and encroachment at pond from Karnataka State Pollution Board were
sites. The capacity of the ponds has increased accessed and studied to keep the water quality
to store 28,050 cbm water after rejuvenation. appropriate for wildlife and fisheries.

In Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand the people of In Karnataka we have been able to support

7 villages were facing a water crisis as the lake groups in highlighting issues of water
water bodies (khal-chal) had been damaged quality in lakes, rejuvenation, fishkill, fencing
and some water taps were non-functional. and torching plants which has been highlighted
The community leaders raised this issue at by the newspapers. ActionAid Association
the panchayat and block level and in the facilitated internship for 40 students on the issue
district level meeting held in Pithoragarh. They of water commons. They were sensitised on
submitted their complaints in writing with all conservation of lakes and importance of water
the evidence. The water pipeline work was quality in improving biodiversity and they have
repaired in 3 villages and one water tank was contributed immensely to taking forward the
constructed under MNREGA; 53 water bodies agenda of water commons.

I 66 I
In Bengaluru, a survey of 156 pillars in the stretch Within weeks BMRCL started initiatives to
between MG Road and Swamy Vivekananda correct the lacunae identified in the report.
Road metro stations was done, and the Within a week, the Bangalore Metro Rail
‘Rainwater Harvesting at Namma Metro,’ was Corporation Limited officials called to update
brought out. It was submitted to the managing on the cleaning work undertaken and shared
director, Bangalore Metro Corporation Limited. pictures of the progress in harvesting rainwater.
It was well covered in the news in Bengaluru.

I 67 I
 Working with
Human Rights
Defenders
I 68 I
ActionAid Association has a long history of Recognising the Contributions of
supporting social movements and building
strong community leadership and their
Human Rights Defenders
agency while supporting them in addressing ActionAid Association organised an event to
fundamental exclusionary practices and striving celebrate community-based human rights
for a life with dignity as equal citizens of India. defenders from across states working with
National level consultations were organised with the most marginalised communities and
the leaders’ collectives. promoting social and ecological justice. Several
exceptional individuals and the organisations

Strategic Engagements
they represent were felicitated at the meeting
held on December 14, 2022, on the occasion
Several state level consultations were held to of Human Rights Day at India International
provide the pace to the ground level social Centre, New Delhi. The programme was graced
movement. The teams across the states by Shri Devendra Kumar Singh IAS, Secretary
supported 100 HRDs and detailed action General, National Human Rights Commission; Dr
plans along with HRDs were developed and Lalitha Kumaramangalam, Former Chairperson,
shared with the national team. The intervention National Commission for Women; Dr Shantha
initiated the National Academy for Social Sinha, Former Chairperson, National Commission
Movements to build capacities and strengthen for the Protection of Child Rights; and Shri Shivaji
the agency of social movements, workers’ Sarjerao Dhavale, Chairperson, Maharashtra
collective community-led organisation and Housing and Area Development Authority.
HRDs. More than 125 training sessions and
workshops were organised on perspective and Support to Human Rights
knowledge building, skilling on fact finding, Defenders, Social Movements and
documentation, conducting meetings and
Local Alliances
leadership building. Also 10,345 community
leaders were identified and oriented on various National Academy for Social Movements
social issues. Women’s issues, gender-based organised the training, orientation and
violence, education, social security schemes leadership development programme in each
for PWDs, single women, Child Protection state. The training was scheduled in the cluster
Committees and other social issues were taken and participants from each state attended
up by HRDs across the states. A survey on urban the capacity building training and workshop.
poor in slums in Karnataka, Bihar and Jharkhand The main purpose of the training was to train
was done by HRD and community leaders. participants on the concept of human rights,

I 69 I
democracy and constitutional rights. We built workers’ rights and advances decent work
their capacity to take on leadership roles in their including in designing a fair or just transition
respective communities. to a more equitable and sustainable economy
as a way to mitigate the impact of climate
change and enable adaptation for impacted
Creating spaces for dialogue on communities. According to the plan, each
social and ecological issues HRD ensured its own outreach to its respective
The HRDs have created spaces for social and catchment/ local communities. HRDs ensured
ecological issues and initiated dialogues on the identification of more than 6,000 community
policies and practices where informal workers leaders and have oriented and capacitated
are at the centre. As governments and industries 4,000 community leaders’ training across the
are showing plans to transition to cleaner project. The training was directly facilitated by
alternatives, workers and their unions must have HRD along with the AAA team on different social
a meaningful say in the process to ensure that causes.
a greener economy is also one that protects

I 70 I
I 71 I
 Disaster
Response

I 72 I
 causing a humanitarian crisis displacing millions
Community Engagements of people from their homes and destroying
property and public infrastructure. There was
The poor and marginalised communities
also a rainfall deficit in many parts of the
struggled in emerging from the impact of the
Northeastern region affecting food production
Covid-19 pandemic, the weather extremities
which is critical for communities dependent
brought new challenges as 2022 witnessed
on subsistence farming, pastoralism and
major emergencies due to floods across the
artisanal livelihoods. There was a substantial
country. The communities were severely hit
response in the mountainous district of Dima
by the economic downturn caused by the
Hasao in Assam as the habitations cut off
pandemic and families encountered a fierce
without supplies and humanitarian aid for
challenge of restoring their livelihoods and
weeks as road, railway and telecommunication
household economies. The exodus of migrant
infrastructure was destroyed by torrential rain
workers back home meant the remittances that
that caused multiple landslides. ActionAid
many communities depended on were no longer
Association played a very critical role in
available, and a critical buffer to the states’
supporting the government in reaching out to
economies was no longer available. While
isolated communities with food and hygiene kits
the government programmes for ensuring the
and in supporting the most vulnerable families
availability of free foodgrains and other core
to build shelters and facilities for drinking water.
services like health and nutrition for targeted
We were one of the first to respond in the district
vulnerable populations helped stem an even
and involved a large contingent of volunteers
larger crisis, the attempts to recharge the
belonging to organisations of students and
economies were insufficient to restore them to
youths in Dima Hasao, to reach aid to areas
pre-pandemic levels. This sustained decline
inaccessible by road. A total of 3,007 severely
increased the vulnerability of the communities,
affected families across 51 villages were
especially the most marginalised and difficult
supported and 850 families were assisted in
to reach. The beginning of 2023 saw headlines
reconstructing their homes and 150 temporary
related to land subsidence in Joshimath,
toilets were built for common use. We initiated
leading to cracks in houses and buildings.
similar humanitarian responses in the districts
ActionAid Association intervened in major
of Darrang and Nalbari in Assam which were
emergencies with humanitarian support and
inundated with flood waters. The affected
supported more than 17,000 families.
populations were provided with food aid to
Dima Hasao, Nagaon, Hojai, Morigaon, Darrang each family for a month, along with hygiene
and Nalbari districts in Assam were devastated, kits and other essential non-food items like

I 73 I
 Impact in numbers (Number of families supported)
Floods in Assam 7,972
Floods in Gujarat 1,269
Floods in Odisha 2,174
Floods in Uttar Pradesh 1,315
Floods in Bengaluru 570
Floods in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh 3,021
Landslide in Joshimath 907

tarpaulins, buckets and mugs, mosquito nets 30 transgenders. During the flood response in
and torchlights. A total of 4,965 families in the Gujarat, we reached out to women focusing
worst affected areas of Darrang and Nalbari on the issues of women and oriented all team
districts were supported. members regarding the safeguarding policies
of ActionAid Association including Prevention
Heavy rainfall in Gujarat in western India
of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA).
caused severe flooding in at least 7 districts,
Community meetings and orientations were
affecting over 10 million people. We identified
conducted for women on the policy provisions
the marginalised among the flood affected
and complaint mechanisms in the local
communities for support. These included Tribal,
language. Policy provisions were displayed on
Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups, Tribal
banners at all the distribution sites.
Groups, women (widowed and single women),
De-Notified Tribes and the marginalised. Floods wreaked havoc in 13 districts in Odisha.
Seven hundred and sixty nine families were About 10 lakh people were affected due to
supported with ration kits. These included 150 floods in 2,489 villages. ActionAid Association
in Ahmedabad, 239 in Navsari, 150 in Kutch responded to the two worst affected districts
and 230 in Vadodara. Similarly, 500 families of Odisha, Puri and Balasore. Through this
were provided with tarpaulins for immediate response we reached out to 2,174 most
shelter. These included 75 in Ahmedabad, 150 affected families with relief support. A total
in Navsari, 75 in Kutch and 200 in Vadodara. of 2,174 families from Gop block in Puri district
These included 12 persons with disabilities and and Bhograi block in Balasore district were
5 orphans. Ration kits were also provided to provided with humanitarian support – hygiene

I 74 I
kits, water and clothing support. Among these our practice of transparency, boards, banners
1,309 families also received dry ration kits and containing the details of the relief material, price
tarpaulins for temporary shelter. The vulnerable and quantity were displayed at the distribution
communities, particularly marginalised families, sites.
women, children, persons with disabilities,
Flooding in Uttar Pradesh affected over 8 lakh
widows, single women, elderly, sexual minorities
people according to state government’s data.
and women headed households were prioritised
The extent of damage was quite high as many
in our response. We mobilised the support of
of the blocks and villages lost road connectivity.
the women and youth groups while working in
Based on the needs assessment conducted in
the flood affected areas. They were also part
64 panchayats, 1,315 families severely affected
of the process of the need assessment that
by floods were provided dry rations and non-
was undertaken in the affected areas. During
food items in 6 districts in Uttar Pradesh --
the distribution of humanitarian support, the
Kushinagar, Balrampur, Bahraich, Shrawasti,
affected communities were informed about the
Siddharth Nagar and Ghazipur. The dry ration kit
price and quantity of the materials. Continuing
included rice, flour, lentils, cooking oil, sugar, tea,

I 75 I
salt, turmeric powder, coriander powder and The rains from upper catchment tributaries
chili powder. Non-food items included bathing and streams from Maharashtra, Telangana,
soap, washing soap, anti-bacterial liquid, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, caused floods in
toothpaste, toothbrushes, sanitary napkins, Andhra Pradesh and affected more than 3.
dish washing bar, bucket and mug. Tarpaulin 6 lakh people in 468 villages in 12 districts in
sheets were given for temporary shelter. These Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. We identified
1,315 families belong to the most vulnerable the severely affected families and supported
communities particularly, marginalised, single 3,021 families with dry ration kits in 27 villages of
women, PWDs, old aged and children. Along V R Puram and Kunavaram blocks in ASR district.
with this, ActionAid Association continuously
In the first week of January 2023, the incidence
engaged with the affected communities and
of land subsidence of sub-district Joshimath
organised community meetings and orientations
in district Chamoli in Uttarakhand drew the
for their physical and psychological well-being.
attention of people. The entire town was on the
Due to unprecedented heavy rains in Uttar
verge of collapse as cracks were developing
Pradesh in September, farmers in Bundelkhand
in the houses and other construction in the
experienced crop loss in their farms. ActionAid
area. As per a rough estimate around 20,000
Association has been supporting 2,000
people were directly affected by this disaster.
households to seek compensation under the
The affected families faced the problem of
government relief programmes. The government
livelihoods that resulted in food scarcity.
compensation is limited (up to 2 acres of land
Similarly, the families who had cattle had a
and Rs 6,500 per acre) and cannot cover all the
problem of fodder. The government announced
losses incurred by the farmers.
a relief package for housing repairs. The poor
Bengaluru received excess rainfall in 2022. and vulnerable families could not access
The rapid assessment survey conducted by this due to the lack of proper documents.
ActionAid Association identified around 570 ActionAid Association conducted a rapid
most marginalised families of Schedule Castes, damage-assessment survey in the affected
Schedule Tribes and informal sector workers wards of Joshimath. The relief workers found
severely affected by excess rains. We supported Dodil, Gandhinagar and Singhdar wards,
563 families with ration kits and 579 children with where people needed support for ration kits
education kits in and around Kacharakanahalli, and fodder. The relief workers prepared a
Dodda Gubbi and Vinobha Nagar areas of the list of the most vulnerable families in these 3
city. wards with the support of community members
and 632 families were identified for support
There were incessant rains during the third week
through ration kits and 275 families identified
of July 2022 in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh.

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for fodder support for livestock. With the help of public health safety was developed and used in
community volunteers, ration kits were provided the leadership building efforts. The participants
to 632 families and livestock fodder was given were facilitated by the resource person to do a
to 275 households. Each ration kit contained risk analysis of the different types of disasters
rice, flour, lentils, sugar, cooking oil, tea, spices, and impact on the vulnerable groups in the
biscuits, and hygiene items like sanitary pads, community. Beside the process emphasised
bathing soaps and detergent. Our relief workers linking the most vulnerable households with
organised meetings in the community and also different social security schemes, programmes
met the people in the relief camps. They helped and entitlements provided by the government.
them in filling the forms and submitting their
We are part of NHRC’s training programmes
documents for compensation announced by
as a resource agency for the interns. We were
the government. They also met government
invited by NHRC to take sessions on the issue
officials regularly to ensure inclusion of affected
of stateless people during the training for its
families from the marginalised communities in
interns. In the regular course of our work, we
the compensation process.
come across stateless people and have been
helping them with humanitarian support. Around
Disaster Risk Reduction and 3,600 families were supported with humanitarian
support in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and NCR, Punjab
Community Resilience Building
and the Northeast. In Uttar Pradesh, we reached
Jagatsinghpur, Puri and Bhadrak districts in out to 352 Persons of Concerns in Mathura
Odisha are major disaster-prone districts in the and Aligarh district. They were supported with
state. These districts witnessed major disasters cash support, dry ration kits, sanitation kits, NFI
after the super cyclone of 1999. Considering and health and hygiene kits. Eighty children
the need we focused on building leadership of were admitted in government schools and 100
women, youth and persons with disabilities from children were enrolled in accelerated learning
the most marginalised communities on disaster programmes - remedial classes and tuitions.
risk reduction and public health safety. A total In both the districts vaccination of all eligible
of 1,023 women, youth and PwDs from the most people was ensured. We are also helping them
disaster-prone areas of Jagatsinghpur and to access healthcare facilities. Pregnant and
Bhadrak districts were provided with orientation lactating mothers and other members of the
through organising 24 training programmes at community are getting healthcare facilities from
the community level by trained DRR experts. the nearby government hospital. A capacity
A curriculum that includes various aspect of building programme was organised, and 22
disaster risk reduction, resilience building, and women community leaders participated from

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the two districts. Around 457 children were and some limited essential non-food items like
enrolled in our learning centres in Punjab and mosquito nets, plastic mats, buckets and mugs,
Haryana. A total of 487 children were provided lamps and tarpaulins. Children were provided
school uniforms and bags. with learning and play materials. Medical camps
were organised with the support of locally
In Mizoram and Manipur, 1,550 vulnerable
positioned medical professionals and local
households were reached out with humanitarian
organisations.
support. It comprised food and hygiene kits

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 www.actionaidindia.org @actionaidindia actionaid_india
actionaidcomms @company/actionaidindia

Actionaid Association, F-5 (First Floor), Kailash Colony, New Delhi -110048.
+911-11-40640500

ActionAid Association is an Indian organisation working for social and ecological justice in
25 states and three Union Territories. Together with supporters, allied organisations,
communities, institutions and governments, we strive for equality, fraternity and liberty for all.

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