All The Single Women, Stand Up For Your Rights

Abha Sharma, TIR, 24 August 2014: ‘What you think, you become… If you think you are weak, then you are. If you think you are strong, then that’s what you become. Women are not empty vessels that someone will fill our lives with empowerment. We have to draw on our inner strength first, as the power to bring change lies within ourselves.’ Over the years, it is this guiding principle that has helped women like Shabnam, Kanku Bai and Dhuli Bai tide over the really tough times they have faced as single women living in a largely conservative social set up. Every time someone has tried to sideline them or deny them their entitlements they have come together and raised their voice against the injustice instead of blaming their misfortunes on destiny.

This trio is part of an all-powerful single women’s group in Rajasthan. The Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan (ENSS), or the Association of Strong Women Alone, needs no introduction today. After all, it is all thanks to their decade-long activism that the rights of widows, deserted and divorced women have become part of the national discourse.

Victimisation of women who do not have any male ‘protector’ or ‘benefactor’, be it a husband, father, son or brother, is rampant. Patriarchy coupled with archaic caste and community customs ensures that they are not only kept away from the mainstream but are often subject to abuse and violence. Poor and marginalised, these women, especially those residing in remote rural areas, have no real say when it comes to their social, economic, political and legal rights.

In such a scenario, it is the ENSS that becomes their support system. Spread across 137 blocks in the state, the organisation truly has a wide reach. But what does being part of the ENSS really mean to these women? Kanku Bai, who has spent nine years working in its fold and has now been elected as its newest chairperson, puts her feelings rather poignantly, “Bahno ka saath mila to bahut kuch mila (I have gained a lot from being in the company of my sisters). Together we have gained an identity as well as the confidence to step out into the world with our head held high.” A former health worker and the sarpnch of her village in Ajmer district, Kanku Bai believes that the ENSS’s strength lies in its committed approach towards securing the future of its members.

A small membership fee of Rs 20 brings about a lifetime of happiness and empowerment for women who have been widowed, separated, abandoned, have walked out of their homes because of physical or mental trauma or are unmarried at 35 years or more. The ENSS works on a variety of problems that impact their lives – from harassment and violence to livelihood, land and property rights issues.

Adopting a proactive approach has worked for this 45,000 member-strong group as not only have they so far managed to secure big gains like the enforcement of 50 per cent reservations for the women in the Panchayati Raj but they have also lobbied for various education and livelihood opportunities for themselves and their children.

Every year, ENSS members from different parts of the state come together to celebrate womanhood, rejoice in their successes, share their sorrows and set an agenda for the future. They call it the ‘Women’s Empowerment Day’. Elaborates senior coordinator Dr Ginny Shrivastava, who is one of the founders of the group, “A decade ago, during the state level committee meeting in Barmer, members of the ENSS decided to set aside a special day to commemorate the group’s newly acquired strength. The women decided to mark it as a day of celebration and action, a day to reassert that they may be alone and single but they are not lonely. As part of the Ekal Nari Women’s Forum, they are all one.”

It is at this annual convention that an updated agenda is discussed after which a petition demanding access to better resources is finalised and signed to be subsequently presented to the state government. This year has been no different. However, instead of holding various meetings at the block level, for the first time a state level consultation was organised in Jaipur where 600 women gathered to show their sense of purpose and commitment to their goals.

Talking about the process of creating the yearly charter of demands Kanku Bai says, “Every four months, we hold district and state level meetings and take feedback from women before coming up with a final charter of demands that is submitted to the state government. Till now we have been quite successful in getting our demands heard.” Efforts undertaken by the ENSS have ensured that single women now get Rs 1,000 assistance for each child under the Palanhar Yojana. Earlier, it was Rs 675 and that too for only one child. In addition, the government grant given to widows at the time of a daughter’s marriage has been doubled – from Rs 5,000 to Rs 10,000. Besides this, the state government has provided eight per cent reservation in government jobs to widows and two per cent to divorced women.

“Persuasion is necessary,” feels Kanku Bai, “because the social security schemes of the state are still a distant reality for many single women. Several do not have their ration cards, while others are struggling to get their pension started.”

What does their charter of demands include this year? “From an increase in the single women’s pension – from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 – to policy changes in the Rajasthan Livelihood Mission to make it accessible to single and poorly educated women to the passing of the critical Rajasthan Women Atrocities Prevention Act, we have sought a range of benefits that can empower our members to lead secure lives,” reveals Kanku Bai.

Additionally, the Sangathan has called for a ban on the sale of alcohol in Rajasthan since it is one of the major reasons for violence against women. Dhuli Bai from Aaspur in Dungarpur district feels strongly about alcoholism and is glad that they have put it on their agenda, “Men consume alcohol and beat up their women. It’s one of the most common atrocities we face and it’s high time is it dealt with seriously.”

Another key demand – that ration be given to all single women, irrespective of whether they are in the Above Poverty Line (APL) or Below Poverty Line (BPL) category – has made Shabnam hopeful. This Sangathan member from Sawai Madhopur had to really struggle hard to get ration from her local dealer. She recalls, “I had to lodge an FIR against the District Supply Office (DSO) as well as the ration dealer in order to get what was my rightful entitlement. For single women like me this is a matter of food security.” Shabnam persistently followed up her complaint and eventually her move ended up benefiting over 600 local families.

Now that their demands have been collated, Chandrakala Sharma, State Coordinator of the ENSS, hopes that the newly-elected government will incorporate them in policy changes. Of course, she knows that it’s a game of perseverance and patience – the two qualities that set women apart from men. Remarks Sharma, “Single women have their own strengths and qualities but most of us are unaware of them. Perhaps this is because of the general belief in society that women are weak. Yes, physically we may not be as strong as men, but once women realise their power, their value, talent and potential, the road to empowerment is not too far.”

What Single Women Want

Here’s the list of demands prepared by the Ekal Nari Shakti Sangathan. Do they have Prime Minister Modi and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje’s attention?

1. Single women pension be increased from Rs 500 to Rs 1,000 immediately.

2. Rajasthan Women Atrocities prevention Act to be passed with immediate effect to stop violence against women.

3. Policy changes in Rajasthan Livelihood Mission with regards to minimum education and maximum age so that majority of single women can be benefited. As women in villages are single and poorly educated, age norms should be modified to 16-45 or 50 years instead of 16-35 years.

4. Daughters of widows presently receive a grant of Rs 10,000 which should be raised to Rs 15,000 and scheme benefits be extended to include daughters of  divorced and separated women.

5. Ration to be given to all, abolishing categories of APL and BPL families.

6. An employment guarantee scheme to be implemented in urban areas to support women.

7. Sale of alcohol to be banned in Rajasthan as it is one of the major causes of violence.

8. Ekal women and their children to be given scholarships and government subsidy for higher education on the lines of the scheme for SC/ST.