PRAGATI Key Issues and
Operational Areas, Major Activiities & Achivements
Operational Districts: Chamoli, Tehri Garhwal, Dehradun, Pithoragarh, Bageshwar, Champawat, Hardwar, Uttarkashi
Operational States: UTTARAKHAND
AchieveMents: Panchayati Rule and Gender Awareness Training Institute, PRAGATI, is an all Women Organisation based in Dehradun, in the state of Uttarakhand, India. A group of passionate, dynamic women operate with the firm belief on the Democratic Principle of By the women, for the women and of the women to attain Gender Equity in Local Governance in the states of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand and Haryana. PRAGATIs Lobby and Advocacy Initiatives have resulted in the state of Uttarakhand, the first in the country to pass the Landmark bill bringing 50percent reservation in Panchayats for women. PRAGATI made a Presentation before the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Personal, Public Grievances, Law and Justice on the issue of sensitizing the members on Nyaya Panchayat. The views of PRAGATI were appreciated and are under consideration by the Parliament Landmark achievement had come up in the form of an All Women Panchayat in village Dikhet of Uttarakhand an exemplary example for the entire country and the world to emulate. Open Forum an annual Ritual is organised for more than 800 Elected Women Functionaries with representation from other states also. It is a Macro level intervention aimed at creating a pressure lobby to influence legislation and public policy in sustaining women struggle towards effective decentralization of powers and strengthen the Institution of Local Governance. The Open Forums have been instrumental in bringing major policy review and changes at the Regional and the National level. An all women team of RLEK gave a presentation on the 73rd and 74th Amendments before the Standing Committee of the Parliament on Urban and Rural Development in December 2001. The suggestions of the team were incorporated in the 56th report of the Committee.
Recognizing the importance of competent trainings PRAGATI as a resource centre has developed need based area specific training modules to cover gaps by broad based training needs assessment amongst the stakeholders.
PRAGATI has developed the Uttarakhand State Module for the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and is currently developing a multi mode training for the elected representatives through distance education.
As an innovative initiative in the country, the organization has formed Women Vigilance Committee and Women Polling Agents to prevent violence against women and irregularities existing in the panchayat election procedure and encourage prospective women candidates to participate and join the political mainstream in larger numbers without fear.
Women Self Help Groups are being formed as watchdogs in the panchayats especially where the elected women representatives are males to give a collective strength to women needs and economic emancipation.
PRAGATI is emerging as a training institute establishing linkages beyond national boundaries. These trainings and exposure visits for the organizations from SAARC region like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Sri Lanka serve as a platform for participants to learn, study, share experiences, gain an insight into the issues of concerns and emulate best practices in their respective countries.