Gender and rural microfinance: Reaching and empowering ... - IFAD

BOX 15
Women’s political participation through microfinance groups
Political mobilization – Grameen Bank, Bangladesh
By promoting discussions in microfinance groups, Grameen Bank ensured 100 per cent
participation of its members in the 1991 election. The entire Grameen Centre – adults, children and
infants – assembled together in the centre house and proceeded to the election site together,
before anybody else had a chance to arrive. This increased the visibility of Grameen women as a
voting block to be taken into consideration by politicians, rather than ignored. In 1997 they did the
same, but included the women neighbours of Grameen members. Women’s participation in that
election was higher than that of men. In those local elections, more than 4,000 Grameen
borrowers were elected, and 38 were elected heads of local government. They said, “Didn’t you
tell us, ‘Look for the least of the devils? If you can find good people, vote for them’. Then we tried
to debate, discuss, [and] we thought all were devils. Then some of us began talking. Why are we
looking for them? We can run ourselves, we are good people. We are together, we all vote, and
we all get elected.”
Source: Mohammad Yunus in ‘Empowering Women’ Countdown 2005, MicroCredit Summit Campaign.
Political education networking events – Anandi, India
A particularly innovative strategy of ANANDI is to facilitate area networking through events or melas
(fairs), which bring together representatives of their SHGs. The first mela, on political rights and
panchayats (local councils) was held for three days in December 1999 in Rajkot. The 16
collaborating organizations brought together over 600 women leaders from 211 mandals (SHGs)
and organizers from NGOs. Melas have proved an extremely powerful means of stimulating
discussion, mutual learning and collective action among women. They have been used for
leadership training, for raising awareness of the political process, and for bringing attention to other
issues such as food security, ethnic diversity and culture. The focus in 2008 was on value chain
development and economic advocacy.
Source: Dand (2003).
Political education in citizens’ centres – Hand in Hand, India
India’s Right to Information Act gives citizens the right to access information to take part in the
democratic system, including basic information about the political system, fundamental citizen
rights, and the powers and responsibilities of elected representatives and officials in government
departments. To help poor and illiterate people obtain this information, Hand in Hand opened
citizens’ centres in several councils in Kancheepuran District. Of the 3,629 centre members in 2006,
41 per cent were women belonging to SHGs. Each citizens’ centre is run by an instructor, who is
trained in the various services offered. All services cost a small fee to cover maintenance costs and
the instructor’s salary.
Although all the centres offer a standard service package, each has been equipped in accordance
with the needs of the specific community in which it operates. A typical centre has an information
technology kiosk with one to three computers, an Internet connection, and facilities for printing,
copying, scanning and faxing, as well as a small library with books and daily newspapers to
encourage reading among children and adults. They offer basic and very popular computer
courses to raise computer literacy among the younger generation. Apart from these facilities, the
centres encourage democratic participation and increase villagers’ awareness of and engagement
in various socio-political issues. In the future they will provide telemedicine services and adult
literacy programmes.
Source: www.hihseed.org.
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