Engendering Saksham: Operational Guidelines

FOR PLAN INDIA

Engendering Saksham: Operational Guidelines Shilpa Vasavada July 2012

Gender Mainstreaming Strategies for Saksham Young girls are faced with multiple challenges,1 both, while taking vocational training and when they enter the formal sector for jobs. These may be categorised as follows: •

breaking the cultural barrier at home and convincing parents and relatives to allow the young girls to make the most of their potentials;

•

build the confidence level of young girls to enable them adjust in the fast moving world;

•

helping them to acquire vocational knowledge and skills so as to enable them to get a remunerative employment;

•

sensitize different stakeholders (particularly employers) to promote woman friendly work environment; etc.

The following document has been developed as an operational guideline document for Saksham project. The document follows a training cycle approach for gender mainstreaming. The proposed strategies have been linked with the gender constraints being faced in the project, accompanied by a logical explanation for each strategy, so that the users are clear as to ‘why’ they are doing ‘what’ they are doing.

1 From proposal

Chapter 1: Training Need Assessment Stage Training need assessment is based on the intersection of the community profile- from gender perspective and the market demand for labor. The exercise is meaningful only if it is done from gender perspective, as this is the base on which not only the courses would be decided, but also the timings of classes, distance of travel, scope for upgrading existing skills of girls and boys, etc. Besides, more importantly, this is the base from which the gender differentiated needs and constraints can be identified, which will be used for entire planning of vocational training cycle for girls and boys.

I.A: Profiling the community Understanding the target group-i.e., understanding and studying the locality where the target group resides. This gives an idea of the type of interventions needed. This should be seen from three angles: a. Understanding the family from where the girls come: this includes the cultural norms and practice, the family composition, division of labour, etc., b. Educational level and aspirations for work of girls and boys in the community c. Existing work pattern in the community: this includes having a clear understanding of who does what sort of productive and reproductive work in the formal and the informal sectors and where.

Profiling the community2 Gender constraint A general community profile does not give idea about the

Strategy a. Understand community profile for boys/girls and men/women differently:

•

Population and proportion of youth (boys and

Logic Analysis of each of these parameters from gender perspective would help in planning - courses for vocational

2 Keeping in mind the high level of migration in the communities, it is suggested to update this information at least once in six months

educational level of girls and boys; their existing work patterns; their aspirations for jobs.

Planning in a gender desegregated way becomes difficult due to lack of information on, or analysis of information from gender perspective.

Domestic roles act as a barrier for girls to get enrolled in vocational training and taking up jobs.

girls) in the community

•

Mean marriage age of girls

•

No. of joint and nuclear families

•

Type of roles girls play in the family and their time schedule

b. Separate gender based analysis of ALL members of family according to:

•

Income of the family

•

Share of female income in the family

•

marital status

•

Skilled, unskilled, semi skilled work done by them (girls/women)

•

Age wise occupation

•

Education wise (drop outs after 8th, 10th, 12th, pursuing college)

•

Time wise (seasonality/time of the day)

•

Indoor (home based) –outdoor

•

Formal/informal sector

•

Different Trades, type of work

c. Girls/women working outdoor should be

training; timing of the class; location of the training centers depending on the distance that the girls are willing to travel to attend classes.

There are married girls in the age group of 18-25 years, also who wish to work. One needs to understand the social and family background, so that these girls may be incorporated in the programme.

This will give an idea of the range in

specifically asked about:

Unlike boys, mobility is a constraint for girls

•

distance of travel;

•

time for travel;

•

no. and sex of people employed in the company;

•

mode of transportation;

•

how many of them go together in the same area

•

timing of shifts;

•

income earned

Distance and mode of transport which the girl is prepared to travel for a) class

b) job

which girls/women travel, type of outdoor jobs they are already doing, and timings they prefer. Normally girls go in a group rather than alone.

I.B. Job Market scan Job Market scan Gender constraint

Strategy

Logic

Due to gender division of labor; gender stereotypes of roles and attributes; and restricted mobility of girls, the expectations of both the families and the employers, from the jobs are different for both boys and girls.

Each job also has its own implications from gender point of view.

Not having a prior understanding of this may lead to negative implications for girls/women.

a. Get details on - number of females in the company (at times one needs to check number of girls on each floor); profile wise type of skills required; nature of jobs; remuneration offered to girls and boys; implications of the profile in terms of interaction with known/unknown customers; sitting/standing requirement; timings and shifts for boys and girls, etc.

Different trades/services have different conditions which, in turn, have different implications for boys and girls.

This needs to be understood and plans made accordingly.

b. Get details of facilities/infrastructure like maternity benefit, crèche, transport, separate toilets, rest room for girls, etc.

Explore new market trends such as companies that hire only/or more female staff. c. Understand the company’s working environment from gender perspective. d. See if the HR policy of the company specifically encourages hiring of girls in written, or even verbally. e. Take the community profile data for girls/women in the age group of 18-25 as a base and then conduct a market scan, so

Also, girls require specific support like transport facilities, crèche facilities, rest rooms, separate toilets etc.

Companies also need to be screened/scrutinized from the work culture point of view: how safe/gender friendly the work culture is.

that gender segregated community profile is matched with market demand

Chapter 2: Mobilisation Stage This is a very crucial stage for the project. It is at this stage, that the social mobilisng team has, not only to motivate, but also to convince parents and girls to enroll in Saksham programme. Cultural norms/social constraints rising from gender based division of labor along with apprehensions about ‘safety’ in the external environment (including classes, workplace, etc.), hold back both parents and girls from getting enrolled in vocational training classes and take up jobs in the formal sector. The gender constraints faced at this stage and the strategies to counter the same, could be:

Gender constraint faced

Strategy

Logic

Mobilization stage Parents look upon the lack of female faculty in the centre as a constraint

a. Female community mobilizers and also female faculty should be appointed as a policy b. Hold gender sensitization training for ALL social mobilizers and faculty members

There is no special IEC material focusing specifically on promotion of women’s economic empowerment

It is easier for girls to open up to female mobilisers and faculty than to male ones. Parents also feel more comfortable when there is at least one female faculty in the centre.

a. Create women specific special Parents and girls are not exposed to IEC material for motivation of women in a positive role. Extensive IEC material focusing on this would girls and parents.

b. Hand bills, booklets, posters, help to sensitize parents to this idea. cases stories and movies with female role model can be used for motivation of parents and girls. c. Emphasizing economic empowerment of girls, by projecting successful stories from across the country but with special emphasise on those girls who have passed out and are now successfully working.

IEC material for mobilization at times reinforces gender stereotypes

Revisit ALL existing IEC material from gender perspective and make necessary changes to make it gender sensitive.

Revisit contents of: a. Canopy b. Street play c. Campaign d. Announcement by Rickshaw e. Booklet

Gender sensitive IEC material plays an important role in motivating parents and girls in the community.

Gender blind material plays an equally negative role in reinforcing the stereotypes.

Parents do not see the need for vocational training for girls as they believe in the gender role

a. Create awareness on gender If parents understand the importance economic empowerment of issues with a focus on of women’s economic women, especially in the current

stereotypes according to which girls do not have to work to earn.

Parents feel ultimately the girl has to marry and produce children and take care of family - the need for vocational training for them, is therefore useless.

Parents refuse to use earning of the girls (ladki ki kamai nahi khaate) Parents think Girls ultimately belong to their future in-laws, so, they need to be well taken care of as long as they are in their maternal homel (ladki paraya dhan hai) Parents feel girls will have to work till late night, will have to talk to men etc all of which makes them insecure of the safety of their girls Parents do not agree to send girls alone as they are worried about their safety.

Parents refuse to spend on training classes for their girls as they have to give dowry anyway.

Parents feel the domestic work and

•

empowerment at community level Movies- based on successful girls who have passed out and are working- should be screened for the entire community.

•

Conduct street play with the help of female students, in common meeting places like local markets/haats etc, for sensitizing the community.

•

Put up community exhibition on Saksham with display panel of successful case studies, especially of girls.

b. Motivate parents personally, based on community data that has already been analyzed: • Have door to door visits, keeping potential girls in mind, based on the survey. One to one contact with the social

scenario, chances of higher enrollment among girls is likely.

It would also help in seeing girls passing out and working through Saksham as Role model in the community along with enhanced respect by the community

Interaction with proud parents of successful girls and talking to the girls themselves, would not only motivate other parents (of potential candidates) to enroll their daughters, but also give them a platform to directly deal with their apprehension

care of siblings, which is usually done by girls, will suffer once she goes out to work.

Lack of parent’s interest in girls’ employability than boys.

mobilisers may help to convince the households.

•

It should be mandatory for staff to visit the households and interact with both parents (mother as well as father) periodically, to encourage them to send enroll their daughters, through motivational stories.

regarding credibility of classes, work culture, work place environment, etc.

c. Focus on interaction and motivation of parents of girls with multiple strategies: • Movie screening on theme of girls/women’s economic empowerment to encourage parents/girls •

Invite parents of girls who are now placed, to interact with parents of new students

•

Invite working alumni in their company uniforms with their parents to encourage and explain to girls and parents

•

Organize meetings of parents of girls who are placed, with those girls and their parents who are trained and of parents of girls who are drop out of training as well as from jobs.

•

Organize interaction between placed girls and boys with the current batch girls and boys, with a focus on girls.

•

Include brother, father and other family members in exposure visit, if they so

desire.

d. Encourage girls to join the vocational training and take up job for economic empowerment • Promote contests, where girls will be responsible to encourage/motivate other girls to participate. Orient girls and parents before the contest about Saksham, through screening successful case based movies and presentations. •

Organize events with girls: where, those who have been trained and are already working interact with those who are aspirants/ newly enrolled. Such a motivational, exchange of experiences may encourage more enrollments among girls.

•

Hold separate alumni meeting of girls who are placed, where interaction is encouraged between potential girls students and those girls who have successfully completed

the course and are working. •

Encourage and arrange for visits to the vocational training centres for girls.

III. The Enrollment Stage

After the first hurdle of convincing parents and girls, has been crossed and girls are willing to enroll for the vocational training based job placement, the second hurdle in the form of practical gender barriers come up. These practical issues may require some additional support and also extension of some auxiliary services.

In the enrollment stage

Gender constraint faced

Strategy

Logic

Chances of Non/Less availability of educational documents (mark sheet, school leaving certificate etc) for girls is higher than for boys, due to poor importance of education for girls.

Networking with other NGOs and guiding girls to get the necessary documents.

Girls’ education is not taken seriously by parents as they don’t expect her to work for a living. So when the family migrates from rural areas to Delhi, the carelessness about educational documents applies to both boys and girls, but more so for girls. Extra efforts for this are needed to support families to get educational documents of girls.

Low schooling/educational level of girls as compared to boys.

Girls may be encouraged to study further even through correspondence courses.

Girls are normally given low preference for education than boys. Thus their accessibility to formal sector jobs is much lower than boys. This needs to be challenged so that girls can get into formal sector. Some of the girls in fact wish to pursue their higher studies too. If aided, they can move on to better prospective of jobs in formal sector.

Girls are not exposed to the employment scenario as boys, so they may not be aware of the various options and the implications of these options on the course undertaken for job. a. Conduct a Gender specific career counseling: Link vocational training with gender-specific career counseling and orientation before starting a course: clarify what sort of jobs opportunities are to be expected on completion of a particular course. Keep in mind gender constraints while counseling about suitable courses for girls.

b. Prepare a movie based on different trades focusing on girls, with a clipping of one/two minutes on each.

Giving exposure to girls will help them decide which course they would prefer to take; what implications each course has in terms of nature of job and requirement of job. The lack of exposure to employment scenario can be overcome by screening movies on the concerned subjects.

Chapter IV: Establishment of the Training centre Gender constraints

Strategy

Logic

If class is at a distant place or not in a very safe locality, parents or girls are not very willing to send the daughters due to issue of safety.

a. One of the important criteria for choice of location of centre should be that it is easily approachable, especially for girls

This would help girls to travel to the centre easily. Safety of locality would also remove the apprehensions of the parents about girls being harassed on their way to and fro to the centre.

b. Centre should be in safe locality. Here the factor of ‘safety’ is to be seen from a gender perspective.

Timings of the classes are at times perceived as ‘too long’ for girls as they are expected to fulfill certain domestic obligations also.

a. Reduce duration of training to two hours, from three hours.

A sudden change in domestic work pattern is difficult and in some cases may lead to antagonize the family members. Reduced hours of training would help in managing the household work along with taking training. In due course of time, this would also prepare them mentally for leaving home for long hours for external job/work.

b. Introduce flexi hour training for girls: Individual modules should be self-contained, should build on each other, and in combination, should lead to qualified vocational training.

Qualified training for girls can start in fields where "flexi time" and where-entry is possible.

It will allow greater flexibility and independence as trainees will have the facility of multiple entry and exit to the training program.

Introduce special batches exclusively for girls for the initial one month of the training programme, followed by mixed batch for the later part.

This would help in families getting used to girls going out, as also allow girls to get over their initial shyness.

Introduce special life skills module for girls in the first one month, to prepare them for the external world.

This would help girls develop confidence, develop negotiation skills, knowledge of body, etc. in the initial stage. This knowledge will later help them to deal with boys in a better way in the class.

Girls’ needs are Ensure Gender sensitive infrastructure like separate different than boys in toilets, terms of infrastructure like toilets, etc.

This would help put girls at ease in terms of privacy.

Faculty

It is easier for girls to open up to

Combined class of boys and girls acts as a barrier for parents and girls as they do not want girls to interact with boys.

i.

ii.

also

comes

a. Recruitment of Female faculty as a policy:

Mixed batch at a later stage of training would help them to work with boys so that they get used to working with men before job is taken up.

from the patriarchal and are conditioned same way

same societysocially in the

a pair of one male and at least one female in the centre.

female mobilisers and faculty compared to male mobilisers and faculty. Parents also feel more b. Gender orientation of all faculty to comfortable when there is at least enhance understanding.

Gender one female faculty in the centre. orientation should also include training of staff for aspects like career counseling and job placement.

c. Include gender sensitization training of at least one day in the orientation training of new faculty Girls are not exposed Create motivational environment for girls at the to women who have centre : put up posters and thoughts of women achieved success in achievers. life. Boys are also used to seeing girls in a stereotyped role.

This would help create a positive environment in the class for girls.

Boys’ perspective towards girls would also change.

Chapter V : Courses and Design of Vocational Training programme Vocational training course has to be gender sensitive. This needs to be done at three levels: 1. Choice of vocational training courses: which course to start?

2. Designing the course : the intricacies of the course design 3. Additional topics which need to be incorporated keeping women specific needs in mind: additional topics which need to be covered in the existing syllabus Strategies for this would be: A. Choice of Vocational Training courses Gender constraints

Strategy

Logic

Low schooling/ educational status of girls; very few girls have completed class twelfth, which is the present criteria for employment.

Reduce minimum qualification level for girls AND identify appropriate job market for them.

Parents do not appreciate those courses where the girls are required to interact with unknown male members or have to stand for

Introduce courses which girls are more comfortable with, and which have acceptance among parents, (even if the selection of such courses reinforce the gender stereotypes, they can serve as an entry point to start with). These courses should be Market driven but at the same time should be convenient

Introduce special courses for female do not have proper educational education such as housekeeping, training etc, where there is educational qualification’ required.

candidates who documents or beauty parlor no ‘minimum

This would bring give opportunity to a huge number of girls who wish to work, but do not have the currently required minimum educational qualification.

This would create a positive environment in the slum areas where girls/women work outside. Later on these courses could be modified into gender natural or gender positive trades/services.

long.

to girls.

There are many women/girls who work from home in informal sector, who are not visible as a workforce and who, thus, who do not get benefits of the formal sector.

Build on women’s own professional skills: Introduce modular course systems in professions which are traditionally practised by women and which mostly lack qualified training, may be in the informal sector, (e.g. in textile and food sector).

This would bring women/girls working in the informal sector, in the main stream; give them visibility and credibility; and help them to avail the benefits of the formal sector.

B. Designing the course Gender constraints

Strategy

Logic

Chances of girls not While sessions are conducted in Hindi, the main terms being exposed to especially technical terms should also be given in Hindi, reading and so that they can read and follow what has been written. understanding English are higher than boys.

This would help girls read study material better at home and prepare better.

Girls’ exposure to outside world is very much limited in the initial stage of the training.

It would expose girls gradually to a new environment and new issues – from known to unknown – rather than putting them suddenly in new environment.

a. Give special assignments to girls, keeping their workload and limited familiarity in mind b. Give assignment to girls to motivate them, to widen their thinking horizons i. based on autobiography of successful women and asked to derive key

ii.

iii.

Domestic workload for girls is higher than boys.

learning form the same. on what her vision is about how she envisages to change herself, and her family condition in the near future. based on products they are using currently, and not based on products they are not aware of at this stage.

a. Limit assignments to be done at home.

Boys and girls in the Organize one day gender sensitization training for class have come with current batch of students – for boys and girls: with the unconscious an expected outcome of: burden of a • gender sensitized conduct in the class, patriarchal backlog, including language and behavior. which may get • Importance of economic empowerment of reflected in the class girls and women behavior of boys and girls.

Assignments at home only puts pressure on girls as they also have the ‘double burden of work'.

Reducing this load would help them.

Boys in the class also need to be sensitised to create a gender sensitive environment which helps girls to come out of the shell.

Some

boys

language

for

use

disrespectful

girls.

This

would

stop/change.

Girls and boys both understand why it is important for girls to be economically independent for their empowerment.

Boys and girls both start respecting and valuing domestic work of girls and women

Girls become assertive after training and continuous inputs Girls are not much exposed to positive image of women

the

a. Hold separate alumni meeting of girls, especially of girls placed in jobs and working successfully and encourage them to exchange their experiences with current batch of girls. b. Share case studies of successful girl candidates at the centre. c. Hold Alumni interaction with successful girls candidates who have been placed. d. Prepare list of placed girl students- give them visibility in various ways e. Introduce General Knowledge based Weekly quiz for girls, to motivate them to perform. Offer incentives/prizes to those who score well. f. Organize special field exposure to girls, where they are counseled by successful female candidate in the company/female employer.

Gender norms and Methodology used in the training should be planned culture make girls shy in a gender sensitive and girls’ friendly manner, of asking questions, keeping in mind the prevalent gender norms and participating in interactive sessions, culture. especially in the presence of boys.

This would help girls come out of the routine stereotypes and think about their own self – about their dreams for life and help them think differently to achieve something in life.

Limited

Hands on training would help them

exposure

of Change Training methods keeping in mind issues

This would also help girls to enhance their self worth; get motivated to create their own identity; and enhance self esteem

This would avoid putting girls in embarrassing situation during the training programme.

girls to external world faced by girls: makes it difficult for • Practical based training to give hands on them to relate with experience to girls, who have had little or no products, companies, exposure etc, making it difficult for them to grasp • Audio visual aids like movies

learn faster about issues they have not been exposed to so far

C. Additional topics to be designed to overcome gender constraints Gender constraints Girls are not aware of their rights and thus are easily exploited in different spheres of life.

Strategy Include in the Life skills module •

Legal orientation on rights of girls

•

Yoga and meditation

•

training on self defense training for girls: martial arts

•

Knowledge of one’s own body

•

HIV/AIDS

•

personal hygiene

Pace of grasping or Hold special classes for girls on personality understanding the development and computer knowledge and English, various aspects of the if needed. training programme may be different for girls than for boys, due to the differences

Logic This would help them know their self better, and would be able to defend themselves against evils in the society and feel more safe from violence.

Additional inputs, if needed, will help girls to gear up their professional competency and confidence required for the jobs.

in their social background, their current domestic roles and responsibilities etc.

Girls face different barriers at home and outside like domestic violence, over burden of domestic workload, sexual harassment, etc.

Organize an open interaction session, where girls can share their problems related to family, institute and training programme.

Discuss gender issues like access and control over income, girls’ financial contribution at home as also question of choices, even in marriage during these special sessions.

This would enable girls share their problems, build a long term perspective about their life among girls, as also address issues as also give a platform for forming gender policy for the Vocational training course.

Meet parents of girls facing issues on one to one basis as also take up issues coming up like early marriage and having choice of marriage by girls in the parents meeting.

Such discussions would also help girls to assert themselves in major decisions affecting one’s self , family and even marriage.

Chapter VI: Associated services with Vocational Training programme Principle of ‘Equity’ believes that training of girls and women hardly improves their employment chances if they are not complemented by extensive women specific additional measures. The alternative of including professional fields to which women and men have equal access or in which women predominate, does not itself guarantee professional employment for women. Without additional measures, the employment chances for women remain limited. Auxiliary measures (child-care, transport, lodging, sanitary facilities) are usually needed if different groups of women are to be included into vocational training.

Associated services Gender constraints

Strategy

Logic

Non/Less availability Networking with other NGOs and guiding girls on of educational how to get the necessary documents documents (mark sheet, school leaving) for girls

Girls’ education is not taken seriously by parents as they don’t expect her to work for a living. So when the family migrates from rural areas to Delhi, the carelessness about educational documents applies to both boys and girls, but more so for girls. Extra efforts for this are needed to support families to get educational documents.

Low schooling/educational status of girls

Girls are normally given low preference for education than boys.

As a result of which they have a lower accessibility to jobs in the formal sector. This system needs to be challenged so that girls have more

Link those girls who wish to study further, with distance education course.

accessibility to the formal sector.

Some of the girls in fact wish to pursue their higher studies too. If facilitated, they can move on to better jobs in the formal sector.

Difference in access to Introduce Supplementary nutrition as a food for boys and girls expand the same if there is a positive result. lead to less nutritional intake of girls. This, coupled with the double work burden at home and workplace tells on their health.

pilot,

Would help in building girls stamina on the one hand, would also be an incentive for girls to join the class.

This might reduce the reluctance of sending girls for the training programme, in the initial stage.

Chances are higher Extend support in opening bank accounts, as a part that girls may not of the financial inclusion process. possess documents for opening a bank account

Would help as a first step to gain ownership over the resource generated through the job. Girls would feel more confident at having their own bank account.

Girls often lack Include financial literacy training, especially for knowledge of ‘how to girls, including bank procedures and how to manage handle money’ the money earned.

Would help them to understand and develop confidence for the decision making processes related to finances and handling money, when they have started earning income. They will also be able to operate savings bank account, which they have not done so far.

Chapter VII : Implementation of Vocational Training programme This is the interface stage where girls having been mobilized, start the course. This is the first time they are going to be interacting with boys in the same class. The first time that they would be exposed to courses which may be unknown to them. The feeling of shyness may hamper their participation in the class and also slow down their learning process. This needs to be handled carefully. This is also the stage of transition for the organization from the NGO to the technical agency, which has to be smooth, for the students, especially the girls.

Gender constraints

Strategy

Logic

Girls don’t open up or Make proactive efforts to foster women’s voice, participate as much inclusion and participation: as boys do, in the i.

Invite the field mobilizers or facilitators from class. partner NGOs, to attend some sessions every fortnight and to observe participation of girls and to interact with the girls. ii.

Share feedback from girls on a with field mobilizers of NGOs.

daily basis

The social mobilisers, in this case would act more as a link between the girls and the training faculty. Their feedback would help the trainers to adjust their classes so as to encourage active participation from the girls, ultimately increasing their confidence.

This would also help girls to increase their confidence to talk to others

Low/Irregular Visit the families and counsel parents for regular attendance of girls attendance, especially of girls. due to domestic responsibilities.

Would help parents to realize the importance of regular attendance. At times they can make an alternative arrangement for the domestic tasks for which the girls are skipping their classes.

Girls

Would not put pressure on girls to

have

domestic Give Reassignment and take re exam for girls in

responsibilities, and case they cannot make it in the time period. may make it difficult Considering their roles at home, give them a second for them to finish the chance! assignment given to them. Boys however have no such difficulties.

take the ‘double burden’ and it would become easier for them to handle the burden of domestic responsibilities and also assignment and examinations.

Cases of girl dropping Compulsorily follow up with female drop out out from training candidates. classes are more than cases of boys dropping out.

Will enable centre to understand gender constraints leading to drop outs and take possible steps to control it.

Will also motivate parents/girls to discuss issues faced by her leading for drop out.

Work readiness module Gender constraints Girls face problems in interviews as they do not have proper dress for the interview.

a. Make

Girls are not used to dress in any other attire than the traditional dresses. This makes them feel awkward about the company uniform.

Due to lack of socialization, girls may take a longer time to pick up the norms of public interaction, developing confidence, facing interview, etc.

Girls are not used to dressing the way they are expected at the work place.

a. Cond

b. Focu a. Given

Lack of exposure to external world, along with thought of travelling (alone to the venue) make girls hesitate to go for interviews as compared to boys.

Technical jargons are difficult for girls to remember as they are not used to using such terms, as compared to boys.

b. Keep Conveyance difficulties d

Recap tech speak with

Chapter VIII : Placement stage Market is one of the main institutions which reinforce gender controls. Since the girls are going to be placed in the formal sector, one has to make efforts to check the policy, the environment, the girls-boys ratio in the organizations/firms where the girls are going to be placed.

Gender constraints Educational qualification, working time and other such parameters set up by the companies affect girls and boys differently, where girls, most often are affected negatively.

Strategy

Logic

Initiate discussion with companies to change parameters for placement for girls, by putting stress on the output and performance rather than minimum educational qualification.

This would help trained girls to get in formal sector even if the educational qualification is lower than what is required by the companies.

Employers also come Conduct orientation of employers on gender from the same mainstreaming and try to ensure equal pay, safety patriarchal measures, gender sensitive environment, flexible environment. timing, equal treatment on job floor, etc for girls.

This would help in making culture of the company more gender sensitive, leading to more retention among girls.

Timing – night shift Negotiate for day shifts for girls while fixing becomes a problem placements for most girls

This would enhance chances of girls accepting offers in the formal sector jobs.

Difficulties are faced by girls to travel to

This would enhance chances of girls accepting offers in the formal sector

a. Convince company to extend transport facility

their work place by public transport, especially if the office is located at distance.

Distance of company is another parameter which makes placement in a company feasible or unsuitable for girls.

for girls to enable them to work.

jobs.

b. Tie up with companies located nearby in order to give acceptable opportunity to girls.

Local level HR are often biased Take that up as a challenge to against girls as far as delivering change, and get high level HR tie up. targets on time, is concerned

Discussions with high level HR would help if the constraints are understood and removed.

Parents/Husbands have negative Encourage the notion about girls/daughters working father/brother/husband to visit the in companies company and see for themselves the type of work the girls will be doing or are already doing, as may be the case. Facilitating interaction with the employer may also help to convince them.

Girls and boys face gender based Use alumni forum to share and analyze problems in work environment where the differences in types of problems they require understanding and shared by boys and girls from gender support from employers.

Would help the girls to get support from their family for work outside home.

Work place harassment for girls

Would gradually make the company’s environment safe for girls.

The issues so brought out, can be used to negotiate with employers to provide better work environment for girls

perspective.

Support girls to take up the issue with the employers and set a trend of safe environment for girls in the

company.

The process would also empower girls to raise her concerns with the employer herself as also negotiate with the company for aspects like same salary and rise in promotion like boys.

Chapter IX : Monitoring and Evaluation This arena of an organization’s gender mainstreaming activity provides the ultimate purpose of this activity. If gender mainstreaming strategies are not systematically linked to the end in view, and include mechanisms to measure and report upon changes in this arena, they are liable to become ends in themselves (Shalkwyk et al, p.

7). Hence, gender analysis should be done at all stages of baseline survey, monitoring, as also the impact.

Baseline study Gender constraints

Strategy

Normally income is Collect and analyze gender segregated data in controlled by men, the baseline study even that which is • monthly income and expenditure, earned by women.

•

savings in whose name,

•

use of income and decisions,

•

insurance

•

bank account

Mobility of girls is restricted as compared to boys

•

Current Physical mobility of girls in terms of distance and frequency

Stereotypes of roles in society leads to little or no aspirations among girls for

•

Level of Work aspiration of girls and boys

Logic These are basic parameters on which women’s economic empowerment can later be compared with baseline data.

external work

Concurrent monitoring of training program Due to different constraints like domestic chores, care of siblings, low aspirations etc, girls may drop out/are maybe asked to drop out by parents even if they start the course

Collect and analyze gender segregated data in This would help in keeping an eye on the concurrent monitoring stage. how the programme is doing in terms • percentage of girls enrolled; of reaching out to girls along with boys • percentage of girls attending regularly; • drop out ratio of girls as compared to boys

Programme evaluation and impact Gender constraints

Strategy

If gender mainstreaming strategies Collect and analyze gender are not systematically linked to the segregated data in the end in view, and include mechanisms programme evaluation stage: to measure and report up upon • ratio of girls’ placement changes in this arena, they may to boys’ placement become ends in themselves.

• percentage of girls enrolled, who have got placement • percentage difference in salary of boys and girls for the same type of

Logic This is the ultimate result being aimed through the project: economic empowerment of girls when girls are placed in formal sector.

work; type of job profile held by girls v/s boys Check impact of the Saksham’s programme of training and placement on girls in terms of economic empowerment of girls and on self, in the family and in society: •

• • •

•

• •

Issues at workplace handled by girls themselves.

Increased physical mobility of girls Altered work aspirations and encouraged more progressive gender role norms Reduced time spent on domestic tasks and increased time spent on productive tasks.

Increased access to job opportunities in formal sector Increased access to Financial services: changes in monthly income and expenditure; savings; use of income and decisions; insurance ; bank account; social security ; Increased access to money

through income ; Proportion and use of Financial Contribution made to family •

•

•

At individual level: Enhanced self worth, creation of self identity, changes in marriage prospects Increased confidence: Increase in level of confidence for talking to other people ; Able to negotiate same salary and rise in promotion as like boys ; willing to travel longer distances for better job opportunities ; Issues at workplace handled by girls themselves.

At family level: Increased respect in the family; enhanced involvement in family for decision making ; Consulted in major decisions in affecting one’s self ; Able to express opinion and be heard of her opinion for marriage

•

At Community level: taken as role model in community; Increased social acceptance of girls to work outside home.