Women’s Groups Partner with Local Governments in Tsunami Recovery

1. Women’s Groups Partner with Local Governments in Tsunami Recovery EzhilArasi Women’s Federation CuddaloreTamilnadu PremaGopalan SSP India HuairouCommision www.huairou.org

2. Profile - EzhilArasi EzhilArasi – Cuddalore Municipality, Tamilnadu • Secretary of Women's Federation for Community Development and Disaster Management, Cuddalore, Tamilnadu. • Worked in tsunami recovery to form women’s health groups –ASHAA for liason with local governments ( with identity cards) to clean up villages of debris, improve health services,sanitation, preparedness, DRR initiatives etc. • Actively involved in mobilising community to work with Cuddalore Municipality on solid waste management in Sonangkuppam village with other women leaders. • In Tsunami Nagar, where new houses were built for tsunami affected people, Federation has taken up difficulties faced by the re-located community on water, health & electricity.

3. Partnering with local government: I Solid Waste Management: • MC donated garbage collection vehicle for women’s groups : • Women created demand among families for separation of waste and produced & sale of bio compost • Buy back arrangement on dry garbage

4. Partnering with local government – II Community Health: • Medical and school camps on various illness after tsunami • Act as extension agents of urban health centres for insurance,maternity care, personal hygiene, HIV/AIDS, Polio vaccination • Recognised as VarumunKaappom (A programme of the State Government on preventive health initiatives) • Held dialogues with Municipal authorities on repair of public toilets

5. Tsunami Nagar Problem • New Tsunami houses lacked basic facilities - transport, sanitation, drinking water, electricity • No piped water Flooding - Low lying area • Open defecation

6. Tsunami Nagar -basic services How did we go about these issues? • Diagnosis & solutions discussed with women’s groups • Mass petition to authorities on water • Inviting Officers & Councillors to the meeting • Results • Piped water supply started • Regular cleaning of water, toilets • Internal roads for schools • Livelihoods training & micro credit

7. Building resilience • Hazard mapping in vulnerable villages • Women included disaster task forces –tsunami effect in April 2010 people were prepared • Cooperated with city level preparedness • Create demand for training on DRR

8. Creating a platform for grassroots network • To strengthen the DRR initiatives all over Tamil Nadu • To influence policy makers on the role of women in DRR • To share the knowledge and network globally on grassroots initiatives in resilience building

9. Results • Recognised as DRR educators, problem solvers & link to government programmes • Working with local government authorities for better audit of services • Social audit and lobbying on local action around HFA and "creating local champions" • Women Federations recognised as last mile change agents by Councillors and Municipal Authorities

10. Women as Change Agents • Outreach to 12,000 families, 60,000 people in Cuddalore and Nagapattinam districts • Ensuring quality services on health, water, sanitation and local governance • Partnering & linkage with local governments & districts • Improved quality of infrastructure like roads, toilets, primary health centres • Accountability from local government • Regular drinking water services • Centralised sewage treatment plants

11. Lessons for Policy Makers: I • Hasty selection of sites for temporary shelters &permanent housing in low lying areas caused severe problems of water logging, flooding and health problems. • Women’s groups or SHGs were not included in any consultative process. • Actions • Monitoring of coastal areas and planting of shelter belts • PPP with community women’s groups in community water treatment systems • Handing over of toilet management to SHGs

12. Lessons for Policy Makers :II • Roads within each of the new habitats are of poor quality–hampering livelihoods and local economy growth • Localized sewerage treatment plants in new habitats with over 500 houses were attempted it appears to have been abandoned. • While two way communication sets have been given to several fishing vessels, maintenance of these systems need proper monitoring, repairing on time. • Last link in the communication chain is yet to become a reality.

13. Lessons for Policy Makers: IV • Disaster management plans prepared by Cuddalore administration, by involving the local leaders, PRIs, SHGs, Religious bodies and local educational heads for dissemination of these valuable insights and action plans is urgently needed.

14. Building Resilience : Laudable Initiatives • NRHM Health Mission and JNURM schemes targeted to reduce vulnerability of people • Star Health insurance scheme for all poor families • Emergency ambulance service welcome route to achieve HFA goals of reduction of IMF and MMR rates in the State. • Safe housing : A welcome scheme to convert all the huts into concrete houses within a fixed time frame has been launched. • Earlier efforts to give concrete houses to the were too near the coast line.Future efforts : • Proper soil testing to be done to determine the depth of the foundation • Construction norms should bein place • Local communities and SHGs have to be trained to supervise design and construction process.

15. About Us • SwayamShikshanPrayog - SSP’s mission is to bring women and communities from margin to mainstream. • SSP's operations extend to ten of the most hazard prone underdeveloped districts across Maharashtra, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu states. It partners with 72,000+ women members in 5,000 self help groups. • SSP adopted three approaches: • Partnering with local authority on health, water and sanitation • Monitoring basic service for accountability • Creating a platform for grassroots network to scale up and strengthen the DRR initiatives • To make the post tsunami initiatives sustainable locally, SSP facilitated the formation of two entities: • Association for Health Awareness & Action Groups (ASHAA Groups) in each of its 41 operational villages. With exposure visits and training of key leaders from ASHAA • SSP motivated ASHAA Groups to form The Women's Federation for Community Development and Disaster Management. ASHAA Groups form the base for the Women's Federation- registered entity.