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Empowering the marginalised around the Human Right to Water and Sanitation. Centre of Rural Studies and Development (CRSD) ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA HILDA COELHO. The Background. In India the primary responsibility of providing drinking water facility in the country rests with state governments
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Empowering the marginalised around the Human Right to Water and Sanitation Centre of Rural Studies and Development (CRSD) ANDHRA PRADESH INDIA HILDA COELHO
The Background • In India the primary responsibility of providing drinking water facility in the country rests with state governments • Though the government has made inroads in providing drinking water, millions of people lack access to safe drinking water and sanitation • Over exploitation of ground water • Acute drinking water shortage in the summer • Women’s spend four to six hours to fetch water at odd timings • A basis for a right to water has been found in the Indian Constitution (1950) under a fundamental right viz. right to life • The Delhi Declaration of SACOSAN accepted that access to safe water and adequate sanitation is a human right – Nov 2008
What worked? • Training of women leaders on right to water, study of the drinking water and sanitation situation • Interface workshops with the community, peoples representatives and department officials • Small but strong units of organised people are more effective • Using the media advocacy effectively • Involving several caste leaders, opinion setters and mobilized youth leaders • Facilitating the empowering process for at least five years for sustainability • Building working relations with the government departments • Petitioning, rallies and peaceful demonstrations, pamphlets and posters
Results and Challenges • More responsive and accountable governance • Improved access to safe drinking water and sanitation • Women’s time for collecting water reduced • Empowered women leaders and communities using methods of mobilization effectively Challenge • Sustaining mobilized motivated communities for long periods of time • Lack of resources for human rights work
What needs to be done? • Take up the advocacy work with the people’s representatives cutting across the political party line • More materials and support to develop change agents and leaders to empower the poor to access their rights • The water and sanitation sector could learn from peoples movements about the strategies for empowering • Advocacy skills developed through appropriate training will go a long way in engaging with the public sector to deliver • public-public partnership
Mobilise the Marginalised into effective pressure groups JAI HO EMPOWERED PEOPLE