Mahashakthi Mahila Okuta, Basawana Bhagewadi
About the Member
Mahashakthi Mahila Okuta Basawana Bhagewadi is registered organisations that have been functioning since 2003. Both federations are dedicated to working with marginalised women and communities, including Dalits, OBCs, and others living below the poverty line. The federations were established to address issues which the sanghas could not address. Sanghas felt powerless as government departments were not responding to their needs. Moreover, women were unaware about how to avail services and facilities. They decide to fight with a collective voice as it would be more powerful. Hence, Sanghas came together, and formed a federation, which was a apex body. With representation from each of the areas covered by the federation, they democratically elected an 11-member executive committee, which included a President, Secretary and Treasurer.
The main goal of the collectives is to remove the gender-based discrimination and the patriarchal norms that are widely practiced, abolish the Devadasi system, to fight against domestic violence and to preserve peace and happiness within all the families in the villages. Their primary focus is on the prevention of early/child marriage, supporting the girl child to study and peruse higher education. The federations are currently working with Best Practices Foundation as its anchor organisation which is handholding and intuitively strengthening the federation by conducting various activities and organising a wide range of programmes and training for our federation and its members.
Intergenerational dialogues and Digital Literacy: Intergenerational dialogues and approaches have been started in both federations in order to handle adolescent issues. Kishoris sangha have emerged as an alternative learning platform for girls and young women and to address their issues and going forward more adolescent girls must be involved.
Recently the Feminist Digital literacy programme has been rolled out for the kishoris by Best Practices Foundation and cascaded to sangha women by the kishoris.
Local Contact
Address: MahashakthiSanjeevini Mahila Okkutta, Basavana Gudi, Basavana Bagewadi, Vijayapura.
Primary Contact:
Ballavva Dhodmani, President: +91-8296356268
Secondary Contact:
Prema, BPF staff: +91-9902210403
Key Activities
Livelihoods and Kitchen Gardens
The Federation is also organising livelihood programs for their members through Kitchen Garden and MOVE training, so far 35 members have attended this training in our federation and 16 businesses have emerged after this attending this training. The governance committee of the federation is working on social entitlements and creates awareness on women rights, OD, nutrition etc.
As an initiative to preserve our traditional medicines we have also initiated the Nari Sanjeevini which has our most senior women who have learnt and have knowledge about the traditional medicines and herbs which are used locally as an alternative for people who cannot afford the western medicines for small/minor illness, piles and skin care.
Sustainability of the CBO
To ensure that the CBO continues to function and expand, we have formed the sustainability committee to form women sanghas, train SHGs and add members to our federation. This reduced the burden on the executive committee members. The governance committee was formed to avail social entitlements, schemes and benefits from the government for the federations women which has increased the popularity of the federation and has gained visibility at the taluka level. Steps have been taken to create a network between the federations Committee members and The Government offices and departments.
Cascading training has been one of the most efficient and cost-effective ways of passing down information and training down to the last woman in the village.
Challenging gender-based violence
Gender based violence such as domestic violence, dowry harassment, and child marriage and development of members SHGs by promoting internal savings and lending.
Dvi-patnitva (have more than one wife) and property heritance for women has been a major issue. In 2006, we organised protests and hartals to remove and ban liquor shops within the village. We protested against the Devadasi system that was a prominent practice in our district and have banned such practices and have found alternative means of living for such women who were forced into it. We also work towards prevention of child marriages in ours and surrounding villages.
We support our Kishoris to pursue higher education and to reduce the school dropout rates in our villages in whatever is within our capabilities. The Nari Adalat and Legal Committee members of the federation are actively addressing GBV and domestic violence issues.
Success Stories
- All Post
- Back
- Hosakanasu
- Bangalore
- Bangalore Rural
- Bellary
- Bagewadi
- Vijaypura
- Piriyapatna
- Yadgir
- Gadag
- Chikkaballapur
- Bagalkot
Jayashri is 38-year-old women from Chik Asangi and is an agriculture labourer. Her spouse is physically handicapped and therefore unable…
Akshatha a young student attended the GBV workshop organised by Best Practices Foundation for the Kishoris and Kishoras. During the…