Local Planning & Governance

SSP is introducing instruments that promote participatory democracy, allowing communities, elected representatives, women's collectives and marginalized segments of society, to take lead roles in determining development priorities and allocating resources.

SSP has oriented village leaders (SHGs, panchayat representatives, others) and villagers towards the concept of Swanirman (self-reliance) in 300 villages. Training for panchayat members were held on: identifying issues for networking at the cluster level, advocacy with district administration, micro level planning and budgeting, planning of block level dialogues and documenting the initiatives of village level Committees on Health, Water and Sanitation.

Democracy and governance reforms promoted in many ways by SSP. Below are a handful:

Participatory Rural Appraisals (PRAs), which catalyze community planning decisions and create partnerships between Gram Panchayats (rural government structures) and women's groups to address women’s priorities.

The Clean Village Campaign, encouraging women to be involved in transforming health, sanitation and hygiene practices in over 345 villages

Mahila Gram Sabhas, based on information campaigns promoted by SSP for women’s Gram Sabhas to debate social development issues and produce action plans for change.

Information Fairs, which provide women a platform to meet fellow sisters from other district and learn about future strategies, understand priorities and work with peer groups, local authorities and lobbying efforts at the national level.

Community Resource Teams, which train villages about valuable practices based on the education they once received in their own villages.

Community Information Centres, which help facilitate information exchange and capacity-building for grassroots communities, especially for SHGs.