The Lok Sabha Elections of 2019, has indeed been a very special occasion for the members of Kudumbashree Mission, the Kerala government’s women’s empowerment programme. Kudumbashree members got a golden yet rare opportunity to showcase their own strengths by becoming part of the electoral process in Kerala. Kudumbashree Mission had partnered with the office of Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for providing various services during Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Through this partnering, Kudumbashree Mission envisaged including these women in the democratic process thereby ensuring absolute women empowerment in all arenas of their lives. Kudumbashree Mission viewed it as an opportunity to serve the public and also proposed economic empowerment for the women through these activities.
The three-flowered logo of Kudumbashree Mission stands for social empowerment, economic empowerment and women empowerment. As the logo implies, Kudumbashree Mission could ensure social empowerment, economic empowerment and women empowerment by engaging these women in these election related activities. Since its inception, Kudumbashree Mission had been working to eradicate absolute poverty through concerted community action under the leadership of local governments, by facilitating organisation of poor for combining self-help with demand-led convergence of available services and resources to tackle the multiple dimensions and manifestations of poverty holistically.
IEC (Information Education Communication) for CEO
Rangashree, the community theatre group of Kudumbashree Mission had started partnering with the office of the Kerala CEO to conduct the SVEEP (Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation System) activities for the Lok Sabha Elections. A street play campaign was conducted by various Rangashree teams in the tribal areas of the state.
During this election, the Systematic Voter Education and Electoral Participation System (SVEEP) was implemented for ensuring that maximum number of voters exercise their right to vote. Rangashree teams of Kudumbashree Mission presented street plays on SVEEP in select spots in five districts. Twenty-nine street plays were performed in various spots of Thiruvananthapuram, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Palakkad and Wayanad. The street play stressed on the importance of casting a vote, reminding residents that the right to vote is not only a man's right, but also woman's as well. It also raised awareness about how to add one’s name to the voter's list, how to vote, the valid identity proofs for casting a vote and how to correct the errors in the voting list. The street plays also educated the public, not to vote for someone due to pressure. Along with the street play, voting machine and VVPAT was also introduced to the public.
Serving food during the Elections
S Harikishore, Executive Director, Kudumbashree Mission had sent letters to all District Collectors requesting them to give opportunities to Kudumbashree women during the elections. Kudumbashree Mission was entrusted by the various District Electoral Offices in Kerala for various activities such as providing food in training centres, arranging food for polling officials, printing, data entry works, Harithakarmasena for maintaining green protocol etc. As per the directions of the respective District Collectors and under the leadership of Kudumbashree District Mission offices, Kudumbashree women set up canteens at the despatch centres and distribution centres for catering food to the officials in charge of conducting elections.
Canteens were opened in 13 out of the 14 districts in Kerala. A total of 98 canteens were opened altogether. In addition to that, food was served to the officials in the polling stations at certain districts. Kudumbashree units were entrusted for serving food in the distribution centres and despatch centres. Breakfast, lunch, tea, snacks and dinner were served to the officials during then. Almost all the canteens functioned at the distribution centres and despatch centres on 22 and 23 April 2019. Kudumbashree women served food in few collection centres as well. The Cafe Kudumbashree canteens opened had been strictly following Green Protocol. Steel plates and glasses would be used for serving the food. The canteens opened were crowded with officials as Kudumbashree offered homely and delicious food at nominal rates. Kudumbashree Mission’s canteens were a boon to the officials. Rs 1.27 crores was the total turnover recorded from the canteens.
Cleaning activities
Apart from serving food through the temporary canteens set up at despatch centres and distribution centres, in certain districts, Kudumbashree women were entrusted with the cleaning activities as well. In Kasaragod, Kudumbashree women took up cleaning activities in the polling stations in connection with the Lok Sabha Elections 2019. Kudumbashree women also served drinking water to the election officials and cleaned the polling stations on the completion of the election procedure. Kudumbashree women cleaned a total of 976 polling booths in the district. Two persons each were entrusted with the cleaning activities in all booths in the district.
Other activities
In Palakkad district, Kudumbashree Palakkad District Mission was able to give a total of 1000 cloth bags to the DEO office as per their order. Whereas, in Malappuram district, Kudumbashree Malappuram District Mission had already secured opportunity for serving food for the officials on the counting day, on 23 May 2019.
About Kudumbashree
Kudumbashree is the women empowerment and poverty eradication program, framed and enforced by the State Poverty Eradication Mission (SPEM) of the Government of Kerala.
Established in 1998, this Mission envisages eradication of absolute poverty by combining Local Economic Development, promoting Micro finance, starting livelihood activities in farming and non-farming sectors and implementing various activities in social development.
Kudumbashree, a community organization of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) of women in Kerala, has been recognized as an effective strategy for the empowerment of women in rural as well as urban areas: bringing women together from all spheres of life to fight for their rights or for empowerment. The overall empowerment of women is closely linked to economic empowerment. Kudumbashree Mission is also the nodal agency of many Government of India schemes like NRLM, NULM, SVEP, DDUGKY, MKSP, PMAY etc.
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