Union Minister of Panchayati Raj Shri Vilasrao Deshmukh today informed the Rajya Sabha that the Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhiyan (PMEYSA) was launched in the year 2007. The Scheme has two components namely, Panchayat Mahila Shakti Abhiyan and Panchayat Yuva Shakti Abhiyan. Aims of PMEYSA are to organize the Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) in a network and through group action to empower themselves, so that both their participation and representation on local governance issues improves. The EWRs are expected to enable themselves to articulate their problems as women Panchayat leaders and discuss issues regarding the institutional mechanisms for their empowerment, to build the confidence and capacity of EWRs, so that they get over the institutional, societal and political constraints that prevent them from active participation in rural local self governments and to enable them to come up with a charter of issues to be mainstreamed into policy and advocacy support so that their concerns are addressed by the process of development adopted by the State and the three-tier PRI System. Activities under the PMEYSA include holding of State Sammelans and Divisional/District level Sammelans of Elected Women Representatives, formation of Associations, setting up of State Support Centers, sensitization programmes for the Elected Women Representative and Elected Youth Representatives. Though the expenditure under the scheme is extremely small, it is having some impact in raising awareness among elected representatives.

Under the scheme, 23 States have formed the Core Committees and organized the State Level Sammelans. 10 State Support Centers have been established in the States/UT of Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Sikkim, Kerala, Uttarakhand, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Island, which work as repository of knowledge and information relating to participation of EWRs and EYRs in PRIs. Training sensitization programme have been conducted in 11 States/UT. These are Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Manipur, Kerala, Assam, Andaman & Nicobar Island and Sikkim. 68 Divisional Level Sammelans have been organized in 15 State/UT viz., Chhattisgarh, Goa, Haryana, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Manipur, Uttrakhand, West Bengal and Andaman & Nicobar Island. State Level Association of EWRs/EYRs has been formed in the States of Karnataka, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Punjab, Goa and Sikkim. It is not possible to compile the exact number of EWRs and EYRs who have been connected and networked with each other under PMEYSA.

The minister was replying to a written question whether the Panchayat Mahila Evam Yuva Shakti Abhayan (PMEYSA) launched last year is fulfilling its objective of empowering Elected Women Representatives (EWRs) and Elected Youth Representatives (EYRs); and the details of the numbering EWRs and EYRs that have been connected and networked with each other under PMEYSA.

Source: Press Information Bureau
Date: March 3, 2011