CHAPTER I

DEVELOPMENT OF WOMEN AND

CHILDREN IN RURAL AREAS
(DWCRA)
 It is well recognised that women who constitute

nearly 50 per cent of the population should actively

participate in developmental programmes and socio-economic

activities. Accordingly emphasis was laid on covering female

population in various developmental programmes and socio­

economic activities. Since the inception of the .Integrated

Rural Development, Programme (TRDP) in the country, efforts

were made to steadily increase the proportion of women

coverage, particularly of households headed by women below

the poverty line, into the mainstream of the programme. This

chapter covers various facets of DWCRA programme, including

linkage with banks, involvement of non-governmental

organisations, technology and development centres, and

marketing of DWCRA products. With an overview of the

programme content and the national scenario, progress of

DWCRA and SHG (Self Help Groups) - Bank linkage programme in

Andhra Pradesh is reviewed.

Focus

In view of this, another well directed programme

"Development of Women and Children in Rural Areas” (DWCRA)

was launched as a sub-scheme of IRDP during 1982-83 in 50

districts. It was subsequently expanded to cover all the

1
districts in the country by 1994-95 The flow of benefits

to poor women, in spite of reservation, under various poverty

alleviation programmes, viz., IRDP and TRYSEM (Training of
Rural Youth for Self Employment) were found to be not making
much impact. Therefore, in order to overcome this situation,
and to involve rural women more intensely in economic
activities and matters that concern the rural community, one
of the initiatives taken by the Ministry of Rural Development
of Government of India was the introduction of an exclusive
programme for women, viz., DWCRA. Since economic empowerment
involves provision of additional channels of funds in the
form of working capital and credit, training, employment,
managerial skill, etc. DWCRA with exclusive focus on economic
empowerment of women provides all these inputs by considering
women as critical to development. This intervention aims at
not only raising the incomes of rural women of poor
households, but also enabling organised participation of
groups of women in the programmes of credit, skill training
and infrastructure support for self employment, who can not
take up economic activities individually on their own. DWCRA
was introduced for ensuring that the benefits of IRDP reach
women directly. The programme seeks to improve the access of
rural women to health, education, safe drinking water,

2
sanitation, nutrition, etc., thereby bringing about an

enhancement in the quality of the general well being of women

and children.

Strategy

The basic unit under DWCRA is a group of 10-15

poor women who have come together to help each other in order

to use their collective strength to break social bonds that

have denied them income generating and self fulfilling

opportunities. The group size may be smaller in a difficult

terrain and far flung areas. One woman amongst the members

functions as the group organiser who helps in the choice of

activity, procurement of raw material, and marketing of

products. Before undertaking the activities, women are made

aware of the objectives and benefits of group formation under

the scheme; understanding their potential and recognising

their strength. At the operational level inputs/coaehing for

such an exercise by the group is given by Gram Sevika for a

period of two years, who not only. creates the group but

also nurtures the group and orients the members in availing

of benefits of various other programmes/schemes of relevance

to rural women.

3
 Specific objectives of DWCRA are as follows :

1. Improving the existing economic activities/or help women

groups select new economic activities by generating

employment opportunities, and also to improve the quality

of life of rural women and their children.

2. Providing supportive services to enable rural women to

improve their economic conditions through their skill and

locally available resources.

♦

3. Providing suitable marketing facilities and. empowering

rural women to take collective decisions in popularising

their finished products in the market.

4. Providing suitable training in prospective skills for the

DWCRA beneficiaries.

5. Providing better health care for the children of DWCRA

group members in health, nutrition, environment and

education.

Community Based Convergent Services

The Community Based Convergent Services (CBCS) as

a component of DWCRA was started in 1991 in a few districts

4
of the country as a pilot programme. The objective was to

create greater awareness among the village communities to

enable them to demand social services provided by the State

in a better manner and also share responsibilities in the

management and implementation of these services, thus leading

to sustainable development. Traditional methods like

visuals, role play, folk art, puppetry dance and drama, etc.,

are some of the means employed for sensitising the community

to the basic needs. The programme seeks to strengthen

existing organisations of rural poor women, encourage women’s

groups to articulate their felt needs, raise the level of

social consciousness, orient the community and formal

community organisation towards DWCRA, and thereby improve the

social and economic status of women. The programmes of ICDS

(Integrated Child Development Services), Rajiv Gandhi

National Drinking Water Mission, National Literacy Mission

are some of the programmes which are sought to be converged

at the grassroots level. 298 districts have been covered up

to March 1999 under the Community Based Convergent Services

Programme with cent per cent Central assistance annually at

Rs. 5.00 lakhs per district.

5
Child Care Activities

Child care activities have been incorporated in

DWCRA programme from 1995-96 with the following objectives :

- To provide creche services for children of, working DWCRA

women.
Setting up of literacy centres for DWCRA women with
specific emphasis on girl child drop-outs and illiterate
members of the DWCRA groups.
Filling up critical gaps in the areas of immunization,
nutrition, etc., for children of DWCRA'members with
special focus and emphasis on the girl child to reduce
gender disparities in the infant girl child care.
To provide some relief to the physically .handicapped
children of DWCRA members.
To provide immediate relief and pay for legal assistance
in case of redressal of physical abuse of the girl child.

Children below 6 years are the target group under child care
activities. Each DRDA is to receive Rs. 1.50 lakhs per annum
(Rs.1.00 lakh as Central share and Rs. 0.50 lakh as State
share) for Child Care activities.

6
Information, Education and Communication

Another component, viz., Information, Education

and Communication (IEC) has also been adopted to the DWCRA

from 1995-96 with the objective of generating awareness among

rural women, particularly those living below the poverty

line, about various development programmes being implemented

for their betterment. Promotion of saving and credit

activities to make DWCRA Groups more sustainable is also

sought to be activised through Information-, Education and

Communication. The quantum of financial assistance provided

to the DRDAs for IEC is the same as under Child Care

activities.

Need for Diversification of Economic Activity to Non-

Traditional Areas and Change of Nomenclature

The objectives of the DWCRA programme can be

achieved only when the groups diversify their activities and

shift from traditional to non-traditional activities. In

many States, quite a number of groups are either dormant or

have become defunct because concentration on traditional

activities had failed to bring them expected returns. In

order to survive and at the same time earn sufficient income

from the economic activities they pursue, DWCRA groups have

7
to take on new and innovative programmes and non-traditional

value added activities with potential for higher income. It

is in recognition of this reality that DWCRA groups have been

made eligible for assistance under IRDP groups ventures.

However, for this, they have to be formally registered.

Illustrative activities taken up under DWCRA in Andhra

Pradesh are given in Annexures 1(A), (B) and (C). These

refer to activities in Industries, Services and Businesses

respectively.

From April 1999, DWCRA scheme and five other rural

self employment programmes have been merged into a new

scheme, rechristened by the Centre as Swarna Jayanti Gram

Swarojgar Yojana (SGSY). The SGSY scheme, which has become

operational from April 1999, stipulates that hob less than 50

per cent of funds of the entire new scheme should be spent on

women. Five other self employment schemes which have been

merged into SGSY are : IRDP, TRYSEM (Training of Rural Youth

for Self Employment), SITRA (Supply of Improved Toolkits to

Rural Artisans), MWS (Million Wells Scheme) and GKY (Ganga

Kalyan Yojana). Sustainable income generation is the goal of

the new scheme. DWCRA groups can hereafter be assisted under

SGSY scheme as its emphasis is on group approach.

8
Linkages of DWCRA with Other Programmes

For achieving convergence with other programmes,

an Advisory Committee in respect of DWCRA groups has been

constituted at the DRDA level. State Governments have also

set up Co-ordination Committees at State and Block level for

proper integration of various programmes focusing on women

and children. These committees help facilitate interaction

of implementing agencies of DWCRA programme with those

implementing other programmes like ICDS, National Literacy

Mission, Mother and Child Health Care (MCH), etc. This is

intended to achieve convergence of services delivered by

various departments for the benefit of DWCRA members, in

particular, and women in general.

Funding Pattern

Each DWCRA group gets Rs.25,000/- as Revolving

Fund to meet the capital expenditure requirement of economic

activities. Expenditure on Revolving Fund was being shared

equally by the Central Government, State Government and

UNICEF {United Nations International Children’s Emergency

Fund) till 1994-95. UNICEF assistance has been discontinued

totally from January 1st, 1996. The revolving fund has been

9
increased from Rs.15,000/- to Rs.25,000/- from 1995-96.
Currently, the expenditure on revolving /und is being shared

by the Centre and the State on 50:50 basis. In addition,

Rs.200 is paid towards travelling allowance to the Field
Training Officer. UNICEF provided support to administrative
staff cost for a period of five years initially foe each
district. Later this is to be met from IRDP administrative
staff cost. UNICEF also provided a vehicle for APO (Women)

in each district.

Involvement of NGOs in the Implementation of DWCRA

Non-Governmental Organ] SH.t ions (NGOs) have been

involved in the implementation of DWCRA programme right from
the inception of the programme. Funding support for NGOs has
been made available from CAPART (Council for Advancement of
People’s Action and Rural Technology), New Delhi; Rashtriya
Mahila Kosh (RMK), New Delhi; Rashtriya Gramina Vikas Nidhi
(RGVN), Gauhati (Assam); NABARD (National Bank for
Agriculture and Rural Development), Mumbai; and SIDBI (Small
Industries Development Bank of India), Lucknow.

NABARD introduced the pilot project _to link banks

with Self Help Groups in 1992, and later extended the scheme

10
to commercial banks, co-operative banks and RRBs all over the

country.

SIDBI launched the SIDBI foundation for Micro

Credit (SFMC) in November 1998. SIDBI through the foundation
will directly assist on soft terms, NGOs and voluntary
organisations with good track record which in turn would
extend micro credit to poor beneficiaries without the hassles
of the existing financial system. The foundation will,
therefore, promote entirely a new financial channel conducive
to the needs and psychology of the poor borrowers. SHGs may
be organised in clusters of blocks/districts either by
reputed voluntary agencies/NGOs and/or at the initiative of
Branch Managers of Banks - Commercial, Co-operative and
Regional Rural Banks. Reserve Bank of India advised
Commercial Banks, later RRBs and Co-operative Banks to
actively participate in the linkage programme.

Synthesis of DWCRA Programme with SHG - Bank Linkage

Programme
Initially, women groups under DWCRA programme were
being formed around common economic activity where the
members were provided with skill training under TRYSEM loan
for acquisition of productive assets (block capital) was
given under IRDP, while Revolving Fund assistance was

11
extended to meet working capital needs. During 1993-94,

Government of Andhra Pradesh promoted new groups with thrift

as the entry point activity in a few districts. Such groups

had rudimentary characteristics of SHGs. Hence, NABARD and

Government of Andhra Pradesh recognised the need to dovetail

and strengthen DWCRA programme in the State along the lines

*

of SHG - a decision subsequently acknowledged by the

Government of India as a desirable direction for such groups

across the country.

#

In Government of India, Ministry of Rural Areas

and Employment’s Annual Report 1996-97, formalisation was

indicated through formation of SHGs to be made mandatory for

DWCRA. It has been decided that to bring about cohesiveness

among members of a DWCRA group, and to promote the spirit of

thrift and self-reliance, and to acquire skills of financial

management, all women groups should first be formed as Self

Help Groups (SHGs), and engage themselves in thrift and

credit activities with small savings of their own. After the

group members have contributed small amounts as savings, and

have built up a corpus of their own, they may graduate from

thrift and credit activities to income generating activities.

In short, only after a group has stabilised itself as a Self

12
Help Group, it should be recognised as a DWCRA group, and
receive revolving fund for income generating activities.

Savings habit is the essence of the success of

SHGs as they are savers groups as against borrowers groups in
the earlier innovations of credit dispensation. SHGs are an
appropriate vehicle for serving empowerment of rural poor.
Bankers should view financing of SHGs as a unique opportunity
for banks to mitigate rural poverty by organising the poor
into a disciplined work force with social values, and
bringing them into the mainstream of national development.

The strategy of synthesising the DWCRA programme

with SHG programmes entailed refocussing of groups activities
and related dynamics. The first step is to promote and
sustain thrift habit among group members. On-lending among
the members from thrift amounts so pooled is then encouraged
to enable them to meet emergent and consumption needs. This
facilitates a different kind of orientation in the groups
where the spirit of mutual concern and accommodation is
expressed in their methods of working with the new found
liquidity, the concern for managing internal lending
operations became paramount. Similarly, transparency in
decision making and record keeping becomes important as is

13
evident in the SHG mechanism. As a result, management of
thrift and credit activities became the basis for active
group interaction as against the management of group
enterprise formed earlier. Groups where members pursue
independent economic activities can be considered most
suitable clients for bank linkage. Groups where members
pursue similar/common activity but manage independent
enterprises can also be considered good credit risks.

Banks were encouraged by NABARD to finance DWCRA

groups on the lines of SHGs after assuring themselves of
groups’ conformity to extant norms. NABARD and Government of

Andhra Pradesh developed a set of criteria for determining

eligibility for bank finance under SHG - Bank linkage
programme. These criteria include the following :

Age of the group

Sustained internal lending for diverse activities.

Repayment performance of greater than 95 per cent of

internal loans

Up to date record keeping

Democratic self governance

14
 With the growing maturity and confidence among
banka in SHG lendings, time is now ripe to consider extending
assistance even to those DWCRA groups which have internalised

revolving fund assistance received by them earlier.

About 45 lakh rural poor families in Andhra

Pradesh covering a population of 2.50 crore have become
members of DWCRA groups. One woman from each family was
encouraged to become a member of ’’Self Help group" and by the
end of March 1999, 30 lakh women have become members of 2
lakh SHGs. Out of them 1.52 lakh SHGs are of DWCRA Groups.
Nearly 40 per cent of DWCRA groups in the country are
operating in Andhra Pradesh. During the early 90s, 10,000
groups were formed and in the recent five years, there is
tremendous increase in the DWCRA groups, and 90,000
additional groups have been formed. During 1993-99, revolving
fund provided to DWCRA groups is Rs.150 crores, and savings
mobilised is Rs.200 crores.

A large number of DWCRA groups formed in the

State, largely conform to the SHG concept of NABARD.
However, some of the groups have weak management structure
and loose financial dynamics, resulting in severe internal
stress. The State offers considerable scope for intensifying

15
SHG - Bank Linkage programme with capacity building and group
consolidation being medium terra goals. The short term goals

for the strategy for SHG - Bank linkage programme will be to

facilitate bank finance to all matured groups with necessary
capacity to absorb external finance I According to NABARd, it

is estimated that nearly 25-30 per cent of the group

mobilisation is ready to access external finance.

The progress of SHG - Bank linkage programme in

Andhra Pradesh up to the end of March 1999 in districts where
the progress has been rapid is given in Table 1.1 in the
descending order of hank loan made available in the districts

for SHGs.

Out of 8,724 groups assisted in the State with a

bank loan of Rs.18.33 crores, six prominent districts
mentioned above account for 78.4 per cent of groups and 79.3
per cent of bank loan. NABARD refinance is generally 100% to
banks. Most of the groups are women groups. . East Godavari
district stands number 1 accounting for Rs.5.4 crore bank
loan for 3,117 groups. Mahaboobnagar district is the sixth
in order of prominence accounting for 588 groups and Rs.1.20
crore bank loan accounting for 6.74 per cent of groups and
6.56 per cent of bank loan in relation to the State total

16
consisting of 20 districts. Districts not covered so far

under this programme are Cuddapah, Vizianagaram and

Hyderabad.

TABLE 1.1

PROGRESS OF SHG - BANK LINKAGE PROGRAMME IN ANDHRA PRADESH

(AS ON END MARCH 1999)

No. of Of Bank loan NABARD re­

District groups which (Rs. in finance
women lakhs) (Rs. in
lakhs)

1 2 3 4 5

East Godavari 3117 3049 538.41 538.41

Nellore 648 633 243.39 242.72

Visakhapatnam 904 904 234.56 233.49

Rangareddy 705 703 174.39 i74.09

Medak 877 875 142.38 142.38

Mahaboobnagar 588 587 120.26 120.10

Above 6 Districts 6839 6751 1453.39 1451.19

14 Other Districts 1885 1869 379.12 377.71

Andhra Pradesh
(20 Districts) 8724 8620 1832.51 1828.90

Source : NABARD (1999), Banking with the Poor - Financing

Self Help Groups, Hyderabad.

17
Marketing of Products

Since the focal point of the DWCRA scheme is

income generating activities for women, it is necessary that
the activities selected by the groups should become
economically viable. Marketing of products of women’s groups
is, therefore, very important. The interest of women can be
sustained only when a proper market outlet is available for
their products. Some State Governments like Haryana and
Andhra Pradesh have issued orders declaring the DWCRA groups
as approved sources for the supply of bulk articles required
by government departments.

The Gram Shree Melas organised by CAPART (Council

for Advancement of People’s Action and Rural Technology) of
the Union Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment are also
used as outlets for the sale of DWCRA products. Setting up
of supportive institutions for marketing like District Supply
and Marketing Societies (DSMS) are being encouraged by the
States. Orissa, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have adopted this
pattern. These district level agencies must be multi-faceted
and also support non-credit inputs like supply of raw
materials and sale of finished products, where sectoral
linkages can not be established. Recently efforts 'are also

18
made at the State level to create market for the products of

DWCRA and IRDP. Kerala and Orissa have established State

level marketing organisations. Andhra Pradesh is encouraging

organisation of melas known as DWCRA bazars at the State and

District level, which have received very good response. In

Haryana, DWCRA groups are encouraged for supply of nutrition

providers for ICDS programme. The momentum has to be

sustained if the money invested through DWCRA groups has to

receive significant returns. A wide range of DWCRA products

need improvement in designing and packaging. Such

improvements need [Link] carried out by involving professional

*

bodies. Supply of raw material, improving its quality,

quality control of finished products are also areas of

concern.

DWCRA bazars organised at the State level in

Andhra Pradesh on two occasions in 1997 and 1998 received

very good response. In the first bazar, Rs. one crore worth *

of products were sold, and in the second one Rs.8.5 crores

worth of products were sold. At the district level, similar

events were organised, and goods worth Rs.25 crores were sold

in one year, during 1988-89.

19
 A third State level DWCRA Bazar was organised

during May-June 1999 for a period of 16 days. Nearly Rs.30

crores worth of products were sold. As many as 1365 groups

with 2000 DWCRA women and 375 stalls were on display from all

the districts of the State. The object of the bazar is to

eliminate the middlemen with producers directly selling their

products to the consumers. The bazar have helped DWCRA

groups to learn newer concepts in marketing and design making

technology. A participative programme, DWCRA bazars, have

instilled a sense of confidence among rural producers. Most

of the sellers agree that the margin of profit in these

bazars is higher. Producers want more such exhibitions to be

organised in each district headquarters, tourist and pilgrim

centres to enable them to get remunerative price for their

products. It is planned to have a permanent exhibition

ground in each district headquarters to facilitate

organisation of DWCRA bazars on a continuous basis.

Review of DWCRA in Andhra Pradesh

Government of Andhra Pradesh has taken up the

theme of women's empowerment as one of the main agenda items

to tackle rural poverty and socio-economic issues. Self Help

Movement through thrift and savings has been taken up as a

20
mass movement by women a path chosen by women to shape their
future destiny. Development agenda of the State with last

few years has been to place the poor, especially women in the

forefront has facilitated the formation of a large number of

Self Help Groups throughout the length and breadth of the

State. There are more than 20 lakhs women from poor families

who have become members of these groups, majority of them are

saving one rupee a day. State Government is consciously

making an effort to assist these SHGs by providing revolving

fund under DWCRA. There are 79,000- DWCRA groups in the State

covering 11-25 lakh women and Rs.125 crores was provided to

them as revolving fund as against a saving of Rs.120 crores

by the groups. About 40% of DWCRA groups in the country are

available in Andhra Pradesh itself. Upto 1994, 10,000 groups

have been formed, and in the next four years 1995 to 1998,

there was a scaling up in the formation of SHGs and 69,000

groups have been formed. Out of 2.10 lakh DWCRA groups in

the country upto March 1998, 79,000 are in Andhra Pradesh.

Efforts are being made to cover every SHG which is

functioning, into a DWCRA group. In addition to this,

Department of Women and Child Welfare also covered 4,000

groups under Income Generating Activities Scheme and spent

Rs. 14.00 crores assisting 60,000 women. There are at

21
present more than 80,000 DWCRA groups and 70,000 Self Help

Groups in the State covering nearly half of the rural poor

families. In the near future, it is planned to cover all

habitations with 200 and above population size, with atleast.

one women SHG.

Spread of DWCRA programme in various districts of

Andhra Pradesh is as follows :

Year Districts covered

1983-84 Srikakulam, Cuddapah Adilabad

1986-87 Mahabubnagar, Anantapur

1988-89 Medak, Vizianagarara

1989-90 Prakasam

1990-91 Karimnagar

1991-92 Nellore, Nizamabad, Kurnool

1992-93 Chittoor, Nalgonda, Warangal •

1993-94 Khammam, Ranga Reddy, Visakhapatnam

1994-95 East Godavari, West Godavari,

Krishna and Guntur

22
 From 1983-84 to 1994-95, all the 24' rural

districts, excluding the metropolitan city of Hyderabad, have

been covered in a phased manner under DWCRA programme. The

programme was started in Mahabubnagar district during

1986-87.

Sustainable flow of additional monthly incomes to

DWCRA families is motivating the groups to work as a cohesive

entity. Regular meeting of the members, effective

leadership, democratic and transparent functioning, efficient

financial management and recovery of revolving fund and

loans, accessing institutional credit by assessing their

credit worthiness, improved skills and technologies through

training and capacity building exercise is taken up for

sustaining the groups’ interests. Continuous capacity

building and exposure visits is the key to sustain the groups

and the state allocated Rs.5.00 crores for training and

capacity building under I-RDP (infrastructure) to the DRDAs.

A Training and Technology Development Centre is

also planned in each district which will act as an Exhibition

(Display Centre) and Training Institution for conducting the

studies in the existing potential of skills, access the need

23
for new technologies and to train the youth to acknowledge

new skills. There Is need to exposure women to modern food

processing and packaging technology. Improving designs and

making raw material available providing marketing s'upport to

promote women’s income generating activities is well

recognised.

Training for capacity building of women is taken

up by organising training in Mahila Pranganams and other

local institutions. Similarly, DRDAs have identified 6000

cluster volunteers to support the groups at the village

level. These volunteers are selected by the DWCRA/SHGs and

their expenditure too is borne by them. They act. as barefoot

consultants. The cluster volunteers/DWCRA group leaders,

Additional Grama Sevikas, Lady VDOs and other will be trained

in the District Training Centres. An Annual Calendar of

training is prepared by DRDAs and Andhra Pradesh Academy of

Rural Development (APARD) is the nodal agency for training.

Greater support will be provided to the DWCRA

groups by dovetailing with poverty alleviation programmes

like IRDP. It is planned to provide atleast 50% of IRDP

subsidy and credit to the women groups through CMIY,

24
[Link] Minorities Corporation by covering them under

group loans. Social and economic infrastructure is provided

to women through the establishment of DWCRA bazars and

training and Technical Resource Centres in every district.

It is proposed to setup a 'Fund' for women with an

initial outlay of Rs.50 crores with equity from women,

financial institutions, NABARD and Donat’ Agencies. SHG - Bank

linkage programme has become popular and is being increasing

utilised by women groups. It is proposed to set up an

exclusive women’s bank to enable women to have increased

access to institutional credit.

SHG/DWCRA groups are getting networked into

clusters of Mutually Aided Co-operative Societies (MACS) and

such networks are emerging in the cluster of villages and

membership ranges from 600 to 1000 for each of such cluster

and society. The groups are federated at micro level as

MACS; and district and State level organisational structure

is also planned. Rating of the networks to assess their

eligibility for financial assistance is proposed in a

professional manner by the groups themselves. District level

networks and State Advisory Body may perhaps emerge depending

on the need in future. Quarterly monitoring of all the

groups and follow-up action improve the socio-economic statue

of group members is taken care of. Operations Research Group

(ORG) is associated with the efforts of Government of Andhra

Pradesh in monitoring, 'evaluation and follow-up action.

26
 CHART 1

RATIONALE OF DWCRA

(A) Failure of Development to Benefit Women and

Children of the Rural Poor,

(B) Traditional Socio-Economic More Favour Men than

Women.

(C) Other Developmental Programmes have not done

Justice to Women and Children.

(D) Fifty per cent Population are Women and could

Contribute to Development.

27
 CHART 2

OBJECTIVES OF DWCRA

1. To strengthen the economic base for Rural Women by

Availing of Credit and Subsidies provided under

IRDP Scheme.

2. Provision of Support Services to enhance their

Skills and Efficiencies and also to Mitigate their

Drudgery in their Multiple Responsibilities.

3. To Enhance their Bargaining Power and Decision­

making Abilities through Collectivization.

4. To Train them in Productive Skills and Group

Dynamics.

5. To Orient the Development Functionaries to Respond

Positively to the Needs and Constraints of Poor

Women and their Potential Capacity for Development.

28
 CHART 3

SPECIAL FEATURES OF DWCRA

I. Group Approach

(A) Ten to Fifteen Members join together to take up an

Economic Activity.

(B) Cater to the Needs and Potential of the Individual.

(C) Aims at Providing Income to Poor Women in Rural

Areas and Designed to Provide Supplemental

Employment through Production Activities.

II. Group Organiser

(A) Equivalent to Group Leader.

(B) Member of the Target Group.

(C) Acts as a Liaison Officer between Group Members and

Governmental Agencies.

29
 CHART 4

TRAINING REQUIREMENTS OF DWCRA

I. Training of the Members of Community in

(a) Skill Formation

(b) Creating Awareness

II. Training of Group Organisers

(a) Identified Training Institutions

(b) Voluntary Agencies

III. Training of Cluster Volunteers Identified Training

Institutions Voluntary Agencies

IV. Training of Gram- Sevikas and Lady Social Education

Organiser

(a) In Gram Sevikas Centre

(b) Suited Institutions

V. Training of Asst. Project Officer (W)/Project Director,

DRDA

(a) Suited Training Institutions.

VI. Training of Personnel of NGOs Suited Training

Institutions.

30
CONCLUSION

The DWCRA programme was started during 1982-83 as

a sub-scheme of IRDP, with UNICEF cooperation with the

primary objective of focussing attention on the women members

of rural families living below the poverty line with a view

to provide them with opportunities of self employment on a

sustained basis. The programme adopts group, approach and

follows participatory process of development. The women

members of DWCRA form groups of 10-15 persons each for taking

up economic activities suited to their skills, aptitude and

local available resources or to meet local demand. The

programme simultaneously aims at improving women’s access to

basic services like health, education, child care, nutrition,

*

water and sanitation. In a phased manner the programme

initiated in 1982-83 in 50 districts, was extended to all the

districts of the country by 1994-95 over a period of 12

years. In Andhra Pradesh, it started with three districts in

1983-84. The number increased to nine districts by 1990-91.

There has been rapid expansion in the nineties. Thirteen

districts were added during 1991-92 to 1994-95 (over a period

of 4 years). Upt.o Max-ch 1994, only 10,000 DWCRA groups were

formed Lu Andhra Pradesh in the next four years (1994-98)

31
69,000 DWCRA groups have been formed. In all nearly 79,000

DWCRA groups have become operational in the State covering

11.25 lakh women. Out of 2.10 lakh DWCRA groups in the

country, nearly 40 per cent are operating in Andhra Pradesh.

In Andhra Pradesh, in addition nearly 70,000 Self Help Groups

are also in operation. They will also be converted as DWCRA

groups after their performance is observed for about a year.

In Andhra Pradesh, DWCRA .is not just an add-on to

IRDP, but is perceived as a powerful vehicle for women’s

empowerment. From 1990, DWCRA has been prioritised and the

attention of DRDA officials is on DWCRA to made women groups

a vehicle for development, and improvement in the status and

quality of life of poor women and children in rural areas.

Apart from enabling them to improve their earnings, two other

significant objectives of the programme are : (i) improving

the impact of on-going development programmes by stimulating,

supplementing, strengthening and integrating them,- ( i i)

involving the community in planning and implementing the

programme so that need based developmental activity will be

carried on by the communities even after outside assistance

is withdrawn. Community Based Convergent Services (CBCS),

Child Care activities, information, education and

communication are also programmes added to DWCRA in later

32
years. The objective of the programme can be better served

if the members can consider shifting from traditional to non-

traditional or high value added activities over a period.

DWCRA and five other rural development programmes, including

IRDP and TRYSEM, have been merged from April 1, 1999. The

name of the new programme is Swarna Jayant.i Gram Swarojgar

Yojana (SGSY). As sustainable income generation is. the goal

of the new schemes and in view of its emphasis on group

approach, DWCRA groups can continue to be assisted under the

new scheme. Networking of groups, community based convergent

services and SHG - Bank Linkage programme are important

directions being pursued vigorously in the recent five years.

Banks were encouraged by Reserve Bank of India and

NABARD to finance DWCRA groups on the lines of SHGs after

assuring themselves of the group conformity to extent norms.

Marketing of the products of women’s groups is another

important direction, where considerable support is given by

the State and Central Governments. A training and Technology

Development Centre is planned to be established in each

district to provide technological and training inputs to the

women groups to take up income generating activities using

modern technologies. It is proposed to set. up a women bank

33
at the State and District level. A Women Fund will initially

be set up training for capacity building of women is another

important direction, where work is in progress with each DRDA

formulating a comprehensive plan for training at the district

level. It covers beneficiaries, and personnel of government

and non-governmental organisations (NGOs*). NGOs are- involved

with the implementation of the programmes, particularly in

training and follow up activities, right from early years.

34
REFERENCES

Dwarakanath, H.D. (1999), DWCRA in Andhra Pradesh,

Kurukshetra, Vol,4T (12), September, pp.14-18.

Government of Andhra Pradesh, Panchayat Raj and Rural

Development Department (1999), DWCRA and Women’s Empowerment

- A Success Story of Self Help Movement in Andhra Pradesh,

Hyderabad, Commissionerate of Rural Development.

Government of India, Ministry of Rural Areas and Employment

(1999), Annual Report 1998-99 and of Earlier Years 1996-98,

New Delhi.

. Ministry of Rural Development (1991), Manual on

IRDP and Allied Programmes of TRYSEM and DWCRA, New Delhi.

. Ministry of Rural Development ( 1992), DWCRA -

Programme Guidelines and Administrative Orders 1982-92, New

Delhi.

National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (1999),

Banking with the Poor - Financing Self Help Groups,

Hyderabad.

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