Projects

ISUDWOG PROJECT INDIA

ILS LEDA is a partner of ISUGWOG, an “Inclusive and Sustainable Development for Women”, a project co-financed by the European Union and carried out in the district of Osmanabad (India), with particular reference to 8 blocks (Cluster of villages), for a total of CCCC inhabitants.

The project started in 2020 and will last 3 years.

Osmanabad district of Maharashtra state has been identified by the Government of India (GoI) as one among 112 least developed districts of India vis-à-vis human development. The economy of Osmanabad is primarily dependent on small-holder agriculture and has undergone a severe crisis in the past decade on account of consecutive droughts, failed crops, low farm gate prices, rising costs, and spiralling debt. This situation has resulted in unabated farmer suicides, migration of males and increasing feminisation of agriculture. W&g and their CSOs have a critical role to play in addressing the challenges of Osmanabad.

The Project is coordinated  by Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP), a NGO, that has experience and capacities to empower grassroots w&g. In addition to ILS LEDA, other partners are  Sakhi Social Enterprise Network (SSEN,) that has outstanding management capacity in executing flagship programs that empower local communities; and LEF-Italia-Italian Coordination of the European Women’s Lobby, that has vast knowledge and experience on gender policy dialogue, gender mainstreaming, institutional building, and promotion of women’s rights. 

The ISUDWOG global objective is to strengthen the ability of civil society and its organisations in the district of Osmanabad, to be influent in the socio-economic development, through participatory bottom up processes, strategies, and actions, for the main benefit of w&g.

1. The specific objectives are:

(1)    establish permanent partnerships (Alliance for Sustainable and Inclusive Development of Osmanabad-ASIDO) between CSOs and the other local public and private actor aimed at defining shared strategies inclusive, gender oriented, and sustainable development;

(2)    increase the power and the participation of vulnerable women and girls  in social and economic life, and strengthening or creating w&g social enterprises;

(3)    increase the access of women and girls  to the social and economic resources, through a coordinated District Service System operating in the framework of ASIDO.

The logic of the Action relies on:

• the belief the women and girls  have an outstanding potential for contributing to the district and national development, but it is underestimated and shall be valorised;
• This valorisation depends on the existence of an environment enabling it;
• At this aim the action will, first of all, strengthen capacities of women and girls‘s CSO, together with the other local actors, for elaborating and implementing appropriate sustainable and gender sensitive development strategies
• Accordingly, build capacities aimed at increasing access to economy through improving –with pilot actions- the performance of the existing enterprises and cooperatives, and creating new women and girls’s social enterprises; this action will be rendered permanent because of the creation of a coordinated District Service System.

The Action will have strong effects and long-term impact as far as the role of women and girls  in local decisions, as consequence of the more inclusive economic environment and the coordinated service system, the acquired ownership and capacities, the increased employability in business and labour market, and of the direct and broad participation in the ASIDO.

The foreseen activities are the following:

(1)   Establish permanent partnerships (Alliance for Sustainable and Inclusive Development of Osmanabad-ASIDO) between CSOs and the other local public and private actor aimed at defining shared strategies inclusive, gender oriented, and sustainable development, through the following activities:

1. Enhancing participation of women and girls in strategic planning
   Activities: Sensitisation and promotion participation at Block level; Kick Off; Establishment of DASC (District Action Steering Committee)
2. Empowerment of 150 women and girls in their capacity of influencing strategies and plans: Capacity building on European TED experience: Capacity building on Gender issues and main-streaming
3. Elaboration of at least four development strategies for the main territorial value chains (legumes and pulses, fruit & vegetables, livestock, poultry), aimed at improving women and girls’ socio-economic conditions elaborated: Organising target groups for the value chain assessment and strategies; Participatory Value Chains’ strategies and plan
4. Establishment of links between CSOs with other actors in India and abroad established: National Forum; Partnership with Kyrgyzstan; Partnership with European Women Lobbies
5. Evolution of the DASC into ASIDO: Capacity building for ASIDO; ASIDO legal framework; Establishment of ASIDO; Start up; Implementation of strategic initiatives; Organisation of Value Chains’ Network
6. Support to 100 women and girls’ businesses in pilot economic and social business start-up: Support to business start-up; Monitoring and evaluation

(2)     Increase the power and the participation of vulnerable women and girls  in social and economic life,  and strengthening or creating women and girls  social enterprises, through the following activities

1. A analysis realised on the women and girl’s entrepreneurship in the district: Analysis on existing women and girls’ enterprises; Mapping of employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women and girls (offer and demand sides
2. Favour the employment of 1500 women and girls enhanced through entrepreneurship and employment orientation: 
3.  Training and support to 200 entrepreneurs or new coming entrepreneurs: Training sessions on fundamentals of business management; Second set of training sessions; Business plans’ support and social business selection; Facilitating access to national programmes; Publication of handbooks
4. Training and support access of 50 women and girls to employment: Identification of organisations potential job providers; Matching job demand and supply; Vocational and professional capacity building; Follow up; Systematisation of results for replication
5. Support 250 female farmers for improving the performances of their farms: Business check-up of the target farms; Advancing performances and sustainability of the target farms; Mentorships

(3)    increase the access of w&g to the social and economic resources, through a coordinated District Service System operating in the framework of ASIDO.

1. Analysis of the supply of social and business support service in the district: Mapping of existing services; Analysis and systematisation of the results
2. Agreement between members of ASIDO, other district’s service providers and mentors, and LSGs for organising a coordinated District Service System (DSS): Capacity building on DSS management; Establishment of DSS; Manual of operations; Capacity building for mentors; DSS start up; Publication of a DDS Guide