The Kudumbashree women’s empowerment mission is set to launch crime mapping in 152 panchayats across the State this month to prevent crimes against women and children.
Years after the first crime mapping by the Kudumbashree in select panchayats led to the setting up of Snehitha gender help desks and made available the services of community counsellors, the mission plans to embark on a fresh exercise mapping 152 blocks (one panchayat in each block) in the State in the first phase this year.
This follows an allocation of ₹20 crore in the State Budget earlier this year for crime-mapping in all local bodies with the aim of reducing crime against women by at least 25% in five years.
Mapping tools
Tools for the mapping are under preparation. These will help identify crime hot spots, types of crime, occurrence, and other patterns to analyse and understand causes of crimes and devise strategies to prevent them, says Sindhu V., State Programme Manager, Gender, Kudumbashree.
The mapping will be held at the Kudumbashree area development society (ADS) level and then further interventions drawn up at the community development society (CDS) level on the basis of the collated data. It will be consolidated into a report and handed over to the government so that action plans to be implemented with the support of other government departments and the police can be prepared. Next year, crime mapping will be extended to more panchayats.
System strengthening
P.I. Sreevidya, Executive Director, Kudumbashree, says that based on information gathered through the mapping, the Kudumbashree plans a focussed approach to preventing crimes against women. As one of the largest organisational networks in the world, it will strengthen its systems, including Snehitha gender help desks, gender resource centres, and vigilant groups, to concentrate on preventive aspects. Balasabhas are crucial in this regard as the Kudumbashree wants children to be messengers on gender issues, especially in the current context of a spike in atrocities against women. Similarly, each Kudumbashree member should be a messenger on such issues in their area, says Ms. Sreevidya, adding that both short-term and long-term approaches to the issue will be adopted.
Besides crime mapping, activity-oriented interventions in the area of gender equality are also planned by the Kudumbashree. It has prepared a thematic activity calendar for activities to be taken up by vigilant groups each month. The best activities will be shared on a platform and the group members felicitated in a bid to keep them motivated.
For children, youth
Kudumbashree is also focussing on gender education of children and the youth through gender clubs in schools and colleges. In colleges, it aims at creating a team of resource persons, including male students, in each district who can be trained to reach out to other youth on gender issues.
Gender training will begin in Balasabhas through games and activities this month. Modules for the training are ready.
Support systems
Though many discussions on gender issues have been held among women over the years, lack of a support system for them within their family and environment makes sustainable change difficult. Gender dimension of issues faced by them, be it domestic chores, health, work, decision-making, including financial, and so on, will be discussed with their family members at ADS-level platforms for a lasting impact, says Ms. Sindhu.
