State Action

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  THP in India - Empowering Women Panchayat Leaders  Page 12 of 23

Vajpayee

In August 1997, The Hunger Project had a breakthrough in its commitment to empowering women as the key to ending hunger in India.  The highest priority for all our work is to transform the subjugation, marginalization and disempowerment of women. 

Hunger is not just malnutrition  Hunger is rape, molestation, alcoholism, dowry, female infanticide and feticide.

-Mohini Giri, former head of the National Commission for Women, current member of THP's Global Board of Directors.

• The Hunger Project has recognized that ending hunger is much more than improving health, education, nutrition, and income. It requires a fundamental transformation of social conditions that discriminate against women, and give rise to hunger and poverty.  

In November 1998, The Hunger Project's National Council met with leading women activists in Rajasthan, which led to bold new commitments to women.   Margaret Alva, former Minister of Woman and Child Development, addresses top activists for women's rights.  Mohini Girl, left, is former head of National Commission for Women and current member of THP's Global Board of Directors.

• At the meeting with women activists, all of the speakers emphasized that the subjugation of women in India is not a matter of men versus women, but is embedded in the patriarchal structure of society.

• It is this structure that must be transformed - a structure that gets expressed through a wide-range of behaviors, such as dowry and a preference for sons over daughters, which the activists referred to as "son stroke."

• The late Geeta Mukherjee, a Minister of Parliament from West Bengal, pointed out that the greatest vehicle for women's emancipation has been the new law requiring that 1/3 of all seats in panchayati raj be reserved for women. 

• An international delegation of investors attended these meetings, bringing the commitment of the International community to this bold work.

Investors attending Jaipur meetings 

State Action

The Hunger Project Online Briefing Program  THP in India - Empowering Women Panchayat Leaders  Page 12 of 23

Vajpayee