Influencing Policy

MYRADA has achieved significant breakthroughs in two areas – savings and credit management through self-help affinity groups, and participatory watershed management – both of which have been built on and mainstreamed in Indian state policies for poverty alleviation, women’s empowerment and natural resources management. SAGs have been recognised by nationalised and commercial banks as credit-worthy bodies and many banks lend readily to them.

The CMRC concept is also gaining traction with governments beginning to consider it as a viable option as the following examples illustrate

  • A circular issued by NABARD to indicate its willingness to provide financial support to federations lists 3 models of federating and in this list, the ‘Myrada CMRC Model’ is the first.
  • The Government of Karnataka has held several rounds of discussions with Myrada to develop something similar for incorporation in the Stree Shakti Programme. Myrada has been invited to present and discuss this concept at a series of 4 meetings to be held in June 2008 for batches of its officers from across the State. The Karnataka Government has formed 176 block level federations and the idea is based on Myrada’s CMRC approach.
  • The Tamilnadu Women’s Development Corporation has similarly invited Myrada for discussions to understand the CMRC approach in the context of the Mahalir Thittam Programme.
  • In building capacities of Panchayat Level Federation the Government of Tamilnadu especially the Tamilnadu Women Development Corporation have been sending their staff and beneficiaries to the CMRCs for gaining experience.
  • MAVIM (Maharashtra Women Development Corporation) has incorporated the CMRCs in all its programmes.

Based on its experiences with skills training it has been able to influence government to relax some of its norms for skill training. KVTSDC has relaxed its rules and is open to school drop outs and illiterates

MYRADA has attempted to provide Vision Building training to Gram Panchayats and institutionalise it. Though this has not been done yet, in 2010-11, the State Institute for Rural Development (SIRD) invited Myrada to evaluate their resource persons who train newly elected Gram Panchayat Members.

The GoK is backing MYRADA actively in its HIV/AIDS preventions programmes. The idea of involving CBOs in disease prevention and the role of small groups in community monitoring has been accepted by the government. Similarly the STI treatment model demonstrated by MYRADA has been appreciated and adopted by the Karnataka State AIDS Prevention Society and is replicated through them.  KHPT played a role in this process.