Bengaluru, 2 June 2016: The Department of Panchayat Raj and Rural Development, Government of Karnataka, and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (UN Women) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today to strengthen capacities of governance institutions to ensure gender concerns are embedded in the design and implementation of legislation, policies, and programmes.
Two pilot districts – Mysore and Chamrajnagar – have been selected for the project. The project will lead to better outcomes for women, resulting from improved access to their rights and entitlements through Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs).
The Abdul Nazir Sab State Institute of Rural Development (ANSSIRD) and Panchayat Raj (PR) will be the implementing agency for the project.
Dr. Nagambika Devi, Principal Secretary to Government (Panchayat Raj), Government of Karnataka welcomed the partnership with UN Women and said the State Government would fully support the implementation of the project. “The partnership will facilitate the documentation of stories of elected women representatives as change makers to motivate other women to actively engage in political processes,” she added.
“Through this partnership, we will provide technical knowledge and resources to support the ANSSIRD and Panchayat Raj,” said Patricia Barandun, Deputy Representative, UN Women Office for India, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka. The project will be implemented in the states of Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, and Odisha.
P. Shivshankar, Director, Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department; P.A. Gopal, Director, ANSSIRD and Panchayat Raj; Bhagya Mahadevappa, Faculty, ANSSIRD and Panchayat Raj; and Arunima Sen, Programme Analyst, UN Women, were present at the signing ceremony.
For more information:
Rineeta Naik, Communications Analyst, UN Women India
Tel: +91 95605 97782
E-mail: rineeta.naik@unwomen.org
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