Synthesising traditional communitarian modes of living with modern systems while also mitigating the patriarchal gender adverse situation to bring about a new paradigm of development that is socially, economically and politically equitable and environmentally sustainable.

The Mahila Jagat Lihaz Samiti or Society for Respect for Women and Earth, also known by its acronym MAJLIS, which in turn means a collective, was formed by Dalit and Aadivasi women of Western Madhya Pradesh in 2016 to advance the two most neglected causes of women’s empowerment and conservation of the environment.

Traditionally, Women have had to work more, they have been denied the right to inheritance of property, they have had to assume total responsibility for house work and the care of children and the elderly and this work is not counted as of being of any economic value, they have had to go underfed and have been subjected to domestic and external violence of the worst kind. As a consequence of this secondary status, women have to bear more babies to ensure that there are male progeny who will inherit the property and provide security in old age. Along with this, there is social control over the sexuality of women so that men can be assured that the children born to their wives are truly theirs ensurimg the purity of their descent.

Naturally, all this affects adversely the lives and well being of women. Therefore, MAJLIS works to improve the situation of women by acting for their education, health and livelihoods. Women are also the primary care takers of the environment and as a consequence of their oppression, the environment too suffers due to over exploitation. So empowerment of women goes hand in hand with conservation of the environment and that is why sustainable agriculture, forest, soil and water conservation and renewable energy are also focus areas of the organisation.
Establishment of a gender just, equitable and sustainable society through the collective action of women and men in rights based campaigns and development work is the aim of the organisation with special focus on the well being of Adivasi and Dalit Communities.

The strategies adopted to achieve this are –

• Problem analysis workshops in which the people participate in open discussions to pinpoint the problems they face and the ways in which they can be overcome through cooperation and mobilisation.
• Legal and rights training workshops in which the people are taught the basics of the liberal democratic constitutional framework of governance that prevails in the country including its scope and limitations. Special emphasis is laid on the enabling provisions that have been made for the benefit of Adivasis and Dalits in the Indian Constitution.
• Collective Action for rights through public demonstrations, sit-ins and legal and media advocacy.
• Revival of traditional labour and resource pooling customs.
• Special women’s meetings to get them involved in resource conservation work, public demonstrations, tackling their reproductive health problems and engaginge with men, society and the state to reduce patriarchy.
• Cultural Rejuvenation programmes based on the nature friendly ethic of the Adivasis.
• Advocacy to change the laws and rules in favour of the Adivasis and Dalits.

MAJLIS is a registered society with a board chaired by a Dalit woman with five Adivasi women and one Savarna male as the other members. The organisation has only three full time staff and mostly leverages the voluntary action of the members of the mass organisations Kansari nu Vadavno, Khedut Mazdoor Chetna Sangath and Adivasi Ekta Parishad. The people of the area put in voluntary work to implement the campaigns of the organisation and also contribute in cash and kind to various programmes. The contribution of time, labour and cash and kind by the people is many times more in economic value than the funds sourced externally by MAJLIS. There is also a consultancy firm by the same name which offers research and development services to other agencies on a commercial basis.

Pandutalab Address:

Savitribai Phule Marg,
Barwah Road, Pandutalab,
Dewas District,
Madhya Pradesh – 455227
Contact No: +919826281773, email: subhadra.khaperde@gmail.com View on Google Maps 📌

Indore Address:

74, Krishnodaya Nagar,
Khandwa Naka, Indore,
Indore District,
Madhya Pradesh – 452001
Contact No: +919425943023, email: rahul.indauri@gmail.com
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