women’s empowerment
2.36 Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan: Joint ownership of
housing by husband and wife in Maharashtra
Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal (MAVIM), the women’s economic empowerment organisation of the Government of Maharashtra,
has undertaken an awareness generation campaign that seeks to make women aware of their rights to their husbands’ house and
property. The initiative stands out for addressing a challenging issue that has often been cited as a reason for the vulnerabilities
of many married women. 1,065 women from 29 villages in Parbhani district have become co-owners of property since June
2013. Besides a sense of security, they have been able to resist domestic abuse with the knowledge that they cannot legally be
thrown out of their houses. Women members of Self Help Groups (SHGs) are even more empowered owing to their increased
awareness and economic independence.
Rationale of the family and women are treated as subordinate. This
is reflected in the pattern of land ownership as well –
Property rights of women in India are governed by a as of 2007, a mere 10.9% of agricultural land owners
complex set of personal laws with separate provisions for are women.2 The lack of ownership of property and
Christians, Muslims, Tribals and Hindus (which include other assets makes women vulnerable, forcing them
Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains). There is, therefore, no single to tolerate instances of domestic abuse and depriving
right to property law for women in India. This diversity them of decision-making power. It also makes them
of laws further increases due to the fact that both the vulnerable to poverty and destitution in the event of
Centre and States legislate upon this topic. These rights their husband’s death or divorce. To address these issues,
are weakened by lack of constitutional protection for the Government Resolution 1094/3625/10-08-1994 was
women.1 passed, declaring that every married woman has the right
to an equal share in her husband’s property. However
This complex legal structure results in lack of clarity as this rule is not properly implemented – both in rural as
to which authority is accountable for enforcement. The well as urban areas.
problem is further aggravated by a largely patriarchal
social structure in India where men are the default heads This lacuna was highlighted by MAVIM3 in Maharashtra,
and it was decided to focus on creating awareness among
women in Maharashtra regarding their rights to their
husband’s property. Thus began the initiative known
as Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan or the Home of Two
campaign, beginning in May-June 2013 in Maharashtra’s
Parbhani district. The initiative is unique in that the State
has taken an active and targeted approach towards the
enforcement of women’s property rights, an approach
that is unparalleled elsewhere in the country.
Objectives
The aim of this initiative is to enforce the right to property
for women by increasing awareness and registering of
Image 1: Women outside the Mooli village joint ownership of the house between husband and
sabhagrah wife.
1
Shruti Pandey. Property rights of Indian women. http://www.muslimpersonallaw.co.za/inheritancedocs/Property%20 Rights%20of%20INdian%20
Women.pdf
2
Food and Agricultural Organization. http://www.fao.org/economic/es-policybriefs/multimedia0/female-land-ownership/en/
3
MAVIM is the State Women’s Development Corporation of Government of Maharashtra, established to implement women empowerment programmes
through SHGs and enable social, economic and political justice for women.
Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015 261
Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan: Joint ownership of housing by husband and wife in Maharashtra
Key Stakeholders Implementation Strategy
The nodal implementation agency at the State level is MAVIM had a rural women empowerment programme
MAVIM in convergence with the District Coordinating called Tejaswini, which is implemented in Maharashtra’s
Officer, CMRC, Village Level Committee (VLC), local 33 districts, including in Parbhani. The programme was
bodies and SHGs. The ultimate beneficiaries of the built on four work components:
initiative are the married women.
1. Grassroots institution building
Figure 1: Key stakeholders 2. Micro financial services
MAVIM 3. Livelihood and micro enterprise development
� Nodal state level implementing agency. Provides 4. Women empowerment.
overall direction, funding, support and monitoring and
evaluation. The Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan was taken up as an
initiative by the Parbhani district chapter of MAVIM under
District Coordinating Officer the women empowerment component of Tejaswini,
� District level executive head a sub-theme of which is property rights. The initiative
� Strengthens and supports SHGs and Community
was taken up only in Parbhani as this district chapter had
Managed Resource Centres to become self-sustaining already had a successful experience in mobilising women
through the SHG network and could consider this as next
� Conducts awareness generation, training and capacity
step.
building
While awareness generation on the right to property
was being created in other districts as well, what
Community Managed Resource Centre differentiated the Parbhani experience was its campaign
� Cluster level body mode and outcome-oriented approach which focussed
� Nodal field level implementing agency consisting of not just on generating awareness but on taking the next
federation of 150-200 SHGs formed in a cluster of 20 and crucial step of translating it into actual registration of
villages joint ownership.
� Provides basic services to SHGs such as capacity
building, need assessment, bank linkages, gradation,
convergence with government schemes and audit
However, the challenge of tackling patriarchy by
attacking one of its foundations - male ownership of
Village Level Committee private property - was formidable. There was also a clear
relationship between the size of property involved and
� Body representing all SHGs active in the village. the difficulty in ensuring registration, with zamindar4
Empowers SHGs and forwards village development families having stronger feudal mindsets and reluctance
agenda.
to share property with women. Even in cases where
property would be registered with women, it would be
Self Help Groups
generally for the purpose of avoiding taxation and not
� Primary unit for community mobilisation and women for real empowerment. Therefore, the implementation
empowerment. Promotes awareness and advocacy strategy adopted was to focus on families with small
campaigns in terms of legal, policy and programmatic
provisions
property holdings as the assumption was that these would
be more receptive to the initiative.
Local bodies
Owing to the caste system, the families with small
� Gram Sabha, village Sarpanch and Gram Sewak are property holdings showed a clear pattern: they invariably
involved in community mobilisation and registration belonged to the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes,
Other Backward Castes and minority communities. There
Beneficiary was also a significant overlap between them and Below
Poverty Line families. Accordingly MAVIM focussed its
� Married women are the ultimate beneficiaries of this
initiatives on these communities. Villages were selected
initiative
where there was a strong presence of SHGs. The pilot
of Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan was implemented in
29 villages with some of them being Mooli, Sunegaon,
Pimpri and Brahmangaon.
4
Landlord
262 Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015
women’s empowerment
a. Awareness generation to as ‘slow poisoning’ by
the implementing officials
The actual implementation of the initiative only required because it is given in small
that the husband and wife register their property as co- doses over time. In addition
owners at the Panchayat office. The main challenge to meetings of SHGs, the
was in generating the demand for this and in getting Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan
both parties to agree to it. This required significant and is also publicised at Gram
sustained awareness generation and, therefore, villages Sabha meetings.
with a strong presence of SHGs were selected for the
trust the people had in them. SHGs had a reputation of Once demand has been
contributing positively to the society and this made it generated and there is
easy to disseminate information for gender awareness. an agreement from both
sides, the husband and
Gender awareness training was given to women wife have to jointly register
members through the Sahyogini, a field-level SHG as co-owners of the house
functionary. The Community Managed Resource Centre at the village Panchayat
(CMRC) provides such training as well, at both the cluster office. The registration is
level and at the district levels. As part of these trainings, carried out by the Gram
women would be made aware of the unpaid labour Sewak in Form 8-A, after
they perform, such as domestic chores and agricultural which both husband and
labour, thus bolstering their self-esteem and countering wife become joint owners
the perception that housewives ‘do nothing’. The of the house. Women then Image 2: Advertisements in
campaign was also designed to make women aware of put up name plates on the local newspapers
their vulnerability. Men typically control the household house, proclaiming their
income and retain ownership of housing and land. Even equal status as owners.
jewelery and utensils, which are used almost exclusively
by women, are ultimately owned by men. This makes All positive behaviour is rewarded by reinforcement.
women extremely vulnerable and leaves them with little Husbands who register along with their wives, along with
say in how resources are utilised. Women are thus made supportive Sarpanchs and Gram Sewaks, are felicitated
aware that despite contributing equally, if not more, to at public functions and given a Jyotiba Phule5 award
the family income, they are left thoroughly vulnerable which honours their progressive and inclusive efforts.
and have no security. They are then introduced to the As Maharashtra has had a legacy of many famous social
Government Resolution, which gives them a right to reformers who are revered by the people, such awards
joint ownership of their husband’s house and land. The are seen as a mark of high respect.
campaign creates demand through sustained awareness
generation along these lines. The initiative also undertakes study tours/exposure visits
to successful villages to afford an opportunity in peer
learning. When SHG members share their successes,
b. Strategy it motivates women from other villages to replicate the
initiative. Similarly, experience sharing meetings are
arranged among villages where strategies, problems and
Male members of the village are also involved in these solutions are discussed. Cluster level meetings at the
meetings and encouraged to empathise with the plight CMRC are also held where such best practices are shared.
of their mothers and sisters who are disempowered. Even the local newspapers have covered the successes of
The need for joint ownership to secure their future is the initiative.
highlighted. This softens their approach and sensitises
them to the need for women’s empowerment even in the
case of their own wives. The advantages accruing from c. Monitoring and evaluation
empowered women to the household and community
are highlighted to consolidate male participation. They
are also complimented for supporting their wives in SHG A monitoring application is used by MAVIM, which
endeavours and are exhorted to continue the good work provides consolidated data on the functioning of the
and make their wives co-owners of property. Key officials initiative. Monthly review meetings are held at the district
such as Sarpanchs and Gram Sewaks are also given training level where problems are identified and action is taken
and made aware of the Government Resolution and its legal by block authorities such as Block Development Officers.
status. The communication strategy is informally referred The CMRC is also involved in monitoring.
5
Jyotiba Phule was a famous social activist in Maharashtra who fought for the rights of women and backward castes.
Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015 263
Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan: Joint ownership of housing by husband and wife in Maharashtra
Resources Utilised Figure 2: Social profile of beneficiaries
Minority, 3%
The Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan is implemented through General, 7%
the Tejaswini system and so does not require any
additional resources for implementation. The Tejaswini
system is funded by the Government of Maharashtra and
International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).
OBC, 30% SC, 40%
Efforts are on to make the CMRCs self-sustaining by
making them charge fees from SHGs for the training and
monitoring services they provide.
People speak... ST, 20%
Maidabi Hassan Syed, Mooli village, Key Challenges
Gangakhed block, Parbhani
“Before I joined an Initially, it was very difficult to explain the concept of joint
SHG, I knew nothing ownership as a ‘right’ to men. The request for registration
but cooking and taking of joint ownership would be immediately interpreted as
care of children, and a lack of trust in the husband and his family. This was
barely stepped out of the addressed by gender sensitisation training for men. After
house. However, after the implementation, other men in the village or from
joining I began working neighbouring villages would find it strange to see the
on various issues, starting wife’s name on the house. However, as the sight became
with water supply. more and more common, they became used to it.
This led us to Ghar
Doghaanche Abhiyan. It was also observed that during the process of SHG
We mobilised women in formation, the men were reluctant to ‘allow’ their wives
the village and a majority of men supported us. Their to participate. They would fear that their wives would
initial resistance was countered by our assurances neglect their household duties. This was addressed by
that what we were doing was for the benefit of the convincing them that family life would not suffer and
family and our children. Now when our husbands by recounting the good work done by SHGs. The men
are asked by other men why our name plates would gradually relent and come on board.
are on the house, they reply that is so because we
are the mards (men) of the family.” At the beginning, women were extremely shy and lacked
self-confidence. This was overcome with sustained
awareness generation and gender sensitisation training.
Another challenge was lack of support from Gram
Sewaks in nine villages. This required intervention from
the district office after which the problem was resolved.
Impact Certain villages were non-responsive to the initiative.
This was addressed with repeated IEC campaigning and
Husbands and wives as joint owners of property: frequent Gram Sabha discussions. Corruption in the
Since June 2013, 1,065 women from 29 villages in property registration process was also widespread and
Parbhani district have registered their names on Form posed a major obstacle as well.
8-A, making them co-owners of property. This has
provided them a sense of security and increased their
self-confidence. Replicability and Sustainability
With the security that they have a right to the house
they reside in, they are empowered to stand up for their Registration is a one-time process. However, the challenge
rights in other spheres and challenge discrimination and is to ensure that the culture of registration of joint ownership
unfair treatment including domestic abuse. SHG Women seeps into society and over time begins to disseminate by
experience greater empowerment and enjoy greater itself through peer learning as an accepted norm. This
confidence, owing to their increased awareness and requires sustained IEC support from the implementing
economic independence. agency and learning between villages through exposure
264 Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015
women’s empowerment
visits. Currently the Ghar Doghaanche Abhiyan is still at the
district level and has not been upscaled to the entire State.
This also poses questions regarding long-term viability. People speak...
Successful replication requires several preconditions. Vandana, Mooli village, Gangakhed
One, SHGs must be present in large numbers and must block, Parbhani
have a history of successful initiatives. This will help them
gain the community’s trust and make it possible for them “Prior to my involvement with
to initiate the dialogue on women’s right to property. The an SHG, I lacked confidence to
success of the initiative largely depends on the credibility speak in front of anyone. Now
of SHGs. Two, women in the village must be actively my confidence has risen to the
mobilised through SHGs or other means and must be extent that now I feel I have
aware of their rights. This is an essential requisite as only to stand up when I speak. We
then will there be the demand generation for taking the ensured that in addition to the
campaign forward. Three, men too must be involved in house, even the taps procured
awareness generation. They must be seen as partners for water supply were put in the wife’s name.”
in the process and not opponents. They must be made
to appreciate the issue from the point of view of their Kushavartha Bhosale, Mooli village,
mothers and sisters so that they understand the subject of Gangakhed block, Parbhani
women’s vulnerability and exploitation from a position of
empathy. This will make them more willing to support the “In this entire village no one
initiative with respect to their wives as well. It is important has had to endure as much
to note that negative communication that accuses men domestic violence as I have.
of villainy and exploitation, or takes a threatening and In addition to registering my
legalistic approach to the enforcement of joint ownership name, I saw to it that we shut
of property has a low chance of success as it might have down the local liquor shop.
the counter-productive effect of antagonizing men. If I had to motivate another
Therefore, constant positive reinforcement of good woman for this initiative, I
behaviour, especially of men, through community would tell her that this is not just for her security, but
felicitations and rewarding will also help soften opposition for the security of her children and security against
and secure their cooperation. Four, local government domestic violence.”
machinery must be involved in the entire process. Efforts
must be made to maintain maximum coordination
between the Village Level Committees (VLCs), Gram Conclusion
Sewaks and Sarpanchs. The latter two entities often face
obstruction from powerful local vested interests and,
therefore, must be assured that they have State level or The initiative is set to extend to 60 more villages
higher level administrative support. Five, the government where registration of joint land ownership will take
will also have to ensure that monitoring and evaluation place as well. As land ownership is a fundamental
is a very important component and strong systems must issue, associated challenges, and consequently the
be set which provide regular feedback on programme requirement for such an initiative, are only expected to
performance and bottlenecks. increase in the future.
Fact Sheet
Theme Women’s Empowerment
Nodal Implementing Agency Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal, Government of Maharashtra
Geographical Coverage Parbhani district of Maharashtra State
Target Groups Married women
Years of Implementation 2013 - Present
Social Sector Service Delivery: Good Practices Resource Book 2015 265
A women displays rice produced on her farm as part of a MAVIM initiative on ‘Organic Rice Production
by SRI: Empowering Women in Maharashtra’. The initiative has strengthened grassroots level institutions
through the formation of women SHG-led business groups and has helped in reduction in women’s
drudgery while increasing their participation in decision-making matters of the household.
