Release of study Findings Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study in Bihar- Life in the Era of COVID-19: Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar and Future Prospects

Panel Discussion and Release of study Findings Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study in Bihar- Life in the Era of COVID-19: Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar & Future Prospects

Center for Catalyzing Change (C3) and Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi invite you to

A Panel Discussion and Release of study Findings Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study in Bihar

Life in the Era of COVID-19:
Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar & Future Prospects

Details of the webinar:
Date: January 29, 2021; Friday
Time: 11:30 AM IST
Platform: Zoom and Facebook Live

Opening Remarks:

Dr Aparajita Gogoi, Executive Director, Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), New Delhi

Chair:

Dr Nivedita P Haran, Retired Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Home Affairs, Government of Kerala 

Panelists:
Mr Braj Kishore Pathak, Officer, Jeevika, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, State Rural Livelihoods Mission, Bihar

Prof Nalin Bharti, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Patna

Prof G. Sridevi, Associate Professor, School of Economics, Central University of Hyderabad

Mrs Mahua Roy Choudhury, Project Coordinator, Governance and Knowledge Management, Bihar Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society, Jeevika

Moderators:

Dr Simi Mehta, CEO and Editorial Director, IMPRI & Fulbright Scholar, Ohio State University, USA

Ms Madhu Joshi, Senior Advisor, Gender Equity and Governance, Centre for Catalyzing Change

Research Team:

• Prof Utpal K De, Professor, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong
• Prof Soumyadip Chattopadhyay, Associate Professor, Visva-Bharati University, Santiniketan, West Bengal
• Dr Nitin Tagade, Assistant Professor, Savitribai Phule Pune University
• Dr Arjun Kumar, Director, IMPRI; CIVS Fellow, Ashoka University
• Dr Reena Rai, Assistant Professor, Lalit Narayan Mithila University, Darbhanga

Registration and Facebook Live Link for Release of study Findings Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study in Bihar- Life in the Era of COVID-19: Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar & Future Prospects

Program Time Structure

• Introduction: 5 mins
• Opening Remarks: 5 mins
• Presentation by Team IMPRI: 20 mins
• Student Presentation: 10 mins
• Panel Discussion: 30 mins
• Distribution of Certificate: 10 mins
• Question and Answer round: 5 mins
• Vote of Thanks

About the Study

High levels of female poverty, low female literacy and work participation rates, and high maternal and child mortality, indicate the extent of gender inequality in India.  Women in rural parts of the country not only attend to their regular household care and other domestic activities (assumed to be feminine duties) but also work in farms, either as paid or unpaid workers and caregivers.

Moreover, there exists the phenomenon of out-migration from states like Bihar to other more developed states, due to lack of local livelihood opportunities.  These circumstances, combined with poor socio-economic indicators, accentuate the vulnerability of rural women – VillageMakers – and these are being compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), with the support of Centre for Catalyzing Change’s (C3) Sakshamaa Initiative, conducted a telephonic time-use survey in rural areas of the state of Bihar. The survey was conducted during September and October 2020, and covered all 38 districts, hearing from 1039 VillageMakers in rural Bihar. It uncovered the extent to which domestic violence, child marriages, and unpaid work for women, were exacerbated during the COVID-19 lockdown due to restrictions in physical movements and increased loss of livelihoods.

Women’s vulnerabilities have been magnified by the COVID-19 pandemic. As we seek to rebuild from the twin health and economic crises brought about by this pandemic, it is extremely critical to ensure the active involvement of VillageMakers in decision-making within their families and households, as well as in the planning and implementation of programs that aim to positively impact their lives. They are among the hardest hit by this pandemic, but they will also be the backbone of rebuilding efforts if their involvement and leadership are leveraged for economic recovery. In fact, foregrounding women’s voices is crucial to create a more equal environment that will be resilient to withstand further crises.

To achieve this end – the government must prioritize investments in, and access to basic infrastructure and public services in remote areas, especially to support women’s productive and unpaid care and domestic work. Further, unemployment benefits should be extended to workers regardless of gender and informality of their work.

Pradhan Mantri Gareeb Kalyan Yojana benefits of provisions of food grains and staples need to be extended for another quarter to help poorer households struggling with food insecurity. Similar to the previous support given by the state government in terms of the distribution of cycles to young girls, it is imperative to provide a smartphone to each identified needy family in order to bridge the digital gender gap.

The distribution of smartphones can be either free or subsidized at Public Distribution Shops. The per month basic minimum assistance to VillageMakers should stand at ₹ 2000 per month. The State must make ways and means to extend this one-time support, as it is poised to have an enormous impact and multiplier effect in ushering in the spirit of AtmaNirbhar Bharat.

#FieldNotes-Life in the Era of COVID-19: Impact on VillageMakers of Bihar & Future Prospects

PowerPoint Presentation:

YouTube Video:

Facebook Live Video:

Media Coverage:

• Release Of Study Findings Rural Telephonic Time Use Survey Study In Bihar- Life In The Era, Youth Ki Awaaz
• IMPRI survey: 72% Bihar casual workers reported they were jobless during pandemic, Counterview

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