AMBASSADOR VERVEER AND SECRETARY SIKRI SUPPORT

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 NEW DELHI 002309

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

S/GWI SABA GHORI

DEPT PASS TO USAID

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV TSPL KCRM KCOR ELAB KDEM KWMN KOCI PHUM
KTIP, SOCI, IN
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR VERVEER AND SECRETARY SIKRI SUPPORT
BROAD-BASED WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT DIALOGUE


1. (SBU) SUMMARY. Ambassador Melanne Verveer met Ministry of
Women and Child Development (MWCD) Secretary Devender Kumar
Sikri on November 9 to discuss the Women's Empowerment
Dialogue (WED). Sikri described the GOI's ideas for WED
discussion topics. These included social and economic
empowerment, building the capacity of self-help groups,
micro-credit, political participation, education, violence
against women, healthcare, and gender budgeting. Verveer
stressed the importance of self-help groups who are engaged
in economic activity and the need to help connect their
products to wider markets. Sikri and Verveer both agreed
that women's empowerment is a cross-cutting issue that should
be woven into all components of the U.S.-India Strategic
Dialogue. The Indian side agreed to consider co-sponsoring
the Women's Leadership Summit in New Delhi in 2010, and the
U.S. side agreed to review the GOI's proposed WED agenda.
After the meeting, Verveer briefly met MWCD Minister Krishna
Tirath who expressed strong support for the WED. END SUMMARY

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL EMPOWERMENT
--------------


2. (SBU) After expressing the GOI's strong support for the
Women's Empowerment Dialogue (WED),Secretary Sikri informed
Verveer that an announcement on this initiative is expected
to be made during Prime Minister Singh's official state visit
to Washington later this month. (Comment: Sikri was likely
referring to a mention of the WED in the Joint Statement to
be issued by both leaders. End Comment.) Sikri then outlined
the GOI's ideas for areas to discuss through the WED. We
should first start by looking at areas in which each nation
has strengths, he declared. On economic empowerment, Sikri
stressed the importance of concentrating on the grassroots
and pointed to the GOI's assistance in helping some five
million self-help groups, 90 percent of whose members are
women. The GOI facilitates loans totaling USD 1.25 billion
to these groups and plans to universalize the program by

2015.


3. (SBU) Political empowerment is equally important, Sikri
asserted. India already reserves 30 percent of local village
council (panchayat) seats for women. By 2010, 1.5 million
women are expected to be elected in these councils. Sikri
told Verveer elections to village councils have empowered
women by giving them confidence and a sense of identity.
Verveer suggested training for female members to help them
become more effective in village councils, and examining
national legislation to ensure implementation and greater
effectiveness at the local level as other areas the WED could
explore.

SELF-HELP GROUPS
--------------


4. (SBU) Verveer raised the importance of focusing on
self-help groups (SHG),stressing that the WED should explore
ways to link women's economic work to trade and the larger
marketplace. These groups produce great products, she
observed, which we should help by enhancing their quality,
business practices, and their connections to large outside
markets. Expanding credit to small and medium-sized
businesses is another excellent area for cooperation under
the WED, especially since micro-credit has been a success
story in India. Joint Secretary Manjula Krishnan described
the GOI's financial assistance to self-help groups,
underscoring that the GOI views them as a means of both
economic and social empowerment. Krishnan explained that the
MWCD's National Women's Microcredit (Rashtriya Mahila Kosh)
program promotes many innovative lending projects. The
program's success has attracted the attention of President
Pratibha Patil, she said, who has called for expanding the
program's scope. Under the program, non-governmental
organizations (NGOs) apply for money that is then transferred
to SHGs. Sikri added that the program looks at ways to
minimize transaction costs. Krishnan cited one study that
showed a decrease in domestic violence as one outcome of the
program. Verveer responded that data demonstrating such a
correlation would be useful in advocating for such programs
elsewhere.

GENDER BUDGETING
--------------


5. (SBU) Sikri told Verveer the MWCD is the lead coordinating
ministry to implement the concept of gender budgeting across

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the GOI bureaucracy. Joint Secretary Manjula Krishnan
described the MWCD's efforts, although she admitted that the
GOI is still on the learning curve. The GOI is cooperating
with international institutions, encouraging every Indian
ministry to set up a gender budgeting cell to ensure women's
concerns are reflected in ministerial programs, and holding
workshops and drafting training manuals. Verveer
acknowledged that the U.S. could learn from India's
experience as it makes progress in this field.

VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
--------------


6. (SBU) The MWCD has focused on violence against women
through the village councils, but Sikri said the GOI wants to
learn from the U.S. on the institutional response to violence
against women. Verveer noted that violence is a pressing
challenge that harms families and impedes economic
prosperity. Running down a list of other areas for
discussion like police and judicial reforms, education,
health and nutrition, HIV/AIDS, foster care for the girl
child, and homes for senior citizens, Sikri stressed that
these proposed ideas are only the beginning.

WOMEN'S EMPOWERMENT: CROSS-CUTTING ISSUE
--------------


7. (SBU) Verveer solicited Sikri's thoughts on how to ensure
that women's empowerment---which is an issue that cuts across
many topics from energy to education---is woven into other
dialogues under the U.S.-India Strategic Dialogue. For
example, although cook stoves fall under the climate change
dialogue, they are also a women's empowerment issue. Sikri
replied that the GOI has already held inter-ministerial
meetings on this challenge. The MWCD will work with the
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy to explore how SEWA
(Self-Employed Women's Association) can participate in the
cook stove project. Verveer agreed, stressing that women who
are empowered can become drivers of low carbon green
technology at the local level which will help support the
overall climate change agenda.

WOMEN'S LEADERSHIP SUMMIT
--------------


8. (SBU) Verveer informed Sikri of the USG's support for a
Women's Leadership Summit in New Delhi on September 14-17,
2010 that is being coordinated by the NGO, Vital Voices. The
conference will bring together companies, NGOs, and SHGs to
focus on ways to expand women's empowerment. She requested
Sikri to encourage the GOI's co-sponsorship of, and
participation in, the conference. Sikri replied that the GOI
will consider the request, but noted the conference dates
fall during the run-up to the October 2010 Commonwealth Games
hosted in New Delhi. Thus, obtaining high-level GOI
participation may prove difficult, Sikri averred. (Note: The
Commonwealth Games are the second-largest sporting event
after the Olympics, and New Delhi has received much criticism
for poor games coordination and significant delays in the
construction of venues. However, the summit will not occur at
the same time as the Games. End Note.)

NEXT STEPS
--------------


9. (SBU) Both Verveer and Sikri expressed support for a
broad-based Women's Empowerment Dialogue. The U.S. side
agreed to review the GOI's proposed WED agenda outlining
areas of collaboration and cooperation, and to give the GOI
its comments. The GOI agreed to consider co-sponsoring and
participating in the Women's Leadership Summit in New Delhi.
Verveer mentioned the idea of a "Women's Empowerment Fund"
that could potentially serve as a catalyst for foundations
and civil society actors to advance WED objectives. Sikri saw
merit in exploring this concept further. (Comment: It was
clear Ambassador Verveer's visit prompted intensive efforts
over several days by MWCD officials to put together a
suggested agenda and to move the process forward. End
Comment.)

MINISTER TIRATH
--------------


10. (SBU) In a brief courtesy meeting afterward, MWCD
Minister Krishna Tirath told Verveer she supported the

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U.S.-India WED. Verveer told Tirath she believed this
dialogue will be productive since both our leaders, President
Obama and Prime Minister Singh, care deeply about these
issues. Regarding agenda topics, Sikri interjected that
there is "perfect meeting of the minds."

BIO NOTE
--------------


11. (U) Secretary Sikri recently joined the MWCD on November

3. Nevertheless, he was well-briefed and held command over
the meeting with Verveer. He previously served as Registrar
General and Census Commissioner of India/Special Secretary in
the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In that capacity, he told
Ambassador Verveer he had useful exchanges with the U.S.
Census Board. Sikri's other assignments include the Ministry
of Chemicals and Fertilizers, Ministry of Welfare, and
postings in the Gujarat state government. Sikri holds a
Master's Degree in Advanced Mathematics and hails from the
Indian state of Gujarat. He speaks fluent English, Hindi,
and Gujarati.


12. (U) This cable was cleared by Ambassador Verveer.
ROEMER