THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: If there is one lesson that Sarada Muraleedharan IAS has learnt in her six-year stint with Kudumbashree, it is that welfare does not empower. As she demits office on April 18, after being with the largest collective of women, witnessing its emergence from a mere self-help group to a commanding class calling the shots at various local governments, she believes only empowerment has made the difference.The recent years have identified Kudumbashree women as a visible vote bank, the women themselves taking over the reins of local governments, venturing into new micro-enterprises, exploring newer markets and striving to manage finances. But Sarada Muraleedharan would identify the creation of a by-law for Kudumbashree as the biggest feat during her term.“Until then, they were being hand-picked but with the by-law, women came into leadership as a true representative of a group. Earlier there was this ingredient missing in leadership. The by-law opened up a new direction towards independence. It is undertaking a process of quietly deepening democracy,” Sarada says.She recalls how women who were reluctant to face audience have become articulate over the years with the leadership opportunities presented to them by the organisation. But she agrees that financial management has not been easy for the women and remained beyond their grasp.“That is when we gave them training, engaged performance auditors to inspect the accounts and set up Kudumbashree Accounts and Auditing Service Society (KAASS). They are better off with accounts now,” she says.Though Sarada Muraleedharan is all for exploring new avenues for the women like IT, she strongly believes such ventures have limited reach to women compared to traditional sectors like animal husbandry. However, retailing is not the mantra she endorses. “We have realised convergence is the best option than retailing. The volume of products needed could well impact the quality, which we did not want to risk,” she says.During her term, Kudumbashree formed three consortiums-in IT, apparel making and Nutrimix. The organisation travelled to Commonwealth Local Government Forum where more than 50 countries had acknowledged its merits.“It pays to be honest. We have identified its drawbacks without trying to hide it. Which is why we could resolve many issues and take it forward,” she says.Sarada is sure Kudumbashree has a long way to go. She wants Kudumbashree to be the cause for local economic development. Finally, the lady vacates a post that holds the power to change the destiny of women in the lower strata of the society.
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