VZCZCXRO9960
OO RUEHAST RUEHBI RUEHCI RUEHDBU RUEHLH RUEHNEH RUEHPW
DE RUEHNE #2309/01 3210744
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 170744Z NOV 09
FM AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 8578
INFO RUCNCLS/ALL SOUTH AND CENTRAL ASIA COLLECTIVE
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

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 
 
NEW DELHI 00002309  002 OF 003 
 
 
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 
 
NEW DELHI 00002309  003 OF 003 
 
 
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