SDGs
- Goal 1 (end poverty);
- Goal 2 (zero hunger);
- Goal 3 (good health and wellbeing);
- Goal 4 (quality education);
- Goal 5 (gender equality);
- Goal 6 (clean water and sanitation);
- Goal 7 (affordable and clean energy);
- Goal 8 (decent work and economic growth);
- Goal 10 (inequality);
- Goal 11 (sustainable cities and communities);
- Goal 16 (peace, justice and strong institutions)
Target groups
20 social groups including: scheduled and vulnerable caste and tribe communities; nomadic tribes; vulnerable children, young people and elderly; transgender people; bonded labourers; urban poor; fisherfolk; people with disabilities; religious minorities and vulnerable women.
How did we engage marginalised groups in SDG monitoring?
LNOB partners trained members of grassroots organisations representing marginalised groups in 10 ‘hotspots’. Representatives convened focus group discussions, key informant interviews and household surveys using a mobile app, reaching 1,000 people.
Ways target groups are left behind
Of the 10 marginalised communities surveyed, all face discrimination in accessing key welfare schemes which are crucial to achieving the SDGs in India.
- Girls and women additionally face gross inequalities and exclusion.
- Child marriage and sexual abuse is widely prevalent in the communities sampled.
- Groups in focus suffer from a high degree of unemployment: on average, they were employed for only 14 days a month. This situation is characterised by irregular earnings and wages.
- Around 42% of the households do not have access to adequate housing and live in Kutcha houses, made of materials such as bamboo, mud, grass, unburnt bricks, etc., mainly in slums.
What is missed in national reporting?
- The current national data systems like the Census and National Family Health Survey are based on averages of broad classifications of communities. These data do not reflect the situation of the most marginalised groups on different development indicators.
- Government surveys are done at long intervals and thus not adequate for timely proactive policy interventions.
- The comparison between primary data collected from the LNOB households and secondary data available through government sources clearly shows the gap between the target groups and national average on most of the development indicators.
National advocacy impact so far
The India national coalition has engaged with the NITI Aayog, the body of the union government responsible for designing, coordinating facilitating and reporting on the SDGs. Some coalition members support various state governments in translating the SDGs related to their ministries and departments, and some already contribute to the annual monitoring report on specific SDG goals.
Recommendations
- Collect and use disaggregated data on left-behind groups to frame policies, provisions and government planning.
- Promote in-depth research on left behind groups within socially excluded communities to capture current development gaps, multiple barriers and constraints in accessing development provisions and rights.
- Legislate the ‘anti-discrimination’ bill and orient duty bearers on the consequences of discrimination – build perspectives and skills to ensure social inclusion.
- Build capacities and resources of the local governments to identify socially excluded sub-population groups within their jurisdiction, and develop strategies to promote social equity and inclusion through policies and provisions.
- Implement effectively targeted affirmative action and entitlement programs aligned with SDG indicators for socially excluded groups.
- Ensure strict implementation of legislation and mechanisms to prevent violence, protect life, livelihood and property, and ensure access to timely redress and justice.
- Include a dedicated space for Leaving No One Behind in the Agenda 2030 plans of NITI Aayog and state plans; and establish a dedicated team for Leaving No One Behind in the SDG unit of NITI Aayog and corresponding officers in states.
Ongoing Project (2020-2022)
Country PublicationsTargeted SDGs
Data Tracking Site