Pariwar Chaupal, a unique initiative launched in Chhattisgarh, is expanding awareness about shared responsibility within households, women’s health, nutrition and gender equity by involving men and other key stakeholders in conversations.
Late afternoon, the shadows from the trees are long and the wind is cool. The men and women have put away the tools of their trade, and head to the village square for Pariwar Chaupal. This is Bastar in Chhattisgarh — a land of simple tribespeople and years of Maoist insurgency that has kept the region’s growth vertices supine.
The event is about to begin. Pilmani Baghel, a 29-year-old master trainer, draws faces of both a man and a woman on a chart. She then invites everyone: “Today, we will discuss the daily tasks of women and men in their households.”
The men respond enthusiastically: “Let’s start.”
This is a game called “Kaam ka Bojh”, meaning burden of work.
“In this activity, a man and a woman are called to participate. Each receives a specific number of pebbles, which they will place on the respective faces drawn on the chart based on their daily activities,” Baghel explained.
The woman and the man recount their daily tasks, such as making tea, washing clothes, sending children to school and going to work. Each task is represented by a pebble placed on the face corresponding to the person who performed it. Once all the pebbles were placed, 30-year-old Basanti Kashyap, another master trainer and the referee, counted them to determine the winner.
The results usually favour women, highlighting the often-unrecognised work they do. This game helps acknowledge their efforts and encourages people to support them. It also opens a peephole into the often inscrutable human mind.
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Signs of change are visible in India’s vast countryside, where most of the nation’s 1.4 billion people live. Concrete houses, paved roads, power poles, people chatting on mobile phones or streaming YouTube videos, motorcycles and even cars have become a common sight. Yet, beneath this veneer of modernity, the deep-rooted veil of gender norms continue to endure.
A study conducted in Bastar revealed persistent issues like women eating whatever little is left after feeding the family, early marriages and poorly spaced pregnancies. Only 57 percent of adolescent girls felt empowered to make decisions about finishing school.
The findings underscored that men, including husbands and elder brothers, and women, including mothers and mothers-in-law, often perpetuate gender inequalities. But, when engaged as stakeholders, these decision-makers can become powerful allies in driving socio-behavioural change.
In response to these pressing issues, an initiative called Pariwar Chaupal has emerged, spearheaded by the Roshni Centre for Women Collectives at Lady Irwin College, University of Delhi, under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Rural Livelihood Mission (DAY-NRLM).
The initiative, launched in the Bastar region, aims to bring the challenges faced by women into the open by creating a platform for dialogue. The key innovation is its focus on male engagement, where men, elderly members, local influencers, and traditional healers join monthly meetings to address women’s needs and rights.
The game of Kaam ka Bojh is part of the initiative. Participants like 67-year-old Arjun Singh Thakur shared how the Pariwar Chaupal meetings transformed his perspective.
Initially hesitant to attend the events, Thakur found the discussions to be eye-opening, helping him recognise the challenges faced by the women in his family. With the support of his wife and son, he overcame previous stigmas and now actively supports his daughter-in-law’s health and well-being.
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Bastar block programme manager Amit Kujur highlighted the impact of Pariwar Chaupal, saying, “This initiative has shown proven results. You will notice men assisting their wives with cooking, cleaning, child care and even sharing meals together at least once a day.”
The Roshni Centre’s model integrates gender awareness into activities centred on food, nutrition, health and water (FNHW). Initially developed in Bastar, the programme has expanded into other blocks in Chhattisgarh.
Each month, meetings are held in village squares, led by women known as poshan sakhis or master trainers, who are connected to the Chhattisgarh State Rural Livelihood Mission. These women lead discussions on the importance of proper nutrition, sanitation, and the support needed from men and elders for women to thrive emotionally and physically.
Beyond the games, women share their personal struggles, discussing issues such as early pregnancies, health challenges and the need for better sanitary practices. These conversations are the foundation of the FNHW components under DAY-NRLM, a programme that began in 2016 with a focus on women’s health, nutrition and sanitation.
The realisation that livelihood generation alone was not enough to uplift rural women led to the inclusion of health interventions, as health-related expenses often drive families deeper into poverty.
The programme has shown tangible results. Evaluations conducted in 2023 found that more than 50 percent of participants believed the initiative had reduced women’s household burden and improved their access to health and nutrition resources. The initiative also contributed to reducing early marriages and pregnancies, and families began eating at least one meal together daily, creating stronger familial bonds.
The success of Pariwar Chaupal has garnered attention beyond the region. Professor Sarita Anand, centre lead of Roshni, said DAY-NRLM plans to scale this intervention across 34 states and Union territories. Roshni Centre will assist in developing materials and training for field-level implementation.
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The lead image on top shows a Pariwar Chaupal in progress at a village in Bastar, Chhattisgarh. (Photo by Devashish Biswal)
Devashish Biswal currently works with Roshni CWCSA as Consultant – Knowledge Management, Communications and Documentation. He was also a Village Square Fellow ’23.
