Sukanya Roy
Sukanya Roy is a freelance journalist based out of Kolkata, and she believes in crafting impactful stories on the themes of gender, human rights, sexuality, environment, and the lives of denotified tribes and communities in India. She would like to harness the power of the audio-visual medium, like podcasts and documentaries, as well as the print medium to cover under-reported narratives. Apart from journalism, she is passionate about films, poetry, cats, and Kolkata biryani.
A lifeline for destitute women in rural West Bengal
Life for the residents of Ananda Kendra, a shelter for women who have been trafficked, abused or abandoned, in Bengal, was a living nightmare till before they sought refuge here. They tell Village Square how the shelter saved them.
Woman fights hidden drug epidemic in Kashmir
The Grooming Kashmir (TGK) de-addiction centre, founded by psychologist Laila Qureshi, is battling the silent epidemic of drug abuse plaguing Kashmir, offering holistic treatment for addiction amid societal stigma and resistance.
From housewife to e-rickshaw driver, Kashmiri woman rides toward financial freedom
Kaunsar Jan turned heads when she decided to become an e-rickshaw driver, navigating the bustling streets of Srinagar, breaking barriers, challenging stereotypes and embarking on a journey towards financial independence.
‘Kantha Didi’ takes Bengal’s age-old art to global recognition
Meet ‘Kantha Didi’ Tajkira Begum, a self-professed go-getter who has sewed together a narrative of personal resilience, professional excellence and social inclusion using Bengal’s revered kantha stitch.
Battling extinction: Fight to save the elusive Batagur baska
Once a delicacy for British colonialists and native Bengalis, the critically endangered northern river terrapin in Sundarbans was on verge of extinction with only 100 mature adult turtles left in the wild. Conservation efforts are now giving them hope.
Cow power drives mid-day meals in this Bengal school
This primary school in a village in Purulia district of West Bengal has implemented biogas technology for preparing the mid-day meals for students, converting cow dung into cooking fuel to reduce costs and promote eco-friendly practices.
Self-defence lessons for UP’s rural women
Young women in rural UP take up Taekwondo, and other lessons in essential life skills, as a part of a training programme, under the aegis of the Aga Khan Foundation (AKF), making themselves more resilient.
Rural women breathe easy in the kitchen, thanks to biogas
Women in UP’s Bahraich district regularly faced breathing problems and watery eyes when they used wood-fired stoves for cooking. But now biogas produced from cow dung has made cooking easier, faster and cheaper.
Women farmers harness solar power for irrigation
Switching to solar power for irrigation from diesel pumps that were costly, hard to operate and polluting, women farmers in this Uttar Pradesh village grow high-value crops, simultaneously reducing the irrigation cost by half.
One woman’s mission to make goats healthier in UP villages
This 31-year-old resident of Bahraich district in Uttar Pradesh has become a a pashu sakhi to ensure goat health by taking care of vaccination, medical treatments and safe delivery of animals.
Bio-gas, a blessing
Cooking with bio-gas offers a host of benefits, discovers a widow who manages her household single-handedly.
Meet the woman who walks many a mile to deliver mail
Working at a post office where her late husband had held the same job, Alaka Mahato, a mother of three, walks every day to a few villages in Bengal to deliver mail, happy to carry on his legacy.
Bengal teens fight for safer menstrual waste disposal
A group of young women in rural Bengal is redefining empowerment by challenging stigma surrounding menstruation, paving the way for a more inclusive and enlightened society.
Busier than bees: Sundarbans’ honey collectors
For several decades, residents of areas bordering the dense forests of the Sundarbans, have collected honey and gathered crabs for sustenance. They have also grappled with human-wildlife conflict, as tigers and crocodiles continue to pose serious threats.
Tribal school in Bengal defies odds, nurtures cultural roots
Bangada Bidu Chandan Birda Garh in the Ajodhya Hills of Purulia boasts a zero percent dropout rate thanks to its priorities of making the education residential, focusing on teaching Santhali language and traditions.
What it’s like to travel in an all-woman train
Introduced by the West Bengal government, Matribhumi trains are meant exclusively for women's mobility. Though two mixed compartments were added post the protests in 2015, women still opt for it, valuing its comfort and safety.