Village life pivots around women. And – at the same time – they are often pushed to sidelines, quietened, ignored. Here we look at how and why that happens, and champion those working to change it. We would also feature LGBTQ individuals and communities who are all too often overlooked in rural India.
Gender
Malabar women raise their voice against triple talaq
Women at the receiving end of triple talaq divorce pronouncements in the Malabar region of Kerala have stood up to their rights but have faced dire consequences. Their hopes are now pinned on the new law
Education gives Paromita hope for a better future
The story of Paromita Mondal, a teenage girl living in rural Bengal, is testimony to the fact that the efforts of government and development organizations to retain girls in school have slowly started bearing results
Assamese women thrive on value-added garden produce
By supplying value-added products made from fresh fruits and vegetables grown in their backyards, women in villages of Assam’s Nagaon district have become financially independent
#MeToo movement yet to reach rural India
Although women routinely suffer sexual harassment at work in villages, the stranglehold of patriarchy and the scepter of social shaming hold them back from voicing their outrage and seeking redress
Skill training empowers girls, raises hope for gender parity
Skill development trainings are not only helping rural communities fight poverty in Assam but are also empowering girls to aspire big, overcoming challenges posed by social stigma and deep-rooted gender disparity
Solar pumps brighten lives of Kutch’s salt farmers
Agariyas, the traditional saltpan workers in the Little Rann of Kutch, have switched from diesel to ecofriendly solar-powered pumps to lift brine that have boosted their earnings from saved costs
Farm ponds improve lives of Singhbhum women
Constructed to ensure water security for cultivators, farm ponds have also helped rural women by reducing their daily treks to fetch water for domestic needs, and improving their personal health and hygiene
Women farmers suffer due to unequal land rights
Although they are often the actual cultivators, the lack of land rights among women farmers in Odisha has resulted in chronic distress because they are unable to get government loans or compensation over crop loss
Land ownership for women needs more attention
The dismal status of women’s property rights in India continues to be a nagging socio-development challenge despite a slew of progressive laws, which need political commitment and institutionalized support