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
Women grassroots health workers take to cycling for better reach
Accredited social health activists, who were dependent on the men in their family to commute or walked many miles every day, have become punctual and efficient after learning to cycle
Online classes spell end of education for rural girls
With boys getting preference to use the single multimedia phone at home, girls from poor rural households have discontinued studies, resigning themselves to an early marriage
Treatment and awareness help women overcome anemia
Extensive testing, treating the affected, and awareness about food habits to change malnutrition status have brought down the prevalence of anemia and improved the health of women
How village organizations effect change in rural India
Coming together as a collective helps women shed their inhibitions and realize their potential by working towards personal growth and amplify their voices in confronting disparities
Women ensure regular access to drinking water
With the dug well drying up in summer, women who lost time in fetching water and hence wage work, got a bore well drilled to fulfill their water needs
Village Organizations pave way for women’s empowerment
Women who came together for better livelihood, have become socially empowered that they use their collective power to resolve community issues and ensure gender justice
Adolescent girls progress towards complete empowerment
Repressive norms pushed adolescent girls to poor health and early marriage. Bringing them together into groups has helped them improve their health, stop child marriage and learn vocational skills
Women use mobile phones to maintain land records
Over half a million women, trained to access and maintain their land records through mobile phones, have learned to complete documentation, so that they are registered as owners
Women dairy farmers ensure safe delivery of milk during lockdown
Adopting safety measures during coronavirus scare, women dairy farmers ensure supply of milk to consumers, while protecting the livelihood and economic interests of its member farmers