Women empowerment
How these rural women shatter stereotypes
Women, who once played traditional gender roles, are now working to uplift not just their own lives but also those of their communities. This International Women’s Day, we revisit inspiring rural women featured on Village Square.
MGNREGA — How more rural women can join the workforce
Appointing women mates has increased the participation of women in the rural workforce. But identifying and addressing issues will ensure choosing the right candidates and produce better results.
Ahead of season 3, a real-life ‘Panchayat’ experience in MP
Harish Joshi, resembling the character of “sachiv ji”, shares his experiences as the panchayat secretary, while sarpanch Inderbai reflects on women’s empowerment in Mahodiya village of Madhya Pradesh where the popular web series ‘Panchayat’ was filmed.
Empowering Punjab’s rural women
The essence of the rural employment guarantee scheme lay obscured in many villages of Punjab, veiled by the shadows of ignorance. But a women's collective is helping to empower beneficiaries across nearly 3,000 villages.
Caution: Reading this will make you crave paani-puri
With no background in making puris for the delectable pani puri or in running a business, a group of women in rural Tamil Nadu become successful micro-entrepreneurs.
A Punjab college for girls where every student is a teacher
Baba Aya Singh Riarki College in Punjab’s Gurdaspur district stands as a beacon of empowerment, challenging stereotypes and showcasing how girls are capable of achieving remarkable feats.
Uttarakhand women enjoy ‘khushi ka ek din’
Festivals being held across Kumaon region are helping 'pahadi' women to let their hair down and revel in simple joys, even though only for a day in a year.
Farmers turn to organic farming thanks to this ‘agri-friend’
Observing the rampant use of farm chemicals and resultant asthma among villagers, Geeta Rani Satpathy becomes a krishi mitra, and with an indirect approach convinces farmers to give up chemicals and practise organic cultivation.
Acid attack survivor: I don’t want to hide my face
Kavita Bisht from Karnal village of Uttarakhand has overcome disfigurement and despair to become the state’s brand ambassador for women empowerment.
A tailor-made solution for women to stop brewing alcohol
Sheela Devi, who became an entrepreneur as a married teen, thanks to her tailoring skills, trains other women in her Jharkhand village so that they can quit brewing liquor and migrating for work.
Manipuri film ‘Andro Dreams’ dribbles past gender stereotype
Filmmaker Meena Longjam’s ‘Andro Dreams’ breaks the mould of sports films, offering a nuanced perspective on a Manipur village, challenging societal norms through the lens of an all-girls football team.
Tezpur’s artistry in motion
One of Assam’s oldest handloom enterprise is a small scale family run business, employing fifteen rural women who have been weaving their magic into the traditional looms for 35 years to create unique motifs in sarees and dress materials in Tezpur.
Kashmiri women navigate success in water chestnuts
Locally known as Singhara, water chestnuts grow naturally on the margins of Wular - one of the largest freshwater lakes in Asia. From harvesting the produce to selling, it is an industry run primarily by women.
Schoolgirls raise their voice successfully against prejudice
Recognising the strength of collective power, the girl students of a rural government school get their misogynistic teacher replaced, improve washroom facilities and inspire action in other schools.
Master strokes of a Mithila maestro
Manisha Jha, a passionate Mithila painter and architect dedicated to preserving tradition, talks about her journey, artistic roots and vision for sustaining the rich folk art of this region.
Kashmiri women influencers you need to follow
Women from rural Kashmir are challenging societal norms, one social media post at a time, in an inspiring wave of digital change sweeping through the region.
Copperware carves way for Kashmir women’s empowerment
Defying gender barriers, young women are training to be coppersmiths in Kashmir and working towards making their mark in a male-dominated craft sector to ensure social and financial empowerment.
A widow becomes sarpanch at 80, busting ageism myths
Widowed young, Fatah Begum became a labourer to feed and educate her eight children. With a firm belief in women’s contribution to nation-building, she became a sarpanch at 80, busting myths about gender and age.
A rural woman’s ‘toy story’ towards success
An accidental brush with a training programme turns an unlettered rural woman into an entrepreneur who now runs a soft toy business in Rajasthan. She now earns Rs 30,000 per month and employs 12 women.
Book Review: The Indian Village by Surinder S. Jodhka
Published by Aleph Book Company, the book chronicles socioeconomic changes in Indian villages through interesting anecdotes.