Women's Meet at Village Level

Village Level Meets on Women’s Day:

 A quest for an equal world

On the occasion of International Women’s Day, grass-root meets were organised in the villages of Kadamdih (Ghtsila Block, East Singbhum), Hurumbil (Patamda Block, East Singbhum) and Taladih (Purulia District, West Bengal) on 8^th, 9^th and 11^th March 2017 respectively.

Attended by rural women, the meets focussed on equal gender rights, including the right to protected against gender violence and discrimination.

The discussion focused on how equal opportunities on land would ensure equal social rights to women. It also highlighted the fact how violence against women including lack of safety at work-space were tools of subjugation of women.

Women spoke on how little rights go a long way in ensuring security for women. For example, Karmi Kisku of Kadamdih village and Usharani of Taladih village explained how the right to kitchen garden had helped them to own a piece of land, as well as to make some savings through sale of the vegetable surplus from the gardens. They explained how it had given them the power to decide about seeds, production, sale etc.

Jayanti Mahato of Hurumbil explained how equal rights often excluded the need to have equal nutrition. In this context, she explained how she has taught easy nutrimix supplement to women using local resources. This nutrimix is a low cost method to provide nutrition for women and children.

Using the platform, it was also explained how women’s equal land rights movements in Nepal and Bangladesh has helped grant equal rights to women.