Swaccha Bharat – SAWM Sisters

SAWM India-Unicef India Media Initiative, 2018

SAWM Team — Sun, 20 Jan 2019 08:09:36 +0000

The South Asian Women in Media (SAWM) is a network of women journalists based in each country of the region — that is, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka. WE STAND FOR freedom of speech and expression, the fair and equal representation of women in the media, as well as equal opportunity for women in the media. Our aim is two-fold: We want to deepen our network inside our countries so as expose each other to the wide variety of stories around us as well as promote best practices in journalism; We also want to create a digital platform that will showcase our work as well as our interests and ideas across all the countries of South Asia. We believe that the right to speak freely goes hand-in-hand with the responsibility to dissent, and yet across our region, censorship and crackdowns and plain fear are being used by powerful governments to prevent the story from coming out. In these circumstances, a network of journalists — of women journalists — who demonstrate the power of cross-border networking in standing up to these values of a free and responsible media, is increasingly important.

Among these efforts to promote both national and cross-border journalism — which includes the provision of grants to women journalists to pursue their stories and arrange field visit — is a highly valued collaboration with UNICEF, which was launched in 2017. The theme of the inaugural SAWM India-UNICEF India Media Initiative was “Voices of Adolescents.” Eleven women journalists from English and regional media across the country wrote and reported untold stories of adolescent girls and boys and presented them to over 25 million readers and viewers in their respective publications.

For the second edition in 2018, SAWM India collaborated with UNICEF’s Water, Sanitation & Hygiene Initiative (WASH), on the theme “Gender and Sanitation.” This year, our funders supported 14 journalists. SAWM India makes it a point to make the selection of these journalists diverse and inclusive. Which means that journalists from big media organisations like Times of India, Indian Express, The Hindu, Prabhat Khabar, PTI, Mirror Now, along with journalists from smaller regional language newspapers and TV, as well as independent journalists participated in this exercise.

The program enabled the reporters to travel to other states to report their stories, an opportunity often not offered by media organisations. They visited villages and towns where sanitation projects were making an impact on the lives of young girls and women. The participants were also encouraged to travel on their own.

Providing resource and other support for quality journalism is important to SAWM. As in the first year, this year too we held a pre-departure briefing. It was attended by experts in sanitation, from UNICEF as well as those seconded to the government, as well as veteran journalists who have written on gender and sanitation issues. A report on the pre-departure briefing features in this report.

The program greatly values social media posts from the field, sent by participant journalists. These capture the interface of women journalists with women in villages or slums and the impressions they make on each other. In a sense, these are “stories behind the stories,” and need to be recorded as such.

Teach menstrual hygiene in ‘sensitive, supportive’ manner: Child rights panel to schools

Divya Goyal — Thu, 10 Jan 2019 21:36:02 +0000

The 88-page manual lists the rules and guidelines which schools have to follow to ensure safety of children in each category – divided into categories such as infrastructure, health and hygiene, psycho-social aspects, roles and responsibilities of teachers, child safety checklist for schools among others.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) has released a manual titled ‘Safety and Security of Children in Schools’, a compilation of laws, Acts, guidelines and rules available in India, to ensure children’s safety in schools. It also deals with how teachers have to deal with girls when they start menstruating and that the girls should be provided all possible support.

Recently, some girls at a government school in Fazilka were allegedly forced to strip by two teachers after a sanitary pad was found dumped in a toilet. The manual, under the topic ‘Behavior Change Activities’, says, “Girls must be taught menstrual hygiene management by women teachers in a sensitive and supportive manner also also take steps to encourage and support girls during menstruation so they do not miss school.”

The manual also directs schools to provide facilities such as sanitary pads and incinerators for proper disposal of sanitary napkins during menstruation. It says, “Other steps include stockpiling extra sanitary pads and clothes (such as school uniforms) for emergencies, along with enhanced training programme for teachers.”

Schools should also be equipped with other facilities such as private space for girls and disposal facilities. The manual states, “Menstrual hygiene management facilities include soap, adequate and private space for changing, adequate water for cloth washing and disposal facility for menstrual waste, including incinerators or dustbins must be provided by schools.” It adds, “Hygiene messages may be integrated into the textbook curriculum or maybe imparted through supplementary reading material, activity-based learning methodologies or even during morning assembly sessions.”

The 88-page manual lists the rules and guidelines which schools have to follow to ensure safety of children in each category – divided into categories such as infrastructure, health and hygiene, psycho-social aspects, roles and responsibilities of teachers, child safety checklist for schools among others. The manual has to be followed by all government, private and other schools across the country.

Speaking to The Indian Express over phone from Delhi, Madhulika Sharma, technical expert, NCPCR, said, “The manual has been prepared as a handbook so that schools can access all rules and laws that have to be followed for safety of children in schools. We have tried to cover all aspects related to child safety in this manual. It has to be followed by all government, private and other schools across the country and has been sent to all states.”

Many government and private schools in Punjab are still without incinerators. The promise to provide free of cost sanitary napkins to all girls in government schools of Punjab has remained unfulfilled for two consecutive financial years till now- by SAD-BJP government in 2016-17 and then the Congress government in 2017-18.

source: The Indian Express

रानी मिस्त्रियां बदल रही हैं गांव की तस्वीर

Puja Singh — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 03:07:43 +0000

रांची के दो गांव की तसवीर जिनके बदलने में रानी मिस्त्री के साथ गांव के लोगों की जागरूकता भी नजर आयी़ इस गांव के बदलते रूप को देखने का मौका यूनिसेफ के सहयोग से प्राप्त हुआ है़ दोनों गांव में महिलाओं की जागरूकता और उनका सहयोग दिखा़
रातु ब्लॉक का गुटवा गांव और कांके ब्लॉक का नगड़ी गांव जहां रानी मिस्त्री ने गांव को स्वच्छता का मिसाल बनाया है़ गुटवा गांव रांची से 15-20 किलो मीटर की दूरी पर है़ यहां 400-450 लोगों की आबादी वाले गांव में पिछले साल तक एक भी शौचालय नहीं था़ 2018 में यहां हर घर में शाैचालय बन चुका है़ इसका श्रेय यहां की रानी मिस्त्री को जाता है़ जिन्होंने अपनी सुरक्षा और बीमारियों से बचने के लिए यह बीड़ा उठाया़ फुलमनी सहित छह अन्य रानी मिस्त्री ने रेजा मिस्त्री के काम में देरी को देखते हुए स्वयं बनाने का कार्य संभाला. तीन दिनों की ट्रेनिंग ली अौर शौचालय बनाने का काम शुरू कर दी़ दौरान उन्हें कई बातों को सहना भी पड़ा. ग्रामीण सीता देवी कहती है कि तीन महीने पहले ही हमारा शौचालय बना है़ शौचालय के लिए हमने काफी प्रयास किया़ ग्राम सभा से लेकर बीडीओ तक गये़ शादी हुए 15 साल हो गये लेकिन शौचालय नहीं होने से काफी परेशानी होती थी़ अहले सुबह ही अंधेरे में जाना पड़ता था़ जानवर और सुरक्षा का डर हमेशा रहा़ फुलमनी रानी मिस्त्री को उप राष्ट्रपति द्वारा सम्मानित भी किया जा चुका है़
वहीं कांके ब्लॉक का नगड़ी गांव की बात करें तो अब तक 148 शौचालय बन चुके है़ यहां 15 रानी मिस्त्री है जो सार दिन लग कर शौचालय बनाने का काम पूरा कर रही है़ यहां 15 रानी मिस्त्री ने ट्रेनिंग ली और शौचालय निर्माण कर रही है़ यहां की रानी मिस्त्री सीता कच्छप बीएससी पास करके रानी मिस्त्री का काम कर रही है. वह गांव को साफ और स्वच्छ बानने के लिए गांव में शौचालय का निर्माण स्वयं कर रही है़ वर्तमान में इस गांव में 46 शौचालय बनने का काम जारी था़ रानी मिस्त्री किरण टोप्पो ने कहा कि हर जगह लेडिज फस्ट का नारा दिया जाता है जो शौचालय निर्माण के लिए पुरुषों के हाथ पैर क्यों जोड़े. स्वयं ही शौचालय बनाने के लिए यूनिसेफ की दीदी से ट्रेनिंग ली़ तीन दिनों की ट्रेनिंग के बाद शौचालय निर्माण काम शुरू कर दिये़ गांव की स्वच्छता के साथ आजीविका का साधन मिल गया़ इसमें आठ महिला समिति का भी सहयोग रहा. यहां हर सप्ताह महिला समिति की बैठक करके शौचालय क्यों निर्माण जरूरी है आदि की जानकारी दी जाती है़ वहीं ग्रामीण चांगो देवी कहती है कि अाधी रात को शौच के लिए घर से दूर जाना पड़ता था़ मैंने तो अपनी जीवन इसी तरह से जी ली लेकिन लेकिन बेटी बड़ी हो गयी है उसे रात को अकेले नहीं भेज सकते थे़ इसलिए शौचालय निर्माण कराये़ ग्रामीण सुगिया कहती है कि दो बेटी रांची के कॉलेज में पढ़ती है़ दोनों की सुरक्षा और जिद पर शौचालय का निर्माण कराये है़

Changing mindsets with sanitary pads, and restoring dignity

Rakhee Roy Talukdar — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 02:15:38 +0000

Menstruation is still a subject of gender disparity in India. Myths about menstruation are largely prevalent, forcing many girls to drop out of school early or be ‘ostracised’ during the five days every month. Even if they use sanitary napkins, their mobility is hampered due to absence of water and unclean bathrooms in schools. According to National Family Health Survey-4 in 2015, around 54 percent of adolescent girls were unaware of menstruation before they had their first period. And only 57.6 percent of women were using hygienic methods for menstrual protection. Trying to change practices and get rid of social stigmas is Kanyashree Prakalpa, a flagship project of the West Bengal Government, backed by Kanyashree Clubs

source: Grassroots

Changing mindsets with sanitary pads, and restoring dignity

Rakhee Roy Talukdar — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 02:15:38 +0000

source: Grassroots

Rani mistris score Swachh goal

Priscilla Jebaraj — Fri, 28 Dec 2018 02:00:06 +0000

Jharkhand’s trained women masons have built over 15 lakh toilets in one year

When Seema Khujur’s husband died in 2010, leaving her with three young children to raise, the young woman had little choice but to take on daily wage labour that offered little money and less satisfaction.

Eight years later, the 32-year old is a proud “rani mistri”— a skilled woman mason — with budding business skills and a leadership position in her village of Dubaliya, 30 minutes from Jharkhand’s capital Ranchi.

Preethi Kumari’s journey had a very different starting point. The 24-year-old city girl was a college graduate when she married for love and followed her husband to his village of Dubaliya. Bored without a job of her own, she experimented with several options before she also trained as a rani mistry, learning to build toilets and bathrooms, before using it as a stepping stone to a salaried job in the government’s livelihoods initiative.

She is among 55,000 women masons who have been trained by the Jharkhand government over the last year, and become a crucial part of the State’s achievement of Open Defecation Free status under the Swachh Bharat Mission last month. The rani mistris had helped construct more than 15 lakh toilets in less than a year.

On November 15, its statehood day, Jharkhand declared itself open defecation free.

Not a man’s job

The rani mistri training drive was meant to solve a problem slowing the State’s progress in the Swachh Bharat Mission, a nationwide sanitation campaign that aims to give toilet access to every household and eliminate open defecation by October 2019.

“One year ago, Jharkhand had only achieved about 50% of our target under the Swachh Bharat-Gramin, when the [State] government decided to advance our deadline to December 2018,” recalled secretary for water and sanitation Aradhana Patnaik.

With the conventional strategy of routing work and funds through the local administrations to village panchayats and pradhans not yielding results quickly enough, Ms. Patnaik changed tack to capitalise on the potential of the State’s 1.5 lakh women’s self-help groups. “By January and February 2017, we were getting reports from all over the State that there were not enough masons.”

Though Jharkhand had approximately 50,000 skilled masons or raj mistris then, including those imported from neighbouring States, many of them were not interested in constructing toilets. “Maybe around 500 of the masons were women, trained through earlier programmes,” Ms Patnaik said. It was a request from one such woman in Gumla district which triggered the mass training of women through the SHGs.

“We were given about ten days of training..The hardest parts were fitting the pan, getting the [twin leach] pits in the correct shape and size and learning to use the sahul [or plumb line]. In the first toilets we built, the door was often crooked. Now, we have learned to get it straight,” says Seema Devi, another of Dubaliya’s 10 rani mistris. Together, they supervised the construction of 230 toilets in their village.

Leadership role

The challenge went beyond the technicalities of construction. “To buy the bricks, we travelled out of the village and visited several kilns, compared the prices and then made our purchases,” says another mason Reena Devi. “We went as a group of women, with no men. In the beginning, we were nervous, but this really gave us confidence,” says Ms. Khajur.

The men of the village, including their family members were initially sceptical. “When we started bringing in the ₹400 per day, like any raj mistry, they became more convinced,” laughs Ms. Kumari. “Also, everyone now sees that the quality and finish on our toilets is better than those made by the men.”

Now that the toilet construction mission is complete, however, many of these women are hoping they can break traditional taboos and overcome a scarcity of opportunities in the construction sector to make room for their skills.

Santosh Karmali, a 45-year old raj mistriin the village, admits that the women have done a good job so far. However, he is sceptical of their ability to graduate from toilets to houses, or other constructions.

“I have 25 years of experience as a mistri. They need more experience before they can compete,” he says. He adds that local tradition and custom forbids women from laying the tiled roof of a house, even if they take part in other construction activity, just as it forbids them from ploughing the fields, even when they engage in other parts of farm work.

The women nod; they know the taboo. “Putting the roof on the toilets, that was the most difficult,” says Reena Devi.

Several rani mistrysare content to invest their newfound confidence and small earnings in starting small cottage industries. Others want to continue to build, if they have the chance.

The government hopes that those women who remain keen can graduate to home construction under its Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana scheme. “There are several sarkari[PMAY] constructions going on in our village, but the men are doing that,” says Ms. Khujur.

In a village meeting, she says the biggest challenge ahead is the community’s water shortage. Only 15 to 20 families have easy access to water.

At a wider level, state secretary Ms. Patnaik is also focussing on water. “I have just sanctioned ₹4700 crore worth of surface-based, piped water projects. We hope we can use some of the rani mistris to help build them in the villages,” she says. A new opportunity beckons.

(The reporting for this story was supported by a SAWM India-UNICEF initiative)

Source: The Hindu

Hand washing project of Purulia Gandulbari Primary School

Soma Ghosh — Fri, 07 Dec 2018 02:00:57 +0000

The Gandulbari Primary School is situated in the Hura bloc of the Purulia district West Bengal. Apart from the students’ studies, it pays attention to building awareness about personal hygiene. With the help of community organisations, it has created a proper sanitation infrastructure. The students are making good use of the facilities. Washing their hands well before taking their mid-day meals is the starting point of their daily hygienic practices. They follow their teachers’ instructions regarding this as carefully as they follow their lessons. The school received the ‘Nirmal Vidyalay’ (clean school) award in 2015. Here is a video report.

পুরুলিয়া জেলার হুড়া ব্লকের অন্তর্গত গুন্দলুবাড়ি প্রথামিক বিদ্যালয়। খাবার আগে হাত ধোয়া থেকে শৌচকর্ম স্বাস্থ্য বিধানের সব কিছু অক্ষরে অক্ষরে মেনে চলে ছাত্রছাত্রীর। ২০১৫ নির্মল বিদ্যালয় পুরস্কার পেয়েছে স্কুলটি। স্কুলটি ঘুরে দেখে একটি বিশেষ প্রতিবেদন।

Source: khaboronline

கழிப்பறை கட்டுவது தொடர்பாக புதுமையை கையாளும் மேற்கு வங்க மாநிலம் | செய்தித் தொகுப்பு – News 7 – tamil

Lavanya Natarajan — Fri, 30 Nov 2018 04:31:49 +0000

In construction sites, women are mostly involved only as workers, but a Women Self Help Groups(SHGs) in Purulia district of West Bengal is breaking the stereotype and making women to build Toilets.

The story features the construction site of Toilet in Purulia. The owner of the place tells she is not ready to build a toilet in her home but after her Daughter compulsion and subsidised toilet scheme made her build the toilet she adds.

Women Masons Lalmoni Soran, says initially her husband was not supportive but that did not deter her from taking up this job. She managed to convince her husband and now he works along with her in the construction of Toilets.
A toilet per home increase the personal hygiene as well as the safety of the Children. It is important to attain the sustainable Developments in near Future.

The Group of women SHGs sensitizes the Villagers by doing awareness camp. Mrs. Mahato says that she being a protagonist witnessed the illness of not having Toilets at her home. After building a toilet at her place she now sensitizes people to construct toilets.

These Rani mestris not only construct toilet alone they ensure the safety and well being of the women in the society.

கழிப்பறை கட்டுவது தொடர்பாக புதுமையை கையாளும் மேற்கு வங்க மாநிலம் | செய்தித் தொகுப்பு

Bengal school adopts noble initiative for all-round development of a child

Mumeninaz Zaman — Tue, 27 Nov 2018 03:07:17 +0000

“Utho, Jaago, Lokhyo naa pohchano porjonto thaamo naa (Get up, Wake up, and until you find your destination don’t stop),” is the welcoming phrase at the entrance of the small primary school in Gundlubari Village, situated at Hura block in Purulia District of West Bengal. On entering the school, the course towards the classroom, resembles a highway with milestones, traffic signal and signboards in which slogans like “Safe Drive Save Life” are imprinted. The use of cartoons and colourful graffiti conveying social messages, instructions to children about the various do’s and dont’s in the school are thoughtfully implemented to attract children.

In recognition of its efforts, the co-educational school from Grades 1 to 4 which has an attached pre-primary section, received the Nirmal Vidyalaya Award in 2015 and Sishumitra Vidyalaya Puruskar in 2016.

The Gundlubari Primary School has a gleaming look, with children reciting aloud their chapters, playing around or engrossed in their co-curricular activities. “I believe, for all-round development of a child it is important to engage them in other activities apart from classroom teaching,” says Pratap Chandra Mahato, the Headmaster, who has been rendering his service to the school since 2014.

However, the situation was quite contrary to what it is today. Earlier people were reluctant to send their children to school. The people, mostly daily-wage earners did not pay much heed to the importance of education. Moreover, they stayed away from their homes in search of jobs, as a result of which the children were deprived of basic necessities. “According to documents there were only 40 to 45 students registered in this school, and among them only 10 or 12 students used to be present. Everything was scattered, but somewhere I knew, I had to take a stand. Eventually, I started working on the various aspects of the school curriculum and today I get support from almost everyone, be it the villagers, or the parents, the BDO and the Panchayat. The students also enjoy coming to school and now we have a total of 79 students,” informs Mahato.

Overall, the school is very attractive. A distinctive feature of the school is the well-maintained, clean and green ambience which includes the garden, play area, playground and a vegetable garden. The school practices rainwater harvesting, solid waste management and designs handcraft items made out of waste materials. It consists of a room filled with artefacts which is divided into a library, science laboratory and a primary healthcare centre. “The decorum of the school is maintained by teachers and the students. We also engage local artisans for the artworks displayed in the school. I alongwith, the assistant teacher and the children clean the premises, prepare compost from the solid waste management system, plant trees and cultivate the vegetable garden,” he adds.

The school also has a separate dining area, adjacent to which is the vegetable garden, where vegetables, herbs and plants of various types are sprouted up in sequence. Interestingly, the wash basin is installed according to the height of the students and instructions related to mid-day meals, benefits of washing hands, and use of toilets are amply used and bullet marked on the walls of the school.

“The children here are very active, disciplined and energetic. The environment of the school is child-friendly, hence it allows the children to open up their minds and explore things differently. The students are fond of drawing, singing, dancing. In terms of the basic necessities they have access to RO drinking water and are taught about the five steps of washing hands. Separate toilets for boys and girls are also available with water supply. A weekly menu is prepared and mid-day meals are cooked by the women from Self Help Groups (SHGs), who also take care of hygiene during food preparation,” says Rupali Mahato, Assistant Teacher of Gundlubari Primary School.

Gauri Bauri, a student of fourth standard is fond of her library. “I like reading poems and short stories from the books we have in our library. My favourite subjects are Bengali, Mathematics and English and I aspire to be a Police Officer one day. We encourage our parents and family members to adopt healthy habits and maintain cleanliness like we practice in our school,” she says.

Among the many interesting factors, one of the focal point of the school are the two blue-coloured post boxes installed within the premises. Gopon Kotha (Confidential Matters) and Poramorsho o Abhijog Baksho(suggestion and complaint box) – are the names inscribed in the two boxes. Mahato explains, “The first box (Confidential Matters) is specifically meant for the girls and women — the students, our assistant teacher, the SHG women in our school, or any women from the village who faces any kind of discrimination, be it domestic violence, health issues, sexual harassment, existing in the school or within the area can drop their problems in the box.”

Rupali further states, “I alongwith a student from the child cabinet maintain the confidential box. After due consultation and discussion of various matters with the committee members and the concerned authorities of the school, we finally come to a solution and provide assistance to the victims in whatever way possible.”

The headmaster informs that an issue of domestic violence due to alcoholism was tackled and the information came through the confidential box. Proper counselling was provided to the victim and the family, who are now leading a normal life. Moreover, the timely intervention of women of the village against the spread of alcoholism led to the closure of three liquor shops in the area.

“The other post box is meant for the students and the general public. Here, any kind of suggestion regarding the improvement of the school, infrastructure, curriculum or complaints in case of any mischievous act conducted by the students are reported,” adds Mahato.

The primary school has a “Child Cabinet”, “Mata Siksha Committee”, and “Student Safety and Security Monitoring Committee”. Here each member of the cabinet or the committee has a different role to play. The child cabinet comprises of the Prime Minister, Sports Minister, Food Minister, Education & Environment Minister and Health Minister. They look after the sanitation, sports facility, drinking water facility, midday meal and cleanliness of the institute. Every Saturday, the cabinet meets in the school, where problems are discussed and resolved.

“The child cabinet, is headed by the Prime Minister, who works in close co-ordination with the teachers and together we work for the betterment of the school. The idea behind the child cabinet is to enable the children to gain ideas, acquire leadership quality and inculcate values,” Mahato affirms.

A student of the fourth standard, Prantik Mahato, who happens to be the Prime Minister of the cabinet says, “I am proud of my school. We participate in activities like drawing, painting, singing, dancing, cleaning the premises, gardening, and planting vegetables. Apart from that we discuss different problems and prospects of the school with the teachers and take concrete steps to sort out the matter as soon as possible.”

Pritam Mahato, Sports Minister of the cabinet adds, “I am glad that we can play games like football, volleyball, kabaddi, badminton, and tennis in our school. However, earlier we did not have a playground, so I took the initiative to bring the matter to the cabinet. After consulting with the Prime Minister and our teachers I am fortunate to have a playground now. Though, I will be going to a different school next year, still I will carry the treasure of multiple skills being taught in this school and try to practise the same things which I have gained here.”

The school follows a comprehensive method of engaging the children, parents and the society at large for its overall development. The “Mata Shiksha Committee”, constitutes the mothers of the students, with whom a meeting is organized every month to converse on the problems and development of the students. On the other hand, the “Student Safety and Security Monitoring Committee”, as the name itself suggests, looks after the safety and security of the students and churn out plans to improve the same. This committee consists of an ICDS member, three members of the village on behalf of the guardian of the students, one ASHA worker, the assistant teacher Rupali, and the headmaster as the chairman of the committee.

As apprised by the headmaster, the school committee along with other like minded people takes out rallies, organize seminars and create awareness among the masses on health issues like dengue, malaria and social issues like child marriage. People can also put forward their ideas for consideration in the boxes (Confidential Box and Suggestion Box) and discuss in the monthly meetings. Moreover, going to households, they encourage the people to send their children regularly to school, thereby reducing the percentage of dropouts.

After the reformation of the Gundlubari Primary School, Pratap Mahato, the headmaster, aspires to move to another area called Kula Bahal, Sobor Para, in Purulia District, which comprise of a tribal community known as the Sobor Community and plans to imbibe the values for better education of children and upliftment of society. He winds up by saying, “Though the school has been regarded as Nirmal Vidyalaya, but my aim is to convert the entire village into a Nirmal Village, because until and unless the society is not clean, how can we expect our children to be clean?”

Pursuant to the second edition of the media initiative undertaken by the South Asian Women In Media (SAWM) in collaboration with UNICEF India, a group of journalists visited the Gundlubari Primary School. The purpose of the visit was to explore the model school with WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) facilities, for which they were honoured with the Nirmal Vidyalaya Award.

source: The Thumb Print

Palash power in Purulia

Rakhee Roy Talukdar — Thu, 15 Nov 2018 04:30:58 +0000

The usual never interests me. I knew I would not find the elusive, colorful Palash flower at this of the year in Purulia but I still hoped to find that one fresh twist in the routine, mundane sanitation, gender stories that would make me say that not only the Palash flowers bloom here but so do the Palash flower girls and the Palash women, who are painting this district in the most vivid empowering colors. The colors that display their innermost urge to break free and chart their own route.

And just as I thought, I found that much-sought-after twist in Purulia women’s will to think out of the box, do something different from others, generate income not just for oneself but for their fellow sisters, mates in the self-help groups and most importantly not make a big deal about it. And it is not just in building toilets or creating awareness about using sanitary napkins but zeroing in on a number of other avenues, which can be eye-openers for women not only in other districts of West Bengal but other states as well.

Schoolgirls, barely 12-15 years seemed well rehearsed about sanitary napkins and their usage but what was not well practiced was their confidence in dealing with outsiders, especially the media. The Kanyashree clubs are in different forms in all other states but what outshone and was different amongst these Kanyashree girls from Purulia was their leadership qualities, their ability to tackle every tricky question with an unusual confidence that belied their age. Kanyashree clubs seem to be nurturing women leaders of tomorrow.

Women masons build toilets now, earning a paltry Rs 2,200 now. Their earnings are small but what is big for them is their family’s acceptance that no work is hard enough for women to get bogged down.

Admitting that the work is hard and difficult, mason Shikha Rani Mahato has no reasons to quit. She wants to pursue it as long as she can, be it extreme heat or chilling cold. She wants to keep building – not just toilets but her own house and her own dreams, which would never ever be trampled upon.

Not just April-May, I found Palash do bloom here in every season. Nothing to pull back Palash, power and Purulia women.

For UNICEF India – SAWM India Media Initative on Gender & Sanitation