Maidandih Village: Dignified Mornings

Recognizing that having a toilet within the premises of the house would most contribute to creating a dignified way of life, the women of Maidandih village collectively set about constructing these despite challenges and setbacks.

Introduction

I t was regular for me to visit Maidandih village in Basmata panchayat of Katoria block to attend village-level meetings. At the end of one such gram panchayat-level Federation meetings, the women sat down to they could stay and live a comfortable and dignified life. Gradually, the women started discussing what they meant by a dignified life. The answers varied from woman to woman; slowly, however, a new dimension was added when they began to talk about the importance of having a toilet within the premises of the house. Having drinking water facilities in their home was also listed under the purview of what it meant to lead a dignified life although some women were hesitant to include this as one of the dimensions. Some of them considered staying healthy themselves, and helping others stay healthy came under the definition of a dignified life. Women in rural India, as in most parts of the world, often suffer from lack of privacy and harassment, and have to walk long distances to find a suitable place for defecation, in the absence of toilet facilities.