Impact of the Lockdown on the Rural Women of Odisha
Fetching drinking water twice as many times, cooking and serving larger meals and more often, catering to the demands of the men folk, dealing with drunkenness, and finding resources to keep hunger at bay….village women are bearing the brunt of the pandemic on all fronts. Adding to their woes is the fact that the lockdown has cut off their participation in the SHGs, depriving them of psychological, emotional, financial and social support
When Prime Minister Modi announced the nation-wide lockdown on 25 March 2020, the entire country went into shock. The plight of the migrant workers walking back to their villages from every corner of the country was visible to all. News of how the lockdown has affected the general public surfaced on the TV screens. Of the diverse segments of society affected by the sudden lockdown in India, one of the worst affected is an already oppressed segment of society—women.
Let me take you to Mayurbhanj, a district in Northern Odisha, where I work as a grass-roots practitioner. More than 60 per cent of the population are of tribal origin. The main tribes include Santhali, Kolha, Bathudi, Bhumji, Munda, Gond, Saunti, Hill Kharia and Mahali. Besides these, a majority of the population comprises the Mahanta community.