March 11, 2020
From being docile and acquiescent wives, the women of Samnapur recognize their own strength and capabilities, and step up into the hitherto male-dominated arena of bidding for the role of tax collectors in the market, much to the disbelief of the men of their families and village
February 13, 2020
Breaking the gender glass ceiling is not a new subject; it surfaces again and again. However, it is a newfound passion for me. I have been working in a not-for-profit organisation called PRADAN for the last 22 years. We work in the field of women’s empowerment and livelihoods.
January 22, 2020
In 2017, Phulkali Mahato, Anjali Murmu, Pramila Singh and many other women experimented with the indigenous paddy Kerala Sundari for the first time. Many of them chose to do so, based on the experiences of a few farmers in nearby villages in the past year. Phulkali’s experience was especially significant. Whereas many women experimented on tiny bits of land (rightly so because of the small size of land holdings), which were also mostly in the uplands, Phulkali grew Kerala Sundari in 0.5 acres of her best lowland.
January 3, 2020
Once women were organised into collectives, they became more proficient in making decisions on livelihoods and enhancing economic stability; challenging family, caste and social norms then was a natural consequence
January 3, 2020
We asked ourselves — is there another way to engage with communities? Where ultimately, they can unlock the social capital that they have built, exercise their agency without external help, and where they themselves can decide on their development agenda.
December 23, 2019
Based on the engagement with the Santhal women of Poraiyahat block in Jharkhand, this article tries to capture the struggle in the life of Santhal women for being unable to inherit ancestral property and the pain they go through while accessing their right as per the provisions given in Santhal tribe’s customary laws. It explores the possibilities for Santhal women to inherit ancestral property in the provisions given in statutory laws and customary practices.
November 19, 2019
More than 30 lakh civil society organizations (CSOs) exist in India; these are one of the prime job creators for the educated youth. However, the question of how these young professionals are nurtured and find a true vocation after making an informed choice of joining this sector is an area less emphasized.
November 19, 2019
Uprooting a girl from her familiar surroundings when she gets married, separating her from her family and friends, assuming she will merge seamlessly with her new family is a traditional, social expectation; carrying the ‘amputation’ even further is the custom in Belliguda of renaming a new bride with the name of her parental village; this completes the obliterating of her identity
October 17, 2019
There is a perception that women are the most vulnerable, and so any action for them will be empowering; this is a fallacy.
October 16, 2019
Whatever progress is made in the livelihoods and economic spheres of life, women in villages will only experience significant empowerment when violence—physical, emotional, psychological and other areas-against them is totally eradicated