Gender

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Girls in rural Rajasthan show zeal for science

A rural student’s aspiration has broken gender stereotypes, inspiring girls to choose to study science subjects, with Atal Tinkering Labs, science fairs and other such initiatives increasing science literacy

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Revival of Lambadi embroidery stems migration

Failing monsoons forced Lambadi tribes in Sittilingi valley of Tamil Nadu to migrate, but a revival of traditional embroidery by women has enhanced household incomes and stemmed migration

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Nursing the underserved to health in rural Rajasthan

As the world commemorates International Day of Nurses on 12 May, young women in Rajasthan have broken stereotypes, becoming nurses after marriage and motherhood, and transforming rural healthcare

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Bengal women find viable livelihood in turkey

Overcoming hurdles and non-starter self-employment projects, members of women self-help groups persisted tenaciously and took to rearing turkeys, setting a successful livelihood trend

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Ujjwala and waterwheels: reducing women’s drudgery

Regular supply of cooking gas and easier ways to bring drinking water home would significantly reduce the daily drudgery of women in rural areas

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Santhal girls shatter social taboo playing football

Teenaged Santhal girls in West Bengal have taken to football despite facing community antagonism. They hope that the sport would deliver them from poor socioeconomic shackles

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Village women up in arms against alcoholism

Women in rural Karnataka have banded together to demand a prohibition on liquor because they are the receiving end of alcoholism of men that leads invariably to domestic violence and financial hardship

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Odisha women fight malnutrition with backyard gardens

Women in distressed and malnourished regions of Odisha are growing nutrition gardens to feed their families organic vegetables and legumes consistently through the year at no additional cost

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Beedi rolling robs Murshidabad girls of their childhood

Young girls in rural Murshidabad are pushed by their parents to roll beedis, the poor man’s cigarette, at the cost of their schooling because being able to earn improves their marriage prospects

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Maternity homes provide safe haven to tribal women

Pregnant women from tribal villages in Kandhamal that lack roads and mobile phone connectivity have found a safe shelter in intermediary maternity homes that prepare them for institutional delivery

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Tribal women in Rajasthan assert citizen rights

Solidarity groups of tribal women in southern Rajasthan have started taking collective action to claim government entitlements such as food and rural employment

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Child marriage ban helps Gond girls pursue dreams

In Gond tribal villages where child marriages were the norm till recently, a resolution by elders to ban marriages before legal age has helped girl children to continue their education

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Village health workers toil tirelessly despite low wages

Village health workers have emerged as the mainstay of the primary healthcare system in rural Maharashtra. Yet, they are paid tiny amounts, get no benefits and struggle with supply shortages

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Weaving a future, meter by meter

In the villages of Bodoland in Assam, where every Bodo home has a loom, Sama Brahma earns a modest income from weaving, and is trying to pass on this waning traditional skill to her daughters

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Kamrup women lead Eri silk revival for improved livelihoods

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Linking markets with traditional Eri silk weavers in many parts of Assam, non-profit organization Grameen Sahara has enabled thousands of village women to boost their household incomes

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Community radio creates waves of change in Karnataka villages

Run primarily by women, the Sarathi Jhalak radio station has brought administrators, experts and villagers on the same platform, giving rural communities a voice

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Manipur villagers initiate successful economic development

Residents of Nongpok Sanjenbam, an underdeveloped Manipuri village, have come together to bring about economic and social transformation, enjoying the benefits in the process

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Poshan sakhis transform reproductive health in Odisha

Women trained as poshan sakhis, or nutrition friends, advice and help rural women, particularly expectant and lactating mothers, to eat nutritious food and overcome anemia and underweight deliveries

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Piped water allows rural women to bathe in private

In Odisha, where a high number of rural households lack enclosed bathing spaces, construction of bathrooms and piped water supply help women avoid bathing in the open

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Lambani embroidery makes a fashion statement

Modern clothing embellished with kasuthi kelsa (embroidery work) that is unique to the Lambani tribal community in Karnataka has helped local women keep the traditional craft alive and kicking