Despite global recognition, women painters of the Madhubani folk art form in Jitwarpur village have failed to escape the clutches of middlemen, who corner most of the profits. State initiatives could help stop the exploitation
It remains to be seen whether the digital world of today will become more hostile to women in villages than their physical reality, which is currently dominated by men who lord it over them
The absence of most men and the nature of work in the farm and forest have left women in Mandal village of Uttarakhand with no option to spend most of their time with bent over double, which severely damages their health
Healthcare infrastructure is poor in rural areas of Kashmir, and it particularly affects the women, who have to rush to Srinagar to get proper medical attention, as there is a dire shortage of gynecologists in the districts
While targeted assistance has brought financial inclusion to farm widows in parts of Telangana, only concrete interventions can eradicate chronic indebtedness and ensure sustainable livelihoods
Women in Odisha’s coastal fishing villages have turned to selling fish and value-added fishery products after eliminating middlemen and abolishing the home brewing of country liquor, the root cause of their problems
Through the community village clinics they have established, women collectives in parts of rural Uttar Pradesh have started campaigning successfully against fungal infections that affect the quality of their lives
A single woman’s journey to earn a dignified livelihood has today evolved into a revival of the traditional Kantha embroidery that has led to empowerment of rural women in West Bengal
Despite dwindling forest resources that had traditionally sustained them, villagers in Churachandpur district of Manipur have successfully shifted to growing new crops, and are now exploring new livelihood options
Even as India provides electricity to all villages, it is important to reflect on how electrification affects men and women in different ways, and the opportunities that decentralized energy access creates for sustainable gender-balanced development
