The Resurging Value of Civil Society for Indian Crafts
Meena is enabling the women of her community to gain access to safer menstrual practices with a digital intervention.
Nestled in the village of Bakhtai ki Chowki, Meena is a resident who lives with her husband and 2 children. Her humble home in the village doubles as a shop where she sells goods for women in her community like dresses, accessories and she also does tailoring for women. The constant effort of her family and her dedication to her family’s well-being is evident in the consistent monthly income of 25-30k rupees that the family earns every month.
Meena is a woman breaking down gender norms and restrictive gender roles, and fostering change within her community. She has been working with Digital Empowerment Foundation for the past three years, and has participated in many programs that are run by the organisation in her community. These programs have made her a known face in her village, earning the trust and respect of the community members, and this trust played an instrumental role in the implementation of a challenging program like Digital Didi in her community.
In the program, she reached out to 100 women and adolescent girls to train them on the Menstrual Health and Hygiene Practices. Her expertise and knowledge of digital and financial literacy, enabled her to teach them how to use an LMS Chatbot and benefit from the course so community members can get connected to the digital world.
She began by completing the course herself, and then influenced her daughter to learn from the same. This program not only equipped her with valuable knowledge but also initiated a conversation between Meena and her daughter about menstruation, which is a taboo subject and invisibilised from conversations, and she found herself better equipped to answer her queries.
Her involvement in the program also enabled her with the opportunity to explore sustainable alternatives to promote menstrual hygiene. She discovered the SmartPads, an innovative solution that resonated with her and the community members. On usage she found the SmartPads to be more comfortable and eco-friendly. And has started the revolution of leading more women and girls from using commercial plastic menstrual products SmartPads. She is using this opportunity to increase her livelihood and health. She feels if the water availability in Alwar districts gets better, then SmartPads can perform better, and will see acceptance at a greater level.
She sold 6 SmartPads, and earned a profit of Rs. 300. The humble amount holds profound significance, because it is symbolic of her efforts as she disrupts societal expectations by both running a successful business and engaging in community programs.
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