Women’s Day Blogs

Strength in unexpected places

Chandrima Home’s field visits to Tera, Gujarat and Lalung, Himachal Pradesh led her to forge bonds with local women that transcended linguistic and ethnic barriers. In Kutch, Chandrima rented a room from a family of six and received tremendous support from the only woman of the household, Kulsum Ben. In Himachal, Chandrima encountered a local school teacher, Gatukji, who offered Chandrima shelter and good company. An interaction with her and her niece revealed the hardships women in the hills face and their relentless resolve to pursue a better life.Read Chandrima’s blog

Forest trails in Vidarbha

Shivani Agarwal’s field visit came with its set of challenges. Be it the vast area that she had to cover for her study, non-cooperative drivers and interpreters, or the nagging questions of locals who could not understand the reason behind a single woman’s exploration of the forest, Shivani’s fieldwork presents experiences that many women in the field of ecology can relate to. However, these hardships were undercut by memories that can last a lifetime—hours spent on the road, hustling for shelter, and imbibing invaluable organisational skills. Read Shivani’s blog

It’s all about Freedom

Ovee Thorat talks about the advantage her gender gave her when while engaging with communities in the Banni grasslands during her fieldwork. While men aren’t allowed to enter most villages without prior permission, Ovee had unrestricted access to local households where she conducted interviews, allowing her to shape her research questions and the research study itself. She not only enjoyed the warm hospitality of the pastoral communities but also got to ride horses and was invited to watch horse races. However, while she got to experience freedom in all its glory, she laments that local women didn’t share this luxury. Read Ovee’s blog