The worth of women is unfortunately too often questioned by the very family members and communities that surround them. It's heartbreaking to see (particularly young) women pushed into destructive decisions by the pressure of men or elder women in their households.
One amazing woman, Minal Singh, works to stop these cycles of disempowerment. She and Drishtee, the organization she works for in Noida, India, work in rural Indian communities to ensure that women get proper access to necessary education, healthcare, and income generating activities. She once said to me that everyday "we are in a war" for women - how true and tragic a statement! For Minal, this war is against all the people who believe a mother has no need of prenatal care, can give birth unassisted, and can then return to working brutally long days days after the delivery. It's a vicious system of influences and counter influences that cause countless unnecessary deaths and suffering. In the case of millions of communities in India, it is this low status of women, the actual perception that they are worthless and deserve no consideration in terms of support, love, or even basic needs as a doctor's visit in their third trimester of pregnancy, that Minal is working to diminish. The work is time-consuming and exhausting, but where would these women be without someone like her to stand up for their right to life?
I took this picture of Minal a few months ago (she's in the middle!), with two other amazing individuals that I should also write about for the amazing work they're doing for women! Nick Pearson of Jacaranda Health, and Laura Stachel of WE CARE Solar. Look them up! Inspiring, all of them!
1 comment:
It really is amazing the little things that I take for granted that other women throughout the world can only dream about. Thank you for sharing these women who fight for the rights of others! You are one of them! Thank you!
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