What return for toil and tears?
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Jugal Kishore Pandey
For women dairy workers in the new north Indian province of Uttarakhand, government policies have done little to address the problems they face. Under the state-run Women Dairy Project, these women workers have set up 785 milk producing dairy cooperatives and 80 Self Help Groups (SHGs) to produce 22,000 litres of milk every day. They have also undertaken training programmes related to the field. The cooperative movement, they built with great initiative only to face apathy when it comes to their own basic needs and demands.
These women get a nominal honorarium for their service, which is not even regularised. This leaves them with an uncertain future. About a year ago, they went for agitation in the state capital, Dehradun, demanding regularisation as in government jobs. The officials promised to address this demand and take steps to mitigate their situation. They were assured that their honorarium would be increased and their future made more secure. However, this was not done. After suspending their agitation, they were left high and dry. The promises made by the administration proved mere words. Although the state government has set up a Women Empowerment Ministry, the ground realities remain unchanged for them, even a year later.
For many, it has been too long - more than a decade - since they had started working for the dairy industry. The alternative means of livelihood, for which they had opted, has since diminished. They are now too old to apply for jobs in government departments. In other words, they have little choice but to continue. What makes this even more difficult for them is the fact that, for many of the women, their dairy work is the only source of income for their families.
In Uttarakhand, the dairy movement is linked to the larger process of women's empowerment. And attention is given to related aspects such as animal husbandry and commercial milk production. The cooperative movement, which began in 1994, has led to a growing social awareness and an orientation towards community development. The network of milk committees that were set up, spearheaded activities for the welfare of local families. It helped develop the marketing of organic manure, bio-gas production, and programmes for women and Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Inspired by the pioneering 'Anand' model of cooperative dairy farming in Gujarat, these women, too, have set up village-level cooperative committees in an attempt to replicate the success. This has opened the doors for a far greater participation of women at the level of the Gram Panchayat (village council), 'Zilla Parishad' (district council) and even the state in matters related to community welfare. For instance, one of the initiatives was the setting up of crèches to take care of the children of working mothers.
While these activities have led to an enhanced role within the cooperative and society at large, the women dairy workers have set even higher goals for themselves. They are continuing to explore the possibility of procuring bank loans to purchase milch cattle and find a way out of their present poverty and unemployment. Such initiatives also help to dissuade people from migrating to cities like Delhi in search of sustainable livelihoods.
Life in mountainous regions of Uttarakhand is extremely tough for women in particular. They have to work hard from dawn to dusk in multiple roles of home-maker, child carer, agricultural labourer and dairy worker. The dairy project brought them together and taught them to aspire and work for an elusive better tomorrow.
Village women bring the milk to the collection centres. They learnt keeping accounts. Attending 'samiti' meetings has become an essential responsibility for those, keen to learn and strengthen the movement.
But, despite all their best efforts at both strengthening the core cooperative movement and also initiating the development processes within their communities, women dairy workers continue to remain neglected. Some of them, toiling for as long as 14 years, are still drawing pittance as honorarium.
When will Uttarakhand learn to value these amazingly resilient women who have ushered in their own version of a White Revolution? -- NewsNetwork/WFS
For women dairy workers in the new north Indian province of Uttarakhand, government policies have done little to address the problems they face. Under the state-run Women Dairy Project, these women workers have set up 785 milk producing dairy cooperatives and 80 Self Help Groups (SHGs) to produce 22,000 litres of milk every day. They have also undertaken training programmes related to the field. The cooperative movement, they built with great initiative only to face apathy when it comes to their own basic needs and demands.
These women get a nominal honorarium for their service, which is not even regularised. This leaves them with an uncertain future. About a year ago, they went for agitation in the state capital, Dehradun, demanding regularisation as in government jobs. The officials promised to address this demand and take steps to mitigate their situation. They were assured that their honorarium would be increased and their future made more secure. However, this was not done. After suspending their agitation, they were left high and dry. The promises made by the administration proved mere words. Although the state government has set up a Women Empowerment Ministry, the ground realities remain unchanged for them, even a year later.
For many, it has been too long - more than a decade - since they had started working for the dairy industry. The alternative means of livelihood, for which they had opted, has since diminished. They are now too old to apply for jobs in government departments. In other words, they have little choice but to continue. What makes this even more difficult for them is the fact that, for many of the women, their dairy work is the only source of income for their families.
In Uttarakhand, the dairy movement is linked to the larger process of women's empowerment. And attention is given to related aspects such as animal husbandry and commercial milk production. The cooperative movement, which began in 1994, has led to a growing social awareness and an orientation towards community development. The network of milk committees that were set up, spearheaded activities for the welfare of local families. It helped develop the marketing of organic manure, bio-gas production, and programmes for women and Self Help Groups (SHGs).
Inspired by the pioneering 'Anand' model of cooperative dairy farming in Gujarat, these women, too, have set up village-level cooperative committees in an attempt to replicate the success. This has opened the doors for a far greater participation of women at the level of the Gram Panchayat (village council), 'Zilla Parishad' (district council) and even the state in matters related to community welfare. For instance, one of the initiatives was the setting up of crèches to take care of the children of working mothers.
While these activities have led to an enhanced role within the cooperative and society at large, the women dairy workers have set even higher goals for themselves. They are continuing to explore the possibility of procuring bank loans to purchase milch cattle and find a way out of their present poverty and unemployment. Such initiatives also help to dissuade people from migrating to cities like Delhi in search of sustainable livelihoods.
Life in mountainous regions of Uttarakhand is extremely tough for women in particular. They have to work hard from dawn to dusk in multiple roles of home-maker, child carer, agricultural labourer and dairy worker. The dairy project brought them together and taught them to aspire and work for an elusive better tomorrow.
Village women bring the milk to the collection centres. They learnt keeping accounts. Attending 'samiti' meetings has become an essential responsibility for those, keen to learn and strengthen the movement.
But, despite all their best efforts at both strengthening the core cooperative movement and also initiating the development processes within their communities, women dairy workers continue to remain neglected. Some of them, toiling for as long as 14 years, are still drawing pittance as honorarium.
When will Uttarakhand learn to value these amazingly resilient women who have ushered in their own version of a White Revolution? -- NewsNetwork/WFS