ISSN (Print) - 0012-9976 | ISSN (Online) - 2349-8846

Articles by Swapna MajumdarSubscribe to Swapna Majumdar

Women Break Hierarchies, Walk to Freedom

In Bundelkhand, generations of Dalit women have unquestioningly followed the demeaning custom of taking off their footwear before passing by the houses of the upper castes. In 2012, the first bugle against this tradition was sounded by collectives of marginalised women in Barora panchayat in Jhansi. By wearing their footwear and breaking caste hierarchies, they paved the way for women in 41 panchayats in Babina block to end this humiliation.

Uniting to Reclaim Traditional Land and Livelihoods

In the decade since the 2004 tsunami, the affected fishing communities have battled dislocation, sea erosion and a fast depleting marine life. However, as one example from a fishing hamlet in Thiruvallur district of Tamil Nadu shows, collective efforts can lead to finding solutions. The fishing community of NTO Kuppam has withstood the government's efforts to relocate them far from the source of their livelihood - the sea - in the name of rehabilitation.

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