International Women's Day Round Up

International Women's Day Round Up

This International Women's Day was celebrated across our office in their own unique ways. From felicitating women farmers to launching a new brand of product, this International Women's Day was truly celebrating and acknowledging them as engines of growth. Moreover, these celebrations weren't restricted to a single day but spanned over several days and through different meetings. 

The theme for International Women's Day 2023 was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”.

Here's a round up of the event:-

Sunderbans

This Women’s Day was particularly exciting for the 150 women in Bipradaspur Gram Panchayat in Sunderbans. The GP in Gosaba in South 24 Parganas (West Bengal) witnessed the launch of “Ananya”. Over 300 women, girls, SMC members, panchayat members, teachers and students came together at Chandipur village to celebrate International Women's Day on 9 March 2023. Women including farmers and entrepreneurs, were felicitated for their contribution to the society.

Read more about Brand Ananya here

Kalahandi

The International Women’s Day was celebrated at Sirkiheju village of Singhpur GP on 6 March 2023.  Women’s Day was celebrated to raise awareness about the status and dignity of women followed by themes “Digit ALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality”. Over 100 women farmers from 17 project villages of M Rampur block in Kalahandi district participated in the event. Leading women farmers explained the importance and  impact of technology and digitisation— such as rain gun, sprinkler, spray machine, digital weighing machine and smart class in the backward district like Kalahandi— in their livelihood and the changes it has brought about in their lives and that of their children. Having been a part of Project Utthan, an Oxfam India-HDFC Bank initiative, we honoured women for their exemplary work in agriculture and other development initiatives. 

Koraput   

Members of all 40 Women farmers Producers Groups in all 40 project villages were given an orientation on this year's theme of International Women's Day. Similar discussions were during a stakeholders' meet and a vendor-FPO meeting at the block level. Ten training programmes on entrepreneurship development at village level were conducted.

The stakeholders meet was chaired by the Sabita Pangi, Chairperson of the Dhartani Women Farmers Producers Company Limited, Semiliguda and the vendor-FPO interface was chaired by Gouri Khora, Chairperson, DeoPuk Mahila Agro Producer Company Limited, Pottangi. These meetings were attended by more than 100 members of the Women Farmer Producer Company, over 50 vendors, Deputy CEO of Odisha Rural Development and Marketing Society (ORMAS) and other stakeholders from different line departments.

The focus of the discussion was GO SUGAM—a Odisha Govt portal for availing all schemes and facilities from agriculture and allied line departments. Women farmer leaders and community mobilisers were trained to use this portal so that they can support the farmers in their villages. During the meeting, discussions were also held on e-National Agriculture Marketing (e-NAM) portal and its use. Members raised their concern about difficulties in using the digital services in remote areas. The representatives of the line departments asked for the project team’s support in this regard. Using innovative and simple technology for value addition, packaging, preservation and branding before marketing was suggested by the market players.

The process initiated at block level was supplemented by village level entrepreneurship trainings where more than 300 members participated. Major focus was on transforming agriculture as an enterprise or developing qualities of an entrepreneur among members to do “for-Profit” agriculture. Besides digitisation, promotion of innovation and technology was emphasised upon. Proper crop planning as per the demand of market and season, value addition (and how much so that it remains profitable), and preparatory work like sorting, grading and safe packaging were also discussed.

Puri

Ahead of International Women's Day, the first Iron Removal Plant (IRP) in Sukalpada village in Puri district was inaugurated and handed over to the village. The 3500 lt plant will ensure clean, iron-free water to 106 households. The WASH committee signed a declaration to take care of the water filter set up by Oxfam India and Livpure Foundation. This Iron Removal Plant was inaugurated on 1 March 2023 by representative of Livpure Foundation and the Sarpanch of Sukalpada village Lalit Mohan Senapati.

Read more about the IRPs here

Sitamarhi

International Women's Day has been celebrated on 15 March, with women leaders of our villages, women farmers and entrepreneurs, and adolescent girls. Fifty women and adolescent girls  participated in this event. They shared their journey of socio-economic development, growth, and empowerment with support of Oxfam India and how they were influencing other women/adolescent girls. Members of mushroom and bangle enterprises displayed their products and encouraged other women to take it up a village level activities. 

Adolescent girls who have greatly benefited from the different activities of HRDP like training and awareness on Menstrual Hygiene Management, smart classes, and solar lamps were also present during the meeting and shared their experiences and significance of smart classes in schools, solar lamps at homes and the way it has helped support their studies. 

International Women's Day has been celebrated on 15th March, with women leaders of our village institutions, women farmers and entrepreneurs and adolescent girls. Total 50 women and adolescent girls were participated in this event. They shared their journey of socio-economic development with support of OIN and how they are influencing other women/adolescent girls for their growth and empowerment. 

Members of mushroom and bangle enterprises had also displayed their produce among the participants and encourages others to do village level entrepreneurial activities. 

Adolescent girls are also being benefited through different activities of HRDP like training and awareness on MHM, smart classes of schools, solar lamps etc. And during this event, they also actively participated and shared the significance of smart classes in schools, solar lamps and how these are supported in their study. 

Humanitarian Programme Coordinator Moitrayee participated virtually and took a detailed session on Oxfam India's approach towards women empowerment and importance of women's day. 

Know more about the bangle enterprise and mushroom enterprise

Nalanda

International Women's Day was celebrated in Nalanda on 10 March and 13 March in 15 of our villages under the Holistic Rural Development Programme (HRDP), better known as Project Utthan. 330 women—22 from each village—participated in the celebration and shared their experience, and their economic, cultural and political achievements while working in the project with the others present. Forty-five women were felicitated for their extraordinary effort and leadership to make themselves and their villages better. 

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