Mar 8, 2025
International Women’s Day
On 8th March 2025 we celebrated Women’s Day in Sialjori, a village around 10 kms away from Chamrabad. Each year JCMB along with the ‘Chetna Women’s Cooperative’ organises the event, a grand get-together of over four thousand women – all members of the women’s Self Help Groups. This year there were some significant new innovations and activities:
All the events were coordinated and organised by women – men were noticeably absent from the stage as our health centre staff Priya and Jaishree ably managed the show!
The accounts of the ‘Chetna Cooperative’ were presented by Suma this year for the first time – and in spite of her shaking hands the crowd listened attentively and were happy to hear that their collective savings have now exceeded 5 crores rupees!
This year we introduced several new activities during the programme:
o Announcement of the ‘Ram Pyari Gupta Scholarship’ – which provides a stipend to girls for pursuing higher education. Awarded to Basanti Roy and Tohfa Kumari.
o Inauguration of the ‘Celebrating Second Daughters’ initiative, gift pack given to Puja Devi.
o Felicitation of a ‘Happy Mother of Two Daughters’ – for a mother who has no desire for a third child or a son – to Sadhana Devi.
o Recognition of the unsung, and usually unpaid contribution of JCMB’s ‘Swasthya Sakhis’ (health guides). Awarded to Bijola Devi.
Our ‘usual’ activities – games and fun events – especially ‘musical chairs’ (a big hit as usual) were keenly observed by the huge crowd. Following which the all-women ‘Chau’ team from Purulia vividly portrayed the Santhal Rebellion of 1856.
Celebrating Women in a Man’s World!
This year JCMB arranged for the felicitation of women who have struggled to support their families doing traditionally men’s work – for Bhadu Devi and Kharia Mahato.
These women have struggled to support their families doing traditionally men’s work. Bhadu and Kharia, both in their 60s, pull rickshaws carrying potable water for the shops and houses in Chandankiari bazar. This is typically a man’s job but these women have been doing this since marriage. Now both of them have sons who earn but they have not given up their work because they do not want to be dependent on them. In many places “distinguished” women (such as professors, social workers or doctors) are felicitated on the occasion of Women’s Day. For us these two women demonstrate the strength and resilience of women, and were this year's most distinguished guests!
