By Dr. Madhulika Sahoo
It was last year when I visited Burujhari village in the Ganjam district of Odisha. I visited the case station and interacted with the women ambassadors. The women who took responsibility for mitigating snakebite deaths in the local village. The Avoidable Deaths Network (ADN) worked with the women’s group to establish a case station called Case Station for Avoidable Snakebite Deaths (CASA). The case station worked to raise awareness among locals and encourage them to take necessary precautionary measures. The case station has become the hub for women to work towards community development. This year, the theme of International Women’s Day is “Give To Gain”, which encourages generosity and collaboration.
“Give To Gain” emphasises the power of reciprocity and support. The CASA provides opportunities and support to the women. Giving is not a subtraction; it’s intentional multiplication. When women thrive, we all rise.
The significance of International Women’s Day lies in addressing issues that are affecting women, such as equal pay, access to education, safety, reproductive rights and the need to end violence against women. It provides a space for people to raise awareness, support gender equality and encourage meaningful change. At the same time, the day honours and celebrates the achievements of women who have made valuable contributions to their families, workplaces and communities. We at ADN create space for the voiceless to raise awareness at the local level to mitigate the disaster deaths.
Copyright of Madhulika Sahoo.
Short Bio of Author:
Dr. Madhulika Sahoo is a distinguished Anthropologist focused on gender and health and Regional Coordinator at the ADN. She currently serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology and as the Director of Student Welfare and Placement at Maa Manikeshwari University in Bhawanipatna, Odisha, India.