Neena Sharma
Tribune News Service, March 7, 2009
Behind the ever-smiling face of Garhwali women lies steely resolve and hard work. From discharging her duties at home to participating in social movements, the women are the main cogs in the wheel driving the state of Uttarakhand.
However, the route to empowerment of women has not been without its fair share of upheavals. Caught in the vicious circle of expectations from a traditional society and their own desire to reach for the stars, these women in the hills have been miserably let down by a society that still does not allow them the freedom to shape their lives, control resources and access basic facilities.
The demand for control on ‘jungle, zamin and pani’ is as old as the hills and women activists have been front-runners in launching movements to save the forests and water resources. [more]
