Breaching new frontiers is the new norm for the women now. In bureaucracy too, it started with one single woman clearing the UPSC exams. Now of every four candidates selected, one is certainly a woman. Not only are they securing top positions in the exam but are also handling crucial responsibilities in the administration.
Indian Masterminds, has regularly been showcasing their achievements. On International Women’s Day 2023 we are presenting woman officers who have taken up initiatives to better the lives of other women `in the country.
Don’t Worry Working Mothers
For women going out to make their career, challenges have increased manifolds. It is difficult for them to maintain work-life balance while taking care of the children. The district administration of Kokrajhar, Assam has tried to make their lives a bit easy. Women in the district administration have been allowed to bring along their child to the office.
Under the leadership of DC, Kokrajhar Ms. Varnali Deka an old unused room at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office was renovated and transformed into a colourful children’s room. It has been redesigned keeping the children’s needs in mind. The room has book cabinets, wall art, floor mats and other children-specific items like toys and play items.
The idea emerged after female staff complained that their children loiter around in the office corridors for want of supervision at home. Ms. Deka that this is only the first such room and her wants to replicate this to all departments in the district.
IPS Officer Breaks Menstruation Taboo in Nagaland
Menstruation is a taboo in most societies. But not for IPS officer Pritpal Kaur, Posted as SP in Noklak district of Nagaland she is on a mission to sensitize the local women about menstrual hygiene.
During an awareness program in her district, Ms. Kaur realized that almost none of the women knew about sanitary pads and many of them had not heard about menstrual hygiene. The officer then approached the Weaving Women Cooperative Society for help. This organization at that time was only into weaving traditional clothes and jewellery.
The women claimed they use cloth only as sanitary pads are very costly. “I told them, what if they themselves start stitching sanitary pads and sell them in the district,” she told Indian Masterminds. And the revolution started. Now nine villages have been making sanitary pads and almost all the villages are aware of menstrual hygiene.
Read full story here : https://indianmasterminds.com/features/change-makers/nagaland-ips-officer-takes-strong-measures-to-break-menstruation-taboo/
IAS Brand Ambassador Of Breast Milk Donation
Mother of twin boys Sabar and Shukar, IAS officer Mittali Sethi, Director of Vanamati in Maharashtra has taken up a noble cause – breast milk donation. And she is leading it by example.
Dr Sethi shared with Indian Masterminds the story of her taking up the cause. When she came to know about carrying twins, she wasn’t sure whether she will have enough milk to breastfeed both the children. That led her to do extensive research during her last trimester. When she started discussing with lactation consultants, she was told that a woman pregnant with twins, has her body automatically adapted to produce enough milk for the twins.
Dr Sethi thought of a milk bank when her kids were given formula milk one night in the hospital. After joining the office again, Dr Sethi started storing pumped milk for her kids. When her kids completed 100 days, she celebrated it by donating 1L of pumped milk at the Daga Hospital Breast Milk Bank in Nagpur.
She has donated 1100ml and is planning to donate another 1L this month. Her mission is to establish milk banks in every city.
Read full story here : https://indianmasterminds.com/features/be-inspired/ias-officer-becomes-brand-ambassador-of-breast-milk-donation-leads-by-example/
Women In Distress No More In Andhra Now
The government of Andhra Pradesh and its Police Department has developed a SOS App called Disha for timely help to women in distress. A button on mobile phones has been designated as SOS button, which in being pressed records a 5 second audio and video clip which along with the location will automatically be sent to the Police Control Room (PCR). The user also has an option to designate five numbers in phone’s contact list as emergency numbers, and the location will be shared with them as well. There is no charge, no loss, and absolutely no tracking of any data.
In Nellore district a lady travelling in an auto in a desolated area was being harassed by the auto driver. She jumped out of the moving auto and pressed the SOS button. Police reached there in no time and arrested him.
In another case, a pregnant lady in labor pain couldn’t get the ambulance service. As she pressed the Disha SOS button, the police came and took her to the hospital. The umbilical cord was around the neck of the baby. Any delay would have led to the death of the baby by suffocation. Thankfully, the baby was born healthy.
Speaking with Indian Masterminds, IPS officer Malika Garg, SP, Prakasam District said, “Women should have this app on their phone. Sometimes, the dial 100 doesn’t connect. In such distress Disha SOS app can be of great help.”
Read full story here : https://indianmasterminds.com/features/be-inspired/women-in-distress-no-more-in-andhra-now-thanks-to-this/
What A Relief to Working Moms of Surguja Police!
The Surguja Police, under the leadership of SP Bhavana Gupta, has come up with an innovative initiative under community policing to bring relief to the working woman cops and strengthen their capacity to deliver better.
With “Hamar Beti Hamar Maan” project, the goal is to support the state’s female police officers so they may perform to the best of their abilities, produce positive results, and engage with the community to help prevent crimes in general against women.
“They are expected to complete their 8-10 hour jobs and immediately go on to fulfil their household duties as a wife, mother, and daughter-in-law. All of us face this at different levels, and therefore I decided to do something which could bring, at least, a bit of difference into the lives of these women who are already struggling so much,” Ms. Gupta stated in an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds.
Read full story here : https://indianmasterminds.com/features/change-makers/what-a-relief-to-working-moms-of-surguja-police/
Empowering Tribal Women with Financial and Computer Literacy Skills
One woman officer has been ushering changes in the lives of the women of Mandla district in Madhya Pradesh by empowering them in her own way: by taking them through the various phases of basic literacy skills of important fields.
The officer is District Collector Harshika Singh, IAS, and she is taking steps to provide the mostly tribal women of Mandla with basic education first, and then graduate to financial and computer literacy. Foe the last two years, she has been successfully carrying out this 3-phase literacy programme.
“We already have Mahila Gyanalaya running in districts where educated ladies do handholding for other not-so-educated ladies. Going ahead of basic literacy and numeracy plus financial literacy, we have started basic computer literacy, wherein the educated girls of the Gram Panchayat are now volunteering for the same,” she told Indian Masterminds.
Read full story here : https://indianmasterminds.com/features/change-makers/empowering-tribal-women-of-mandla-with-financial-computer-literacy-skills/
