Dear Reader,

As we marked International Women’s Day on March 8, our grantees celebrated unsung women who have gone against the grain and overcome odds, to make their mark.

The role of women in India’s freedom movement is a proud legacy but their contributions are relatively unsung and unheralded. Live History India profiles Durgabai Deshmukh, a fighter for freedom and women’s rights, who walked out of a child marriage, got herself an education, went on to serve as one of the 15-women appointed to India’s Constituent Assembly, was a member of Planning Commission and was conferred the Padma Vibhushan.

The Pangolin is an endangered species and is heavily trafficked in Odisha. For her work in saving and busting the illegal trade in the mammal, Odisha forest officer Susmita Lenka, was conferred the UN’s Asia Environmental Enforcement Award in February this year. Do read Down to Earth's compelling read on her exploits.

It is now over a year since the first case of Covid was detected in India. A year when the efforts of the healthcare staff at the forefront of battling the pandemic has been nothing short of heroic. Janjwar speaks to Dr Mallika of the LNJP Hospital in Delhi who recounts her fears and hopes in the ten long months she spent serving patients at the Covid emergency ward of the hospital.

When it comes to sectors like sanitation and development, women are usually seen as mere beneficiaries. The Wire argues that if these sectors are to be made more gender-sensitive and friendly, then women have to be integrated as professionals and service providers.

The POSH Act is a critical step in making workplaces safer for women by preventing, prohibiting and redressing acts of sexual harassment. Feminism in India examines how the legislation has worked in the unorganised sector, where lack of awareness, biases and inadequate funding has denied access to the victims.

For these stories and more from the Foundation’s grantees this week, please read on.

Warmly,

Sunil Rajshekhar
IPSMF