The National Tribal Research Institute, New Delhi, celebrated international women’s day on 8th March 2022, as a part of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. International Women’s Day is a celebration to highlight the historical, political and cultural achievements of women across the globe. It is the occasion to educate the public on issues of gender equality and access to rights for women, to mobilize political will and resources to address these concerns and to celebrate and reinforce the achievements of humanity. It is said, ‘Educate a girl and you educate the entire family. Similarly, empower a woman and you empower the entire society. Efforts of the National Tribal Research Institute with the support of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) manifests this thought.
To recognize such achievements, the National Tribal Research Institute organized a National Webinar on International Women’s Day celebration on the premise of gender equality today for a sustainable tomorrow for the tribal women.
This event brought on board tribal women of worth who are regarded as the harbingers of change, rising in their fields, working for the rights and welfare of tribal women, who have not only fought for their rights and entitlements but also have led their communities successfully. During the workshop, women tribal achievers from different states such as Assam, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu amongst others narrated their stories. The stakeholders in the event comprised of the officials from the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, UN Women, NGOs, Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and Academia.
Shri Navaljit Kapoor, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, addressing the gathering, expressed his pleasure at being part of the event that identifies tribal women achievers from across the country. He talked about the initiatives of the Government specifically designed for the upliftment of tribal women. He mentioned the success of Eklavaya Schools, Ashram Schools, and scholarships that are provided to tribal children to pursue their education within and outside India. Presently, 367 Eklavya Schools are operating all over India. He also mentioned the 75 tribal dance forms that are now being digitized and documented by the Ministry. The Ministry with its projects and initiatives is trying to empower tribal artisans. TRIFED initiative that is working to encourage Women Entrepreneurship is a notable effort in improving the lives of tribal women. He also invoked women’s participation in decision making for achieving equitable outcomes in governance.
Following his address, Smt. R. Jaya, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, talked about the importance of International Women’s Day. She said that the day is not only meant for women but also men, for they are equal members of society. Explaining the many struggles of tribal women, she went on to say that struggle for gender parity has just started and there is a long road ahead. She urged women to take the centre stage to inspire action regarding the welfare of tribal women's lives. Smt. R. Jaya also expressed her confidence in the impact that the powerful stories of the marginalized sections of the society can create and commended the efforts of NTRI for providing a platform for tribal women to voice their thoughts.
Dr Nupur Tiwary, Special Director, NTRI,addressing all the participants said that International Women’s Day is crucial in identifying and recognizing the struggles of women. She referred to the concept of Multidimensional poverty given by Arjun Sen Gupta to explain how the issues of women are layered, specifically tribal women who are the society. Talking about the day, she mentioned the theme given by the United Nations for 2022- Gender Quality today for a Sustainable Tomorrow” and elaborated on its importance. She also identified the need to mitigate all stereotypes and discrimination that are faced by women in our society. To showcase the exceptional contribution of women tribal leaders, a video was played, which identified many remarkable women who have been the driver of revolutionary change. Dr Nupur Tiwary then briefly introduced the dignitaries who had joined the event.
A glimpse of the video was shown to all the participants wherein all the tribal women and achievers were participating.
The webinar ended with a vote of thanks by the National Tribal Research Institute team.