Pushpa is the treasurer of the SHG and a member of Aaroh Mahila Kisan Manch. She has also received formal training in farming in Lucknow and Orai. Her association with the Aaroh Mahila Kisan Manch and the SHG has been very positive. Her experiences of attending different meetings in Lucknow, Delhi and other places have boosted her confidence to challenge wrong doings in society. Pushpa has mobilized women to protest against corruption in the public distribution system (PDS). They collectively kept banging their utensils till the contractor yielded under pressure to resume supplies of kerosene, rice etc to deserving women.
"Similarly we had lobbied for getting a woman elected as village Pradhan (Head). Our village has had a history of poor work done under male pradhans. We campaigned actively for a woman candidate, Chandan Devi, and she won. She did far more development work in the village than any other previous pradhan. Under her, a lot of decision-making and discussion took place collectively, unlike in case of male pradhans, who usually run the show single handedly or behind closed doors. She could not contest the next time, as the seat was not reserved for women but for a harijan. So now we again have a male pradhan".
Pushpa narrated another struggle during a polio vaccination drive in her village. Once, during polio drive when she was on duty as Asha bahu, while children had turned up to get vaccinated, but vaccines did not arrive till mid-day. She called up the coordinator, and he asked her to send her husband to collect the vaccines from a place called Jaganpura 3 km away. When she insisted that her husband could not leave his work, the coordinator threatened her that she will not receive her INR 75 for her duty that day. Pushpa called the Chief Medical Officer and narrated the entire episode. When the CMO acted upon her complaint vaccines reached her soon after. Pushpa has never received any benefit from government schemes as "We fail to get information in time". She does not have a BPL/APL card (below poverty line/above poverty line card). So they are not able to get any benefit of the public distribution system.
On women farmers
"Menfolk, more often than not, do not recognize the agency of women farmers despite their equal, if not more strenuous, contribution to agriculture and also to household chores and other family responsibilities. Women's work is often a thankless job and we need to assert our right to get recognition for our work and life of dignity. Our agency needs to be recognized".
On land ownership
"My husband does not have any land in his name. I own 2 bighas, and one residential plot. A woman needs to have the land rightfully in her name so that she can fend for her and her children with dignity if circumstances go against her. If we do not stake our legal right to property and land then we are the ones who are increasing the risk of being in a very bad state if men turn their backs on us at any point of time. Relationships may not last forever and if a man and woman decide to part their ways or the man walks out of the relationship, which is not uncommon, then at least the woman will have the land to earn her livelihood and fend for her and her family's needs".
On women's education, marriage and family planning
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