“Understand the world from the eyes of a woman,” said Ayesha Khatun to an audience of over 60 people at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on 25th June 2014. Ayesha Khatun is the founder of Mohammed Bazaar Backward Classes Development Society (MBBCDS) that works on various aspects of empowerment of tribal and minority women in 35 villages in Birbhum, Murshidabad and Howrah districts of West Bengal. The event was hosted by Association for India’s Development (MIT & Boston chapters).

Ayesha began the talk by sharing her motivation to do the challenging grassroot work. Coming from a minority community herself, she had seen grave injustice against women and children. Mothers faced tremendous difficulties at home and outside and children were forced into child labor. “The woman is continuously oppressed”, she said, “We cannot live like this - we have to fight for our rights and I wanted to be a part of this process”.

She strongly felt that education is an important tool for development and has to be combined with women’s empowerment. MBBCDS started their work by running a school and then in livelihood generation where women did katha-stitching, jewelry-making using natural resources, doing Santhali wall-art on cloth and making low cost sanitary napkins. Nutrition gardens can provide year round livelihoods to women groups.

Through Participatory Rural Appraisal, MBBCDS volunteers engage the villagers in mapping out available resources and services in the village followed by a 5 year plan that is submitted to the panchayat and is also painted on highly visible walls. Ayesha highlighted the use of RTI (Right to Information)) to get information from the government and MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Gaurantee Act) programs to get 100 days of work annually.

The AID Boston chapter supports the Jambuni Child Growth Center run by MBBCDS. Ayesha lovingly refers to the 800 children in the 8 school as Hamara Baccha - our children. MBBCDS recognizes that girl child is often discriminated at home so they make sure all work in their schools are equally shared by boys and girls. “I really like the education program’s holistic approach incorporating sports, arts, self defense, vocational training, kitchen-gardening and teaching equity and justice”, said Nikhil Dubbaka, an AID Boston volunteer who coordinates this project. The schools provide midday meals and emphasize the importance of health and hygiene. Drama is a tool that is used to understand the difficulties faced in their home life and how to deal with them.

Violence is endemic against girls from poor families who are mainly tribals, Muslims or Dalit Hindus. The hostels provide accommodation for 180 girls who want to pursue further studies in a safe environment. Some of the girls had been trafficked, raped or ostracized by their community and are determined to change their lives through education.

For MBBCDS, the bicycle became a symbol of liberation. Riding a bicycle and playing outdoor games continually breaks the cultural barriers that hold the girls back. “I was surprised to see teenage boys and girls playing football together when I visited them in Birbhum”, said Somnath Mukherji, an AID volunteer. Girls from the 9th and 10th grade bring out a magazine on a regular basis where they report, publish interviews and write opinion pieces.

MBBCDS constantly looks at providing platform for young girls and women in the villages to come together and fight against abuse, violence and discrimination.

Ayesha ended the talk by a personal appeal to all, “Let us not be silent anymore in response to gender violence. Let us raise our voice. Let us protest. Let us work towards an India where every man and woman can call it their own and in whose making they have an effective voice!”

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