Women in the forefront - JharkhandChakulia in the East Singhbhum district of Jharkhand has high infant mortality and poor sanitation. Women working in the government's Integrated Child Development Services as anganwadi workers spearheaded an initiative to persuade over 2,500 families to build low-cost toilets. Families below the poverty line contributed by helping to dig the toilet pit. Slipping into roles traditionally assigned to men, the childcare workers functioned as masons, production centre managers, and accounts managers. They became deft at mixing cement, creating moulds, making rings for the low cost toilets and even transporting them. UNICEF supported this example of quiet change by focussing on rural women and their ability to lead and inspire action.
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