Women at forefront of rural healthcare delivery
SNEHA is a pilot project combating the increasing dropout rate of adolescents in India, ages 15-18
- English
- हिंदी
“Women are at the forefront of rural healthcare delivery” were the words that came to mind. These are the same words printed in global health textbooks and the Harvard Health Publishing articles in my inbox.
Most students majoring in global health understand the importance of women's leadership in underserved areas, but witnessing it in real-time is a completely different, awe-inspiring experience.
The SNEHA (Safety, Nutrition, Empowerment, & Health for Adolescents) Mandal Level Training Program of Village Organization Assistants (VOAs) took place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on August 28. SNEHA is a pilot project combating the increasing dropout rate of adolescents in India, ages 15-18.
That morning, I walked in with my boss. What I expected to be a male-led training program for her was instead one she led with two of her colleagues, also women.
I got excited at the chance to secure a front-row seat to their speeches, but with no chair in sight, I quietly walked to the back while VOAs stared subtly in my direction. I stood out with my 5’10” figure, a black mask around my mouth, and white Brandy Melville sweatpants mismatched with my yellow kurta, while men were neatly dressed in ironed slacks and women in beautiful sarees.
Madhurima rose, a mic in her hand. Like my boss, she is also an Anganwadi centre supervisor.
A moment of silence prefaced her speech, and I misconstrued it as a moment of uncertainty. Seated in the back row, listening attentively, journaling on my lap, and with my pen in hand, I stopped writing momentarily. I realized seeing those words that initially came to mind play out in real time would invariably be unmatched by simply reading or hearing those exact words.
With their phones away, trainees were eager and engaged. A female trainee beside me and another woman in front of me, pens in hand, books in their laps, were meticulously taking notes. Another woman at the front of the room raised her hand to ask what was just said so she would not miss documenting it in her notebook.
Female representation in leadership was significant beyond the reality that most of the trainees in the room were women. Male trainees could also envision their wives in leadership roles, simultaneously fulfilling their roles as mothers and capable of being successful in both. It strips away this deeply entrenched stereotype of solely male leadership in health administration jobs.
Madhurima did not belittle the trainees but instead leveled the power dynamics that tend to exist between administrative positions and field workers. Her presentation was inspiring and informative, and the mutual respect that was built between her and the trainees as she progressed with her talking points was empowering to witness.
She encouraged them to provide input and ask more questions: “Don’t be scared to participate. Nothing you will say is really wrong or right because you never know what you’re going to expect when you go out on the field.”
She made it very interactive and was even cracking jokes here and there. You wanted to listen, and an hour went by just like that.
I was not glancing up to see if the ceiling fan was functioning, looking at my arms to see if I had a new mosquito bite, or checking in with myself if now was an appropriate time to take my mask off to sneak a gasp of air, all of which were habitually routine during my India visits.
She was almost halfway through her speech when she began to emphasize the importance of nutrition education for adolescents. She said, “Our own kids will go to fast food centers if they do not like the food at home.”
Her comment was met with nods and smiles, for most of these trainees had children. It was a universal dilemma that parents must deal with, and she honed in on that.
She also discussed factors contributing to increasing dropout rates. Low exam marks, stemming from a lack of encouragement and self-empowerment, were a major cause. Ultimately, she ended her presentation with a list of hotlines for children, adolescents, and women.
There was another moment of silence, and she gave a slight nod of her head as a thank you for listening to her speak.
Applause roared through the room.
As I was writing this article and cross-checking with Madhurima to verify my translation of her statements from Telugu to English was accurate,
She said to me in English: “Women here are not empowered. They are socialized and tailored to the needs of household chores, but they are capable of doing so much more.”
The engagement level and pure humanity I witnessed that day made my back-row seat feel like a front-row experience. I went back to my grandparents’ house overwhelmed with inspiration and in awe of Madhurima because that is the power that a female Anganwadi centre supervisor holds: the power to inform, the power to empower, and the power to lead.
About Author
"Richa Kondapally is a sophomore in college at UC San Diego. She is studying global health and is currently on the pre-medical track. She is interested in mental health and prediabetes awareness and education in clinical and non-clinical settings and implementing solutions for dehumanization in the broader medical system. She is currently pursuing work on exploring the connection between media and medicine by delving deeper into the field of medical humanities."
