Summary

The primary occupation in villages in rural Madhya Pradesh remains as agriculture and animal husbandry. The dominant agricultural produce of the State includes cotton, groundnuts (peanuts), dates and sugarcane. The climate conditions here remain harsh and often women, who work as labourers on these fields, spend their days on the field so they can earn for their families. Mostly, the households these women take care of is comprised of 5 members, and they sustain on an average monthly income of $95. Apart from farming, women engage in sewing, tailoring, snacks making, accessories business, etc. 

The local village market or ‘mandi’ becomes their location to sell these products. Often, 4-5 villages come together to organize a huge market on a weekly basis. The menfolk work in the villages or migrate to the nearest towns for better income opportunities. The cities are far from the villages and often connectivity is poor. This makes it harder to ensure the families in Gujarat earn their daily income.

Access to clean sanitation still remains a challenge, with several families resorting to open defecation even today. 41 women seek a loan from VAMA. The organization has been striving to liberate these rural women from chronic poverty through its various developmental interventions and activities concentrated on sanitation, education and livelihood related issues.