In the quiet village of Damrughuttu in Purulia, the women’s voices echo in melody depicting about marginalization. These women are the members of the newly formed Women’s Council of Narishakti, The narrative of their community is being expressed through their song.

The federation of women came together a year and a half ago. Since then there has not been a single early marriage. Cases of domestic violence has gone down by 70%,” says Pushpo, a  leader in the group. In asking about such an impactful result ,she made it clear within her community that anyone found marrying off a girl below 18 will face legal consequence.

Their journey was not only limited to fighting gender-based injustices but also addressing malnutrition a through sustainable agriculture.

Finger millet (locally known as maruwa)—a highly nutritious crop that been a part of their traditional diet  was gradually fading out  due to the dominance of rice. So getting together and identifying a common parcel of land and growing it together was the first move taken by the women group. The seeds were sourced from ADO’s office. Since then harvesting and growing have become a part of their work.

Scaling up the product and plan to sell their production is their current objective. There are also plan to form a FPO (Farmers/Producers Group) working on resilient varieties of crops. There is also a plan to research marketable products and explore neighboring markets.

Her words match her enthusiasm and action, she is indeed a woman for change, a woman full of power. As the sun sets on this beautiful village, we say our parting words , quickly she exchanges numbers and promises to keep in touch.   From fighting early marriages to growing nutritious food, the women of Damrughuttu are proving that empowerment which begins at home and spread further.