Sexual Health and Reproductive Rights

A Women’s Space where women of all religion and caste come together, to learn about he ways to be healthy and understand the causes of ill health. The women know the Community Health Workers (CHWs) and feel free to speak about their marital problems. They discuss gynaecological ailments without shame overcoming the barriers that arise between patient and doctor. The bonding between women is a source of strength. We began four centers in the resettlement colonies of Delhi for women of all religions and castes to come together to learn about health.

Self Help Centers

At the community level the prospect of active participation in hospital management created great enthusiasm. Six volunteers attended the morning OPD from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm regularly in rotation for six weeks. A notice board was put up: “ACTION INDIA at your service”.

The Self-Help Centre is our laboratory and the CHWs are the resource persons. A wide level of information relevant to the needs of poor women provide first hand research material. As a principle they learn by practice, applying new concepts on themselves before they develop strategies of changing attitudes of women in the community. They mobilize women and organize campaigns at the local level on issues of national and global concern.

Indigenous herbal medicine

This initiative began with looking for plants, roots, stems, leaves, and flowers in Saharanpur's woodlands in order to learn more about their therapeutic benefits. From an ayurvedic doctor, the members learned how to prepare herbal medicines in the ayurvedic way, and for the first time, they were able to treat common illnesses in women, their children, and men. Additionally, they acquired the skill of feeling the pulse to identify systemic imbalances that lead to diseases.