Self-reliance & resilience in slum women's groups

India is on a brink of water crisis. Government of India’s policy think tank, NITI Ayog’s 2018 report states that nearly 600 million Indians faced high to extreme water stress during 2017. For a very large proportion of underprivileged population, getting adequate water for fulfilling basic needs is a daily struggle.

On World Environment Day 2019, basti (slum) women, youth and children of Agra and Indore carried out an awareness campaign to encourage people to conserve water. Messages conveying practical ways of saving water were disseminated through pictorial placards and banners. Some of the messages were:

• Life is dependent on water, it is the collective responsibility of all to use it judiciously
• Save every drop by closing the flowing tap after use. A flowing tap can waste up to 90 litres of water in a week;
• Do not let water to flow when not needed. Open the tap as less as needed to save water.

The campaign saw active participation from UHRC mentored women’s groups and adolescent girls from bastis who often in a male dominated society do not step out from their homes. Basti children lent their energy by chanting slogans on the importance of saving water.

Links:

• UHRC's Facebook Link to the Activity