Women

Aux Portes de Saint-Louis: La Gare Routière

La gare routière de Saint-Louis est un lieu oú transitent des centaines de voitures, ainsi que des miliers de personnes. A part les chauffeurs et les passagers, il y'a des employés et des vendeurs qui viennent y travailler tous les jours. Sur notre photo nous voyons, devant le poste de contrôle, six personnes entrain de partager un repas, autour d'un bol. Il y'a parmi eux des coxeurs (hommes qui organisent et tiennent la liste des véhicules et qui sont chargés de rabattre les clients vers un taxi ou un autocar), des agents de la mairie, et des chauffeurs.

Pitha - Rice cake

Pitha is the common name used in Assam for rice cake. The Boro pitha is traditionally prepared during the harvest festival. In earlier times indigenous varieties of rice were used for making pitha. Each household has its own way of making pitha/ rice cakes and it is generally women who engage in such activities.  Now-a-days with indigenous rice varieties slowly disappearing, hybrid rice varieties are used for making pitha; and pitha is no longer related with festivities alone.

Libraries of a Town

Bhagat Singh Library and Cultural Centre (1983-1990) was an initiative of a grassroot organisation called Kishore Bharti in Pipariya, Madhya Pradesh. The Library/Centre focused on creating social awareness through reading, writing and community based activities. While the library started as a space for all the sections, a need was soon felt to add a separate slot to encourage women readers. In the following excerpt, Rekha Vyohaar, a resident of Pipariya, shed light on how the setup was significant to the women at the local level:

Ayaakho Ojala

Every mother tongue has sounds and sighs that utter laments and express hope. The word Ayaakho Ojala is derived from the Ao Indigenous tribal language and is the ultimate angst that is often invoked by women. It signifies a mother’s strength and comfort.  As a woman utters it, she finds relief and rest from the pain of patriarchy that seeks to crush her down.

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