Rasheda Akhter from Manikganj
BARCIK, a development organization organized a discussion meeting and an exhibition of safe food produced by women to observe the World Rural Women’s Day 2021. The event was organized at Charmatta village of Krishnapur union in Sadar upazila of Manikganj with the theme ‘Rural women provide safe food for all’. At the beginning of the discussion meeting presided over by president of Alok Pathik Nari Sangathan Sumi Akhter, Lata Akhter, a college student, read an essay highlighting the context of the day.
Fatema Begum, a member of Alo Pathik, while emphasizing on rural women works said, ‘We women do all kinds of works all day long. I rear chickens and farm vegetables at home and various crops in the chalk (land). We produce safe foods because we do not use chemical fertilizers and pesticides in our farms. I keep working all day. But our male members in society do not really understand that we work all day. They only recognize our works when it ensure cash for the families. We want the dignity of our work at home and abroad.’
In the meantime, Renu Akhter said, ‘I found out today that there is a day for us too. We all want our work to be given importance. We will do this again next year and we will bring our husbands to each of these events. Husbands need to hear these things which could motivate them to give us our deserved dignity for our contribution.’ ‘Sumaiya Akhter, general secretary of Pratya Kishori, said, ‘Today is International Rural Women’s Day. I see the women of the village work from morning till evening. Their work is not finished until they go to sleep. I have seen my grandmother sit down to make rugs even in her old age. I hear many women say that work will not end before they die. In fact, village women do a lot of work. Today, on this day, I also demand to recognize the work of women and their dignity for their contribution.’
Sumi Akhter, who presided over the discussion said, ‘Today is International Rural Women’s Day. We should recognize and support women. They have been doing lot of works in the family along with agriculture works and livestock rearing. The family will not run well if women are not recognized and given dignity for their works and society. We do hundreds of things all day long. But our work does not catch the eye of men. Nobody cares about our work. Today, through this day, we want to demand that women should be given dignity without neglecting their works. We want recognition for our multifaceted works. ”
It is to be mentioned that rural women organized exhibitions of safe food produced and supplied by them during the day. Where they displayed gourd, bean, radish, red bean, spinach, sweet pumpkin, zucchini, eggplant, al, bell potato, swatch leaf, milk kachu, rice pumpkin, banana, ginger, turmeric, data, kachu lati etc. vegetables and seeds, Duck and chicken eggs etc. In addition, rural women cultivate a variety of uncultivated vegetables maximizing every inch of their lands. These uncultivated plants include: Sechi Shaak, Ful Sechi, Kharkun, Netapeta Shaak, Kalmi Shaak, Kachu Shaak, Kachur Lati, Telakuch Shaak, Kanta Shaak, Nunkute Shaak, Boutuni Shaak, Shapla, Shaluk etc.
Translated by Silvanus Lamin