The southern Tamil Nadu district of Tenkasi has a couple of primary health centres, schools and a few private hospitals. Despite this, poverty continues to exist in the region. In this particular district, the majority of the women are indulged in the occupation of beedi rolling. It is a major source of income for them. Amidst this, a few women stepped forward to rise above the hurdles and started a women’s self-help group (SHG) to achieve sustainability in the long run.
As a result, women are self-employed and are employed in other jobs as well. In a positive development, women are running a college canteen in the district. The canteen that was started and is being run by women, is the result of women empowerment and resilience. The women, who earlier used to do beedi rolling for their livelihood, are now running a canteen in the Kamarajar Government Arts and Science College, Surandai, Tenkasi. The canteen has been named Madhimal Tharanadam.
Generally, the contracts for college canteens are provided to private companies. However, for the first time in Tenkasi, a canteen is being run by women SHG.
Earlier, the lack of adequate canteen facility in the Kamarajar Government Arts and Science College caused many hardships for the students of the college. Meanwhile, the women running the canteen have also expressed their delight saying that the canteen has been of great use to the students since its beginning. They have also revealed that it has also improved the income of the women employed there.
Notably, the past few years have witnessed a dramatic growth in the formation of several SHGs in Tamil Nadu most of which are made up of women. These groups have been launched to empower rural women to ensure a basic income for their families and become self-reliant. These SHGs employ women to weave baskets from banana fibre, process honey and turmeric, and manufacture nighties, among a few other jobs.
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