“Women, whether placed in a corporate board room or under the sweltering sun in a distant village of this country, have the tenacity and the drive to effect positive transformation in the society” — and that is happening also in the government’s Jal Jeevan Mission, says Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.
Writing in an internal government newsletter, the Jal Shakti Minister has at length described how women in the country’s villages are evolving from just being beneficiaries of the mega drinking water scheme to being groomed as leaders, and also plumbers, electricians and pump operators. Calling women as symbols of “Shakti” or the divine, Shekhawat has written that women were always at the centre of PM Narendra Modi’s “Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas” philosophy and every government scheme, be it Ujjwala, Swachh Bharat Mission, PM Jan Dhan and Poshan, has been geared towards the women.
“Most policies of the government have women as its primary beneficiaries, some have women in leadership roles, but the transformed Jal Jeevan Mission has both,” the Minister says.
How This is Happening?
Shekhawat says the Jal Jeevan Mission has mandated that 50% representation in the Village Water and Sanitation Committee under the scheme has women representation. Five women in every village are leading community-led water quality surveillance after being trained in water testing with the use of field kits. Women are also being upskilled as plumbers, electricians and pump operators, the Minister says.
“Women don the pilot’s hat with every minute aspect of planning, implementation, management and operation of the in-village drinking water supply scheme. Thus, the latent leadership skills and intrinsic wisdom of the women folks are being put to its most optimum use,” he has written. The Minister claims the “silent determination of those women” has provided them a “new found confidence and voice.”
He says in many states like Madhya Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, women are proactively stepping up to the new responsibilities of taking care of drinking water supplies too. “I have not an iota of doubt that these pioneering women will run efficient and orderly water supply systems through their sheer competence and will. Jal Jeevan Mission in its own way has been catalysing change in the hitherto established gender roles in employment, skills and society.”
Taking Cue from the PM
The internal newsletter highlights the PM’s recent Independence Day address where he expressed his happiness that 4.5 crore families had started getting tap drinking water within two years of the Jal Jeevan Mission. “The blessings of Crores of mothers and sisters is our strength…,” the PM said.
Shekhawat writes that the idea of Jal Jeevan Mission was first conceived in the mind of Modi when he was the Chief Minister of Gujarat, to provide potable tap water supply to every rural home. “Women who are tasked with the responsibility of fetching water for the whole family, come rain, drought or cold have to walk long distances with heavy pitchers of water. The task befalls on women of all ages and conditions, thus, Jal Jeevan Mission has come as a blessing in their lives,” he says.
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