As a part of the C20 outreach programs, Ammachi Labs deployed researchers to visit and collect policy recommendations from villages it operates in, and to conduct gender sensitisation sessions.
These came as Side Events under the Gender Equality Working Group.
On June 20, 2023, a “Gender Harmony” course and an “Ideal Village” session were conducted at the New Thairyal village, Pathankot, Punjab. The visit also included discussions with villagers.
The goal of the Ideal Village session was to understand the challenges that the women of the village have observed and the changes they would like to see in their village. The following problems were identified:
- Need for a park for children.
- Facing the growing Alcoholism amongst men.
- Increase in Domestic abuse due to alcoholism and betting
- Assisted learning- Need to restart tuition center after COVID for the children.
- Small part time job for women.
- Sanitation and waste disposal system.
- Make clean water and better supply of water available.
- The factory pumps its dirty water back into the ground and this pollutes the villagers natural water sources.
- The factories also don’t employ local people afraid they might stage protests and demand i f they unite together they keep people from the outside.
The new scholarships that were being introduced by Amrita University were presented to the villagers.
A session on Questioning Rigid Gender Norms was also conducted. It included activities and learning critical dialogue and critical thinking.
After the session, all the village members present took the Gender Equality pledge.
