What’s your mother doing?” “What’s your wife doing?”
Very often I have heard people respond almost instantly: “Nothing.” This is a mistaken perception. Society has somehow developed a mindset not to acknowledge certain contributions of women, but at the same time, has extensively acclaimed that of men. We can achieve gender equality only after we start valuing the forgotten contributions. Especially of late, the women who were thought to be doing ‘nothing’ are in fact doing everything. In this context, it is noteworthy that at Harithahaaram, we value the contributions of the women of Telangana in giving this state a green garland and thereby giving this country a verdant umbrella in its heartland.
Few are aware of the effort, dedication, commitment and involvement of the women of India’s newest state in the programme, though our achievements in green initiatives have been recognised by the Government of India and at various other forums, both national and international. There is no better occasion than International Women’s Day to make people aware of those behind the toil that went into making Harithahaaram a grand success.
Any greening programme starts with the creation of good planting stock. The key departments implementing Harithahaaram are the ones dealing with panchayat raj, forests and municipal administration. Telangana has 12,769 gram panchayats and each one has a nursery that is directly managed by the sarpanch, panchayat secretary and local forest staff. It is seldom noticed that out of the total 12,769 sarpanches, 6,808 are women, or 53% of the total strength. The management of nurseries is done by the panchayat secretaries, and 30% are again women. The women contributing to Harithahaaram belong to Mandal Parishad and Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies, and serve as Mandal presidents, chairpersons of Zilla Parishads, Mandal panchayat officers and development officers, divisional and district panchayat officers, and deputy CEOs and CEO of Zilla Parishads. Together, they add up to 44% of the total strength, certainly not negligible.
Urban forest parks, village and city tree parks, and avenue, homestead and farm bund plantations, etc., are part of the Harithahaaram programme. These models are a great success in Telangana with a per capita green cover increase of 137% in the last decade in the city of Hyderabad alone. Here too, 42% of field-level uniformed personnel are women and they are directly involved in monitoring the plantations and their maintenance.
Women have demonstrated great capacity as leaders, experts, educators and innovators. The women’s movements have made great strides in preserving and protecting our resources. It is critical to recognise their contributions as decision makers, stakeholders, caretakers, experts and even as labourers across all departments in implementing Harithahaaram.
Women bring more empathy and inclusiveness in their advocacy and problem-solving, which enhances their efficacy as sustainability leaders, whether it’s a sarpanch or a panchayat secretary. This is evident to anybody who takes a ride to Annapureddypalli mandal of Bhadradri Kothagudem district. Here the Mandal Parishad development officer (MPDO), forest beat officer, sarpanch and the gram panchayat secretary are all women. Annapureddypalli is not unique in this regard. Other mandals such as Wargal, Mustabad and Veernapally too have women MPDOs, sarpanches and panchayat secretaries.
Earlier, during the Chipko Movement in the 1970s, women took the lead in stopping the tree felling by physically shielding—literally hugging—the trees. With their unique knowledge and capabilities of natural resource management, women are strong change-agents and key contributors to adaptation programmes at the local, regional and international levels. According to the Forest Survey Report (FSR), from 2015 to 2021, forest cover recorded in Telangana has increased to 6.85% and the tree cover to 14.51%. The overall increase in green cover is 7.7% since 2014. Women have led the way and are torchbearers in creating and sustaining greenery. Women have the knowledge and also a better understanding of how to adapt to the changing environment and determine practical solutions. Elsewhere and even in Telangana earlier, women were a largely untapped resource due to lesser representation in decision-making and work implementation.
In order to create the green garland, the Forest College and Research Institute in Mulugu, Hyderabad, was established by the state government. Here, 62% of the total students in the UG and PG levels are girls. This will help generate more women forest managers who will conserve and protect the resources efficiently for the generations to come. Haritha Nidhi and Green Fund, which are special and innovative steps, have shown that such green efforts are high in the list of the state government’s priorities.
A simple attempt that spread its wings in no time was the Green India Challenge to plant saplings, which was well supported by members of the film fraternity, sportspersons, politicians and many other celebrities. Their support has brought in more community participation and awareness. Here too, women participation has been remarkable.
A famous quote by G D Anderson comes to my mind: “Feminism isn’t about making women stronger, women are already stronger. It’s about changing the way the world perceives that strength.” We are moving towards an exhilarating time in history where the world accepts gender balance. Now any absence of women is being noticed and their presence is being celebrated in every sphere of life. I feel proud and happy that the world is coming together to recognise the hard work of women and acknowledge their achievements. On this day, let’s take a moment to cherish the essence of being a woman, rejoice in our strength and remember our significance in society. Let’s inspire the world with greater achievements as we contribute equally in every sector of our life—whether it’s at our home, workplace, society or nation.
Priyankaa Varghese
IFS officer who is OSD to CM (Harithahaaram) and Dean of FCRI, Hyderabad