Associations Part 2

     In a country where life expectancy is currently 67 years and was less than 50 around the time of her birth, Chamaly, a 57 year old villager from the Purbaborsha Village, Bangladesh decided to start the Ananda Moy Woman's Association. I didn't get an exact translation, but I believe the name comes from a famous Bengali spiritual leader, who's name means bliss-permeated mother. Started in December 2008, and presently with 28 members, the idea behind it was  to form a group that could establish the rights of all women in the village would create an abuse free environment.

Chamaly (right) speaks to the group.

     Chamaly was an anomaly from all the women that I talked to. Where most groups limited the age of their members from about 20 to 45 (mostly so that the members would be of sound mind and body), here was a 57 year old, who was not only a member, but the Chairperson. Asking the question "How old are your association members?" often turned into a lengthy group discussion (do you remember the day Bangladesh won it's independence? how old is your oldest child? were you already married during the big flood?), but Chamaly proudly stood up, took off her reading glasses, and told me her age. She was also one of the few people in the country I saw wearing glasses!

     She told me that as a child she had little interest in going to school, but now she wanted to learn everything. Teach us anything, we are willing to learn! Her village was one of the better educated of the ones I visited. Out of 19 people at the meeting 5 could only write their names, 5 had gone to 5th grade, 2 to 8th, 6 had completed their SSC or 10th grade (including Chamaly), and one, Herarai, the Treasurer had finished her HSC or 12th grade. I'm not sure all the women felt as strongly as Chamaly did about bettering themselves through education, but they clearly valued her strength and wisdom.

Ananda Moy Woman's Association,
Purbaborsha Village, Bangladesh

     The group meets every month in a shed made from corrugated iron sheets, built by the Grameen foundation to house community meetings, to discuss current problems within the community. Through the help of NGO's the women are learning about health and sanitation issues, training on income generating activities, and most importantly, what their rights are as a woman in Bangladeshi society. Due to the high illiteracy rate and the remoteness of many villages, most woman don't know what rights they have in society, and when they do learn them, are usually powerless to make use of them. There is no access to the judicial system when a woman feels trapped in her home or has no means of transportation out of her village. This women's association is starting to change that. Starting at home, and keeping within the confines of their culture, Ananda Moy is slowly stamping out domestic violence by engaging all the involved parties and their families in discussions. Bringing out in the open the atrocities and unfairness, and educating everyone of their rights in the process.