Like many other trans people, Mariam* decided to leave her family in her teens. “There was a lot of abuse from family and society, and no one understood me. At the time I left home, I hardly knew about the outside world. I only knew …

India is home to around 138 crore people, 80% of whom reside in climate-vulnerable districts. They are vulnerable to many risks, including displacement and an increased risk of serious physical and psychological ailments. Women and children are the most marginalised when it comes to the …

My name is Yapangsangla, and I am a Senior Coordinator with Haqdarshak’s Nagaland team. I work together with our team of fellows and Haqdarshikas to spread awareness among entrepreneurial citizens about government schemes that can help their businesses grow, and weather the challenges that small …

There’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes. Media production is a rich ecosystem that draws on the creative skills of various skilled and unskilled professionals. We see the artists, the actors, the directors, and maybe even the cinematographers, but we never hear about …

Sex work is a term used to describe a wide range of activities relating to the exchange of money (or its equivalent) for the provision of sexual services. The term ‘sex worker’ often refers to those engaged in prostitution and is the preferred term used …

Zuvekholu Tunyi owns a restaurant in Pfutsero, Nagaland, where she sells her homemade pickles. She started her business in 2018 in order to support herself, and at the time, had no formal training or experience in running a business. When our HD, Eriteu Mero approached …

Gender is an identity gained through repeated bodily acts. Therefore, gender is performative, and not a fixed identity. —Judith Butler, Gender Theorist Gender identity refers to each person’s deeply felt internal and individual experience of gender, which may or may not correspond with the sex …

When Manjit Kaur’s heart health started deteriorating 2 years ago, she struggled to arrange money for her treatment expenses. She had an arterial blockage, and a stent needed to be introduced to reduce her risk of heart attacks. She runs a small computer and print …

Jayshree Nirmal is a 56-year old resident from Tukai Nagar, Pune, who has been engaged in construction labour for almost two decades. She is the sole earner for her family of four members, with a monthly income of INR 10,000. And even though she is …

Laxmi and Khemin work as ‘Haqdarshaks’ in Rajnandgaon, an Aspirational District in Chhattisgarh. They joined Haqdarshak as part of a project which focussed on improving digital access and uptake of welfare schemes among the citizens of Chhattisgarh, especially women. They were trained on Haqdarshak’s tech-assisted …

With more and more farmers adopting modern agri-business models in India, the objective of ensuring equity and sustainability becomes even more important. Agriculture must change to meet the rising demand, contribute more effectively to the reduction of poverty and malnutrition, and become ecologically more sustainable. …

India recycles about 30-60% percent of paper and cardboard, 50-80% of plastic and almost 100% of its glass waste. A study conducted in 2012 found India has one of the highest recycling rates for plastic PET bottles at 70%! This system of waste management relies …

“Do you also run around government offices for compensation?” I’m often asked this question by several people and oddly enough, my story is no different. Going back and forth between offices is a part and parcel of the policy-level bottlenecks we commonly talk about. In …

The lockdown imposed an unwelcome closure of Dasharathi’s vegetable cart. Like everyone else, she too was struggling to make ends meet. When the lockdown eased, it was impossible for her to restart her business because by then, she had used up all of her life-savings …

Kushbu Chanda is a 15-year old, specially-abled orphan, living with her grandmother in Indore. ‘Haqdarshak’ Sandhya Maske met her during one of her field visits in December 2021. Since Kushbu did not have an Aadhar card, she had been unable to receive any of the …

Purbi Singhbum, headquartered at Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, is an aspirational district that is fraught with socio-economic inequities. We conducted a Needs Assessment Survey there in November 2021 and found some glaring problem areas. As per the survey, the citizens at Purbi Singhbum lacked basic documents such …

India has slipped to the 101st position among 116 countries in the Global Hunger Index (GHI) 2021 from its 2020 ranking (94), now placed behind Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal. India’s level of hunger is considered serious. The GHI is calculated on four indicators — undernourishment, …

Numerous laws and policies have been enacted across the country for the protection of sanitation workers ― The Protection of Civil Rights Act, 1955, The Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) (EMSCDLP) Act, 1993, and Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers …