The Chipko movement established that participation of women in environment can actually bring about change on ground. From that historical event in 1971 till today, many efforts have been made by the government, civil society and others to influence more and more women to take part and gete involved in environmental projects. In due course of time, the process has become more professional and systematic. There are now special packages on environmental education for women developed by both formal and informal sectors.

In this direction, an innovative model of environment education was developed by Development Alternatives for the women of Bundelkhand. The initiative uses a unique combination of traditional, contemporary and folk mediums to communicate the risk of climate change, measures of adaptation and instill the measures as habits in their daily behaviour. The initiative is called ‘Kaun Banega Shubh Kal Leader’ (Who will be the Leader of a Better Tomorrow). It is the first ever Rural Reality Show on community radio for creating large-scale awareness on climate change leading to adaptation. The main focus of the show is on women and youth.

The show uses the popular format of a reality show (which is competition based) to communicate awareness on climate change and the message of adaptation.

The Bundelkhand Region of Central India is one of the most backward regions of India. A semi arid region, it consists of 13 districts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, and suffers from extreme poverty, poor infrastructure and very little connectivity. Twenty out of the last 35 years have witnessed recurring and long droughts, attributed by meteorologists to climate change, that have played havoc with the lives of 21 million poor and marginalised people of the region. The environmental condition of the region is rapidly degrading. Semi arid land, severe water shortage and continuous mining and deforestation are making the already rocky terrain barren. The region is also afflicted by severe gender disparities and the women of the region are amongst the most vulnerable in the community. However, such vulnerable communities were not convinced about adopting sustainable adaptation measures due to the inappropriate nature of the awareness efforts and cynicism towards adaptation measures without immediate benefits. Lessons from our own as well as partner interventions have revealed that women here are aspiring for a better life and are looking for any opportunity to enable them to do so.

For nearly 30 years now, Development Alternatives (DA) has been engaged in this region on various development issues. Its focus is on the empowerment of women and regeneration of the environment. While working for many years on various themes, DA has learnt that empowerment of women by knowledge and action is crucial for bringing about behaviour change and, thus, development. To achieve this empowerment, DA’s major communication facility, and Madhya Pradesh’s first community radio – Radio Bundelkhand has been promoting climate change and adaptation messages since its inception in 2008. The awareness activities broadcast through the radio have been proven to be more effective and reach a large audience. The community radio reaches approximately more than 140 villages around Orchha, Madhya Pradesh. As the focus of the community radio is on communicating local issues by reporters who are from the community, in their local language ‘Bundeli’, the listenership of Radio Bundelkhand overpowers any other radio station of the region during its broadcast time. The community radio broadcasts its programme for eight hours every day.

Lessons learnt from Radio Bundelkhand and other initiatives of Development Alternatives were what motivated the organisation to launch Shubh Kal. The Better Tomorrow campaign worked on communicating climate change adaptation and mitigation measures to the communities and take back the learning to other stakeholders, i.e., decision makers. It communicated the messages of climate change impacts and adaptation options through the entertainment mode. At the beginning, the radio broadcast programmes related to creating awareness about climate change. After a while we started monitoring the options. The options were chosen based on the need, adaptability by household, cost effectiveness, having the potential to bring about an alternative option of livelihood for the household and being environment friendly. The options used in the show were:

The idea was to inculcate the habit of conservation and preservation amongst the members of the community - a lifetime change that would see them through difficult times. Climate Change adaptation demands behaviour change and asking vulnerable communities to change their behaviour on their own does not work. These communities are poor, vulnerable and struggling for survival. In such a critical situation if they are scared of the circumstances and asked to change without a clearly visible picture of the benefits, they will run away. And this is what has been happening in Bundelkhand. Migrations from the area, selling of women and livestock and farmer’s suicides have become the norm here.

Understanding the difficult and sensitive situation, the reality show used entertainment and rode on the aspirations of the community to spread the message and bring about change. The environment education activities included a training programme after which each group was attached with an expert to help them win the competition. The group was provided with the required equipment for carrying out the initiatives in their households. These experts would visit the participants regularly and provide guidance for better output. After another three phases of elimination, the zonal Shubh Kal leaders were chosen.

These participants have applied the adaptation options in their households and their relatives. They have helped spread the message in their villages and supported others to take up the options. While doing all this with the aim of winning the show, they have concurrently understood the issues of climate change, practiced climate changes adaptation steps, and enjoyed the benefits of the same. They understand because they have experienced the immediate benefits of changing their behaviour. For them it is no longer messages from top down without any real connection with the ground. They now realise that if they change themselves they can bring about a better life for themselves – a real Shubh Kal.

It is surprising to see how women have emerged as leaders in this competition. They did not need as much coaxing as their male counterparts. Once they understood the process, they took up the initiative and emerged as winners. As the measures and change required were in their hands, they participated wholeheartedly. They went out of their way to understand and implement the learning in their lives. Watching them benefit others in the villages to come forward to bring about change in their lives is indeed inspiring. While talking with other women in their villages, these women have been able to spread the message across the region.

As women they are influencing the entire household and, therefore, future generations, the whole household is conserving their waste and making their fallow land fertile not by using chemicals but by intelligent usage of waste. The family members are respecting and preserving resources like rainwater and trees. In their own habitat, they are reusing the kitchen waste and wastewater to grow vegetables, thus ensuring food security, nutrition and alternative source of livelihood in their own households.

Women of Bundelkhand have re-established the fact that when a woman in the household is convinced she can bring about change. She is able to influence the entire household.

‘The hand that rocks the cradle is the hand that rules the world - Blessings in the hands of women!’.  q

Woman, thy name is Vasundhara.
You are indeed the possessor and protector of nature’s wealth.