Women Workers Forum: A Story of Sisterhood

This film by Shramajivi Mahila Samity (SMS) presents their journey in facilitating the collectivisation of women workers in the informal sector in Jharkhand, India. SMS initiated Karmajivi Mahila Sangh in 2021, a vibrant group of rural women working in a wide range of occupations. In the film, we see members of the group at their workplaces, telling us about their struggles and successes.

GAATW’s Women Workers for Change programme has created a vital platform for the members of Karmajivi Mahila Sangh to connect with other sisters locally and globally. Regular in-person and online meetings enable the women to engage in discussions about critical issues such as land rights, labor rights and safe workplaces, domestic violence, access to social security schemes, and discrimination faced by women within families and communities.

SMS was founded in 1995 and works toward enabling tribal and other women to become self-sufficient in the socio-economic spheres, motivating women groups to participate in the decision-making process, and ensuring participation in natural resource management and sustainable development.

The film is directed by Rakhi Ghosh, a senior journalist focusing on issues affecting women. Rakhi was also a GAATW media fellow from 2015 to 2016.