How two women from Nainital are helping other women at farmers’ protest site

It has been over a month since farmers are protesting against the new farm laws at the borders of Delhi and women are part of this protest too. During protest, it becomes difficult to have access to basic necessities, especially in case of women. In order to meet the needs of women present at the protest site near Ghazipur border, two women from Nainital have set up a ‘Kisan Mahila Store.’ According to these women (who are actually sisters), there are more than 1,000 women at the protest site and more will join before Republic Day.

A report by The IE, citing Gursharanjeet Kaur who is one of the two sisters said that when they visited the site last month, they noted that women have started to join the protest and there were no such stores that cater to the needs of women like availability of sanitary napkins. That is why they decided to open a store that is there for these women when they are protesting.

According to the report, both sisters started building a tent and brought in resources that can help women in farmers’ protests. With the help of their friends and cousins, they are now running the Mahila store where they keep the items that the women need the most.

Harsharanjeet Kaur, the eldest of two sisters, said that they themselves stay inside the tents and noticed that access to washroom is also a difficulty for women. Therefore, they also made some arrangements to bring the washrooms closer to the women’s tents. So far, the tent setup done can easily accommodate 80 people and both the sisters are trying to set up more of these.

Meanwhile, the store has a range of items for women. These items include sanitary napkins, soaps, shampoo, new undergarments, towels and toothpaste. The report quoting one of the protestors said that their stay at the border has become much more easier due to the presence of these tents and the store.