‘Record silenced voices to understand women’s history’

Archiving contemporary history has to be done as it is happening. Newspapers can give you information but knowledge comes from the detailed interviews with women, in understanding the lives they lead. Unfortunately, people do not think archiving is an important tool in development.

Why archive women’s history?

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Archiving contemporary history has to be done as it is happening. Newspapers can give you information but knowledge comes from the detailed interviews with women, in understanding the lives they lead. Unfortunately, people do not think archiving is an important tool in development.

Do you get funding for such initiatives?

Funding for women’s issues is drying up. Policy makers think allocating a International Women’s day and announcing pro-women policies is enough.

How much of this actually reaches the grass-root level?
Often the hand that signs the cheque also wants to pull the strings. To them I say, ‘be like the Goddess Lakshmi who doles out money with one hand and blessings with the other’.

What needs to be done?

Archiving contemporary history is as important as other activities for women’s rights. Voices that are
often silenced should be recorded to understand women’s history.

(For details log on to: www.sparrowonline.org)