A blockchain boon for women’s health
A pilot project will give women control and access to their own documentation and enable them to demand the benefits that are owed to them
The Centre has made creditable efforts towards universal health coverage through Ayushman Bharat, Digital Health Mission, and the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY), among other initiatives. It has started various women-oriented schemes to dispense welfare benefits, too. However, awareness and access remain a challenge for millions, especially women in the informal economy. Obtaining and securing documentation at a single, easily accessible place is a significant hurdle.
A pilot project to remedy this is underway in partnership between AlgoBharat, the Algorand Foundation’s India arm, and Lok Swasthya SEWA, the Self-Employed Women’s Association (SEWA)’s health team. SEWA Shakti Kendras (SSKs) will serve as hubs for women to get blockchain-enabled Digital Health Passports (DHP) — secure and immutable records of their verified credentials — in order to access health benefits and social security programmes. SSKs can scale more rapidly and fine-tune services based on each household’s unique needs. Anil Kakani, vice president and country head of Algorand Foundation said, “We want to democratise data through an inclusionary platform so women don’t have to run from one office to the other to get documentation to claim their benefits.”
Each SSK provides vital information on health and related services, collects and validates documents manually, and then transfers and consolidates individual-level data in spreadsheets on nearly 34,000 households (200,000 individuals) it currently reaches. The DHP will reduce errors while maintaining information in a secure manner, compliant with Indian laws. Blockchain use will ensure users retain control over their own identities, protecting their data from unauthorised access. Lok Swasthya SEWA will also gain a macro-view of the population it serves, allowing it to more effectively target its services to informal women workers and their families.
Mirai Chatterjee, director of SEWA Social Security, said, “This collaboration will aid the work of the SSKs by encouraging thousands of women workers to participate more actively in their health care journey. We are hopeful for improved health outcomes and ultimately a sense of ownership and confidence that will help them achieve economic empowerment and self-reliance.”
{{/usCountry}}Mirai Chatterjee, director of SEWA Social Security, said, “This collaboration will aid the work of the SSKs by encouraging thousands of women workers to participate more actively in their health care journey. We are hopeful for improved health outcomes and ultimately a sense of ownership and confidence that will help them achieve economic empowerment and self-reliance.”
{{/usCountry}}Purnimaben, a woman farmer from Lakhya village, Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat, said, “SSK brought health information to our aangan. Who else will come to our remote village in the Aravallis?” When Lakshmiben, SEWA aagewan (volunteer), started the centre, said Purnimaben, the village’s women learned of the health schemes and those specifically started for them. “We are all Bhil Adivasis and had no idea of all this. We got our PMJAY cards and a young girl in our village got her disability allowance. Her parents had no idea this was possible.” Now, many more women come to the Kendra asking for support.
{{/usCountry}}Purnimaben, a woman farmer from Lakhya village, Sabarkantha district in north Gujarat, said, “SSK brought health information to our aangan. Who else will come to our remote village in the Aravallis?” When Lakshmiben, SEWA aagewan (volunteer), started the centre, said Purnimaben, the village’s women learned of the health schemes and those specifically started for them. “We are all Bhil Adivasis and had no idea of all this. We got our PMJAY cards and a young girl in our village got her disability allowance. Her parents had no idea this was possible.” Now, many more women come to the Kendra asking for support.
{{/usCountry}}SSKs are also enabling women to access various other State benefits, which they could not earlier due to lack of awareness or documents or both. Maniben Vasava from Jhanand village in Ahmedabad, said, “I was widowed 15 years ago. I had no idea that I was eligible for widow’s pension till the SSK was set up in my village. SEWA aagewan Gitaben explained the pension scheme and what documents were required to obtain this support. But I did not have my husband’s death certificate. I did not know how to go about getting it. Now, for the last three years I have been getting my pension.”
The project will give women control and access to their own documentation and enable them to demand the benefits that are owed to them. This, in turn, will give them control over their lives. Who can argue with that?
The views expressed are personal