BehanVox: How Madhya Pradesh Women Are Uprooting An Invasive Species
This week in BehanVox: caste bias in OpenAI models, Manipuri weightlifter Mirabai Chanu's silver streak, and more
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Hello and welcome to BehanVox! Conservationist and primatologist Jane Goodall passed away this week. Aged 91, in the midst of a lecture tour, still dedicated to her mission and hopeful for a world many are giving up on, she refused to fade away, give up or remain silent. In several of her talks, delivered in her trademark gentle style, the bun pulled from her angular face, she argues for the need to hang on to hope and belief because where are we without either of these? Here is someone who spent her life observing at close quarters the fascinating cognitive lives of the primates and how closely linked they are to humans. She did it with respect and compassion for the animals. Who can forget those images of her nuzzling an orphan chimpanzee, calmly watching a mischievous primate play with her shirt, or simply observing the inner world of animals in silence with a notebook and camera in hand? Age did not worry her, she said, and as for death, she didn’t fear it. For if there is nothing beyond death, why worry and if there is, well, “then what an adventure it’ll be to discover what that is”.
Like all legacies, there are inconsistencies. She condemned the ongoing genocide in Gaza even as the Jane Goodall Institute in 2022 opened a branch in Israel to fund research on occupied Palestinian lands. It is possible to hold these truths together while recognising also that her work inspired a generation of feminists and revolutionised an understanding of humanity. She was “born loving the natural world”, she said, and that love defined her legacy.
At BehanBox this week we feature another report for our Women in Local Climate Action series from Madhya Pradesh. And we bring you gender news from India and around the world.
Story So Far
The Lantana we see lining the garden hedges in cities makes for a pretty sight —especially when it is in bloom with clusters of lovely purple and orange flowers — and its leaves have a heady, woody aroma. But it is one of the most invasive plant species across the world, with an ability to spread rapidly, choking all other plant life in its path, blocking sunlight, turning fertile lands into thickets and causing immense ecological and economic harm.
For the families living in the fringes of the Kanha tiger reserve in Madhya Pradesh’s Mandla district, it is a menace that has disrupted every aspect of daily life – from farming and foraging to safety and nutrition, reports Aishwarya Mohanty.
“We did not even know what this plant was,” said Heerwati Tekam, from Indravan, in Bicchiya block of the district. “But about 20 years ago, it started appearing more frequently. Within a few years, it had taken over everything, our fields, our mahua trees, the forest paths we used every day.”
But now a collective effort led by women is working on undoing the damage. As the monsoon ends, groups of women go into the Lantana thickets, armed with long, thick branches, sickles, and ropes. They work in groups to lever, pull, and uproot the shrubs. They twist and push the stems, uproot roots from the soil, and turn the plants upside down to prevent regrowth. It is hard work and sharp thorns can cause injuries. But it is the only way to salvage the forests, the plants, and the food systems integral to their lives.
Read our story here.
Talking Point
SIR Skew: Nearly six out of every 10 names deleted during the Special Intensive Revision process in Bihar’s electoral rolls belonged to women, reports Hindustan Times. The analysis shows that between January 1, when the Special Summary Revision (SSR) data was published, and September 30, when the final list under the SIR was issued, over 38 lakh voters lost their right to franchise. While the number of male voters decreased from 4.07 crore in January to 3.92 crore in September, representing a 3.8% reduction. The number of female voters decreased from 3.72 crore to 3.49 crore during the same period, representing a sharper decline of 6.1%. Election Commission officials, who chose to remain anonymous, trace some of the gender skew to “social and cross-border factors”.
Silver Streak: With a scream echoing the tremendous effort, Manipuri weightlifter Mirabai Chanu hoisted a 199 kg iron bar over her head this week, winning a silver at the World Championship at Forde, Norway. She had won a silver at the Tokyo Olympics four years ago but struggled to recover her form with multiple injuries and surgeries.
AI Act: Tilly Norwood is in ‘talks’ with talent agencies. And with very good chances of landing a leading lady role for she is the epitome of Hollywood-brand looks – pretty, pert, and very girl-next-door. But Tilly lacks something very basic – flesh and blood. She is a creation of AI, put together by Dutch entrepreneurs. “I may be AI, but I’m feeling very real emotions right now,” Tilly’s creators wrote on her page. “I am so excited for what’s coming next!” Hollywood is reportedly furious.
Data Drop
Early Childhood Development (ECD) schemes like POSHAN are meant to provide resources and education. And also support care workers like Anganwadi workers who support children during their most vulnerable years. But a 2024 report shows allocation for ECD schemes has been reduced from 0.93% in FY 2020-21 to 0.52% in the 2024-25 Budget Estimate. That’s a whooping INR 3,118 crores. The issue goes beyond allocation, to gaps like shoddy implementation, inefficiency, underutilisation of budgets, and administrative apathy.
“Schemes worth crores never really reach the intended beneficiaries… Leave aside homes and toilets, they don’t even have potable water,” said Swati Singh, a social worker from Varanasi.
What does a declining budget share, coupled with weak implementation, mean for India’s community healthcare workers and childcare? Write to us at contact@behanbox.com with your thoughts.
BehanVox Recommends
Caste Bias Driving OpenAI’s Models: India is OpenAI’s second-largest market, but ChatGPT and Sora reproduce caste stereotypes that harm millions of people, found this important research by Nilesh Christopher.
AI and Islamophobia: This new report by CSOHATE studies the weaponisation of generative AI tools to produce and spread anti-Muslim visual hate at scale across social media platforms in India.
A Baby Died. Whose Fault is It?: When her son died in utero, a venture capitalist went to extremes to punish her surrogate. A story of surrogacy, power imbalance, and grief.
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