Importance of Women Empowerment to make Kolkata a Sustainable City

Indian women have traditionally been held up as role models for their beauty, strength, and intelligence. Indian women's achievements in several disciplines have proved that they have well earned their reputation. If you delve deeper, you'll discover that one of the important contributions to Indian society has been the active engagement of some highly focused and driven women. Women activists have been a brilliant source of hope and have played a key part in changing many social problems. Some of them have demonstrated remarkable dedication by sacrificing their life for the betterment of Kolkata.

Conservationists and Activists: Sumita Banerjee

Rabindra Sarovar, a nationally significant lake in Kolkata, West Bengal, is a popular morning walk destination for approximately 10,000 people. Sumita Banerjee began going to the lake region as a morning walker two decades ago. She quickly made friends with the other early walkers as well as the lake itself.

She now has become a pretty well-known conservationist and citizen activist who can fearlessly fight the rule breaker and even fights the authorities with the help of law and media. 

Rabindra Sarovar, also known as Dhakuria Lake, is a man-made lake that was constructed out of the marshy ground in 1921 to attract residents to relocate to the city's southern portions. Banerjee remembers her first encounter with the Rabindra Sarobar Lake, Kolkata's second-largest water body, in the 1990s, which inspired her to take action to safeguard it.

The lake had absolutely no maintenance at the time, and it was progressively being turned into an urban garbage yard. "Back then, the lake was not only being converted into a waste yard, but it was also an open location for both humans and their pet dogs to defecate," Banerjee explained.

Walking around the lake was difficult for the early joggers. Susmita was saddened and determined to help save the lake.

One of the early walkers at the lake was Tathagata Roy, the then governor of Meghalaya. He suggested Banerjee collect 100 signatures from her co-morning walkers and submit a petition to the authorities to look after the lake’s ecological problems. She gathered over 1000 signatures, and the authorities began to act quickly. That's when she realized that all of her small actions can contribute to the lake's ecological restoration.

Banerjee has been waking up around 4.30 a.m. every day since then, walking about 2 kilometres from her home and arriving at the lake by 5.30 a.m. With a wooden baton in her hand, she patrols the area around the water body. She has been called “madwomen” several times since she is always found fighting hawkers and walkers for dumping waste in the area. She collaborates with government officials and citizens concerned about the lake and informs them about any activity that could potentially ruin the lake's ecology.

She returns in the evening on some days to check on the lake's activity. The activist is up against multiple powerful lobbies and politicians, is defending four fake criminal charges against her in the high court, is facing death threats, and is bringing public interest lawsuits to save the lake, all at her own expense.

Green Warrior: Lata Bhatia

Lata Bhatia, a resident of New Alipore, has launched Kolkata's first zero-waste shop. The shop, which encourages people to live a low-carbon lifestyle, sells products without packaging made from repurposed and recycled materials by Lata Bhatia and others who have lived a zero-waste lifestyle.

"The shop is not for profit," said Bhatia, who has lived a waste-free lifestyle for the past two decades.

“I now want a shop like this in every neighbourhood. Zero-waste living can make the world greener, plastic-free, and make it easier for others (economically disadvantaged people) to have access to the same resources," said Bhatia, a member of the Kolkata Clean Air Movement. The shop now sells food grains, but customers must supply their containers. 

The company sells biodegradable bags, and a considerable number of its products are upcycled from textile waste that would otherwise end up in landfills. "We use textile waste to make reusable hygiene items like diapers and sanitary napkins that are clinically safe for mothers and children," she added.

Many types of wood materials are made from garbage. "The creators of such recyclable materials have gone to great lengths to make them aesthetically pleasing so that people will not discard them after usage." Our bodies do not require as much food as we do to survive. Overeating is a bad habit that causes bodily difficulties."

Bhatia also refuses to purchase any packaged goods. "Nature does not provide us with packaged goods. As a result, I get things the way they are given to us by nature "she continued. She either takes public transportation or walks. Even if she brings her car out, she ensures that many others use it via carpooling.

With the manure she makes from her kitchen wastes, she has also created a garden on her terrace.

Environmental activist: Kavita Kajaria

Kolkata-based 8finity, a celebration of sustainability and handmade workmanship, is launched by Kavita Kajaria. She started an online firm that sells beautiful totes and other accessories made from recovered fabric scraps and low-value plastic garbage because she is concerned about the circular economy. She has always been a proponent of environmental techniques, even before they became trendy. Kajaria's deeds speak louder than her words, from her involvement in the city's Garbage Free India (GFI) initiative to the creation of Green Park and now 8Finity. "I've always been interested in sustainable practices, even before they became fashionable. My journey began amid the 2020 lockdown when I founded Green Pari: Protect Her, Save Nature, a social effort addressing disadvantaged women's menstruation health and cleanliness” shares Kavita.

Green Park allowed Kajaria to collaborate closely with women from rural Bengal and discover their hidden skills. Its success inspired her to start 8Finity, a socially and environmentally conscious brand that sells exceptional handcrafted gifts that celebrate artisanal workmanship and repurposed materials. "8Finity wasn't planned," Kavita says, "but my passion to solve plastic pollution and the desire to access the skill/talent of women from marginalized communities led to it." Kavita plans to build a website for online sales and global outreach soon.

"We have empowered over 80 people, increased awareness about upcycling, and offered a terrific platform to promote local artisanal goods," she says of her journey, which she describes as astounding. Our designers created styles while keeping utility and current trends in mind. The focus is on the smaller elements, such as finishing and quality." "It is tough to upcycle things rather than simply purchasing fresh raw materials from the market," she argues. Furthermore, providing an opportunity to a community and tapping into their skills necessitates patience, devotion, as well as a significant amount of time and attention."

Women are better leaders in times of crisis

As the effects of climate change become more evident, examples of women taking action have been seen all around the world. Women also embrace creative and preventative measures at a faster rate than men. Women's participation in conservation and natural resource management resulted in more stringent and sustainable extraction laws, more compliance, increased transparency and accountability, and improved dispute settlement. Women have been found to make more judgments that enhance the public good, provide equitable pay and benefits, and promote honest and ethical behavior. In some ways, women were the pioneers of the modern environmental movement. Women's empowerment has been shown to have enormous benefits for communities and cultures around the world. Sustainable and local economies thrive, populations stabilize, and children's health and education levels increase — all of which are necessary building blocks for a future sustainable economy.