Educating rural women about health, nutrition, and hygiene

Students of Apeejay Stya University (ASU) recently visited Silani Village, Sohna Tehsil, Gurugram district, to interact with the women and children. The visit was organised by ASU’s School of Behavioural Sciences.

Students gathered at Silani’s community centre with the village folk along with the village sarpanch and the principal of a government senior secondary school in the area. Clinical psychologist Dr Ishita Bhatt and Dr Surbhi Singh, gynaecologist and nutritionist, were invited as guest speakers to educate women on health issues and their overall well-being.  

The programme began with the ceremonial lighting of the lamp and tilak ceremony, followed by a welcome speech by Anisha Chaturvedi, admission counsellor, School of Behavioural Sciences, ASU.

Dr Bhatt addressed the village women and children and informed them about the importance of mental well-being, which comprises our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It determines how we handle stress and make healthy choices.

Mental health is as important as physical health, she added, and emphasised the need to normalise the conversation around it. Mental health includes the capacity to realise our abilities, live life with purpose and foster positive and healthy relationships, and thereby feel content and happy.

Equally crucial for women is good nutrition, stressed Dr Singh. Indian women, who are known to multitask, require at least 1,875 kcal of energy per day, for which they need a good diet with adequate nutrients. Long-term malnutrition can lead to serious diseases and lack of efficiency, she said. A proper food pyramid should be followed, and all kinds of nutrients should be consumed from different sources. She also warned them against the consumption of unhealthy artificial beverages. She recommended drinking hot water, milk, and coconut water instead. 

Further, an NCERT video on “Health, Nutrition and Hygiene” was also played on the occasion.

The women from Silani actively participated in the event by interacting with the speakers and sharing their difficulties with them. The village sarpanch and the school principal thanked the experts as well as ASU for organising such an informative session for the villagers.

The event was planned as a way of observing International Women’s Day, held on March 8 every year, to raise awareness about women empowerment.

The programme ended by felicitating the experts and a formal vote of thanks by Shweta Sharma, assistant professor, School of Behavioural Sciences, ASU. Refreshments, arranged by the sarpanch, were also served to everyone.