Change happens when gender inequality survivors join hands to stop TB

Change happens when gender inequality survivors join hands to stop TB

SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS

Before 2025 World TB Day I spent a day accompanying TB affected street activists (TASA) - women who help homeless women and female migrant workers in urban poor localities of India's capital Delhi and help find more TB and link those in need to TB public services.

It was not just another day but an intense and unforgettable experience to bind with fellow women - all of whom were, and are, battling gender inequalities in their own lives - and surviving. Being homeless or migrant, these women are not only at a much higher risk of TB (the deadliest infectious disease globally) but also at a heightened risk of sufferings borne out of gender-based inequalities. We, women could perhaps better understand each other as we feel each other in ourselves.

TB and gender inequalities affect both: Carer and the person being cared for

I am sharing one such powerful experience of that day when I had spent some time with a TB affected woman who was helping support other women through their TB treatment. This story is a powerful reminder of the importance of persistence, advocacy and life changing impact of community support and outreach to homeless women, empowering and fostering collective learning, and building their capacity with knowledge and understanding to not only act for ending TB in their communities but also stand up for their rights in society. Perhaps that is why a former USAID leader Samantha Power had said: "All advocacy is, at its core, an exercise in empathy."

The power of collective support

Reena lives in an unauthorised slum in Delhi, which is under the threat of demolishment. Her husband is a daily wage labourer. She has three children - 2 boys and a girl. In 2010, when Reena was 30 years old, she was diagnosed with TB. She began TB treatment but discontinued it midway due to neglect and lack of knowledge about the importance of completing the treatment. She stopped taking medicines once she started feeling better.

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