12K Himachal women script history, produce 40 lakh low-cost masks
Shimla: Around 12,000 women, all active part of 1500 Self Help Groups (SHGs), scripted a history of sorts in Himachal Pradesh during the Covid lockdown by producing 40 lakh low cost masks in their fight to pandemic and supplementing their household incomes when many lost their jobs and faced salary cuts, including their own family members.
With the demand for face masks going up, these women under respective self-help groups (SHGs) worked tirelessly and turned their inborn skills as mass women's movement in the state. It all began in Una district during March 2020 as part of a pilot basis under the rural development department and soon made inroads in other districts.
"Initially around 400 members of 38 SHGs affiliated to the National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) turned its attention to making a natural and breathable fabric masks for themselves, their families and neighbours but later we expanded this movement to rest of the state to make women earn something for themselves," says Virender Kanwar, Minister for rural development and Panchayati Raj.
Training to make medicated and sanitised face masks by SHG women members was provided through virtual mode by rural development department officials under National Rural Livelihoods Mission.
The minister said "the state government also roped in Rural Self Employment Training Institutes to provide training to SHG members to meet the growing demand of face masks when sudden surge in demand escalated prices and created big gaps in demand and supply."
The SHG started working on a war footing for sewing 3 layer surgical non woven cloth masks as recommended by the Health Department has proved to be an invaluable resource in these difficult times in stabilizing prices and ensuring timely and quality supply of face masks to common people in the state .
An experienced SHG member can produce a 3 layer mask in 5 to 7 minutes, around 300 to 500 masks were produced by the SHG women in a day after finishing their household chores and looking after family affairs.
The raw material for the production of the masks was provided by the HP State Rural Livelihood Mission initially to kick-start the project but now SHGs are managing it on a local level. Proper hygiene is maintained while producing the masks such as mask, head cover, machine sanitization etc. The mask is properly sanitized before delivery, says the minister.
The face masks were supplied to the health department, Jal Shakti, Police, Urban bodies employees and other government departments who were in essential duties and also sold in open markets. These masks were supplied free of cost to frontline workers , MGNREGA workers and other needy people by respective SHG.
