Kolkata, November 10, 2026: Digambarpur Angikar, a South 24 Parganas-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), organised a press meet in Kolkata on Tuesday to highlight its ongoing initiatives on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) among marginalised women and adolescent girls. The project, supported by UK-based funding organisation AmplifyChange, aims to promote health awareness, access to essential services and informed decision-making among women and young girls in rural and geographically isolated communities.
Over the past two years, the initiative has been working across 10 Gram Panchayats and 50 villages in Patharpratima Block of South 24 Parganas. A key focus of the project is the fisherwomen community, whose livelihoods often require them to spend five to six hours or more daily in the saline waters of the Bay of Bengal while collecting fish, meen, prawns and shrimps.
The initiative promotes the messages ‘Know Your Body, Know Your Rights’ and ‘My Body, My Rights’, while addressing critical issues such as menstrual health and hygiene, reproductive health, reproductive tract infections (RTIs), sexually transmitted infections (STIs), family planning, birth spacing, contraception and safe abortion practices.
The press meet featured a panel comprising Sourav Sanigrahi, Senior Project Manager; Dr Somdatta Neogi, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer; Dr Debarati Sarkar, Consultant and Researcher; and Runu Jana, an adolescent group member from Ramganga Gram Panchayat. Kakoli Maity also represented adolescent girls and self-help group members from the community.
During the discussion, the panel highlighted the project’s grassroots interventions, including regular home visits, community awareness programmes, stakeholder engagement and collaboration with local vendors to improve the availability of sanitary napkins and contraceptives, including condoms and oral contraceptive pills (OCPs), in remote villages.
A significant aspect of the programme involves promoting personal and menstrual hygiene among fisherwomen, particularly those exposed to saline water for prolonged periods. The initiative encourages hygienic practices, proper drying after exposure to seawater, safe use of sanitary napkins and reusable cloth, and timely medical consultation in case of infections. It also focuses on informed contraceptive choices, appropriate birth spacing, family planning and cervical cancer prevention, including awareness of HPV vaccination.
One of the notable achievements of the project has been the emergence of adolescent girls as community leaders. Kishori Dals (adolescent girls’ groups) have been formed across villages, with members independently managing adolescent information and awareness booths under the name ‘Ujjan’. These platforms enable girls to access reliable information, discuss sensitive health concerns and actively participate in community-level awareness initiatives.
The transformation has been particularly encouraging, as girls who once hesitated to step outside their homes are now confidently participating in public discussions and advocacy activities. Their participation in the Kolkata press meet, where they spoke openly about their rights and experiences, reflected a significant step towards social empowerment.
The organisation has also established strong linkages with ASHA and ANM workers, local healthcare providers, Panchayat representatives, block-level officials, BMOH, CMOH and other health stakeholders. However, Digambarpur Angikar stressed the importance of continued institutional cooperation, stronger advocacy and improved access to essential healthcare services for women and adolescents living in remote areas.
The press meet witnessed participation from representatives of 37 media houses across print, electronic and social media platforms in Bengali, English and Hindi, with outreach across South 24 Parganas, West Bengal and beyond. Journalists actively interacted with the panel members and community representatives, raising questions on the challenges, achievements and future scope of SRHR interventions.
Through the initiative, Digambarpur Angikar appealed to media professionals to bring greater visibility to the often-unspoken issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights. The organisation emphasised the need for sustained media support, public awareness and collective advocacy to ensure that marginalised women and adolescent girls can exercise their rights and access essential healthcare services with dignity, knowledge and confidence.
The initiative’s central message remains clear: Every woman and every girl has the right to know her body, understand her rights and make informed decisions about her health and life.
