Of Anganwadis & working moms

Lack of childcare options prevents women from seeking employment. India needs to improve its childcare facilities to truly empower women

Across the world, the lack of good childcare prevents many women from seeking employment. This is often exacerbated in India, when economic necessity forces women to work even when they have no good place to leave their children. Most women end up in a maintenance mode, barely managing to go about their lives let alone think about others. But recently, I met someone who has refused to do so. 

When R Sundari of Sriperumbudur in Kanchipuram district of Tamil Nadu gave birth to her first daughter, her husband and she were elated. However, it became hard for her to work as there were few childcare options available to her; her in-laws were deceased and her own mother lived a 100-odd kilometers away in Puducherry. When her second daughter was born a couple of years later, Sundari and her husband were in a fix. “My husband’s income wasn’t going to be enough to support our growing household,” she recounted. “I had to work, but had no safe place to leave my girls.” Eventually, the couple had to send their daughters to live with Sundari’s mother in Puducherry for the next five years. “I started working in an office,” she said adding, “but I missed them so much.”

Sundari brought her daughters back when they’re old enough. But it made her think. “I’d had the option of sending my children to my mother,” she said. “But countless other women didn’t have such option.” Eventually in 2012, Sundari started working for the local Anganwadi in her town. 

Today she opens the gates of the Anganwadi at 8:30 am, but six children come to her house much earlier. “Their mothers work under the MGNREGA scheme and have to leave early,” she said. “This makes it easier for their mothers.” The Anganwadi closes at 5:30 pm but her duties don’t end there. “Some parents can’t come to pick their child at that time,” she added. “So I drop each child home before calling it a day.” During the day, Sundari preps the young children in her care for primary school. She also holds bi-monthly meetings with parents where she gives them tips on health and nutrition. “I also identify malnourished children and give individual attention to them,” she said. Much of her energy is directed at ensuring that her community members are able to avail of all applicable government schemes and health care facilities.

What keeps her going is the enthusiasm of the children. “Many of them say they want to become just like me when they grow up,” she smiled. “I might have missed my own daughters’ childhood, but taking care of little children has somewhat eased my mind...” For going above and beyond the call of her duty, Sundari was recently accorded the Best Anganwadi Worker award at Plan India’s Impact Awards 2019. “Providing quality childcare is the best way I can give young mothers the freedom to work,” she said. “In fact, I feel that to empower working mothers like me, the government must improve the services offered by Anganwadis across the country.” And Sundari has shown exactly how it can be done.