A community meeting for approximately 55 women bidi workers from Katangi and Badhaiya Mohalla was organized in Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, on August 2, 2025, in collaboration with PAIRVI New Delhi and the Nagarik Adhikar Manch.
The primary focus was on addressing the bidi workers’ challenges, which include very low wages, lack of social security benefits, and the decline of the bidi-making industry, which has been their generational livelihood. The meeting aimed to explore strategies for the economic empowerment of the workers and their families, including accessing social security schemes and providing alternative livelihood through skill training. Rajneesh from PAIRVI discussed the skill training program, announcing that 30 workers (10 each from Badhaiya Mohalla, Panagar, and Katangi) would be selected for training by December. The need for strong leadership and collective action was emphasized.
Deeksha Yadav from Nagarik Adhikar Manch guided the women on transforming their groups into Self-Help Groups (SHGs) for financial self-reliance through small savings and bank assistance, sharing a local SHG success story. Ajay Singor shared about the overall goal of forming a strong Bidi Workers’ Alliance at the Jabalpur level, empower the women, and encourage them to take collective leadership for their rights and community progress. On various questions related to wellbeing of family and employment, Rajneesh assured the participants that benefits like training for family members are possible with sustained group effort.