Women self-help groups (SHGs) in Odisha have set an example for their counterparts in other parts of the country by taking up new and challenging jobs. Supported by the department of Mission Shakti, they have been playing diverse roles, ranging from cooking and distribution of mid-day meals to collection of electricity bills and driving e-rickshaws. This has made them stronger, both mentally and financially. The women SHGs have given a good account of themselves in almost every job that was entrusted to them. With the dynamic Sujata Karthikeyan heading the Mission Shakti department as its commissioner-cum-secretary, the women SHGs are reaching new milestones almost every year. She has been the driving force behind the transformation of simple, rural women into powerful changemakers.
Confident that women SHG members can carry out any task efficiently, the state government has now decided to engage them in a drive to spread cancer awareness among women. They will help women in their respective localities to get screened for cancer and accompany them to the tertiary care facilities for detection of signs of the dreaded disease. They will also ensure that women detected with the disease go for the necessary follow-up including treatment.
Women SHG members will also create awareness on cancer with door-to-door visits and help remove the stigma and fear attached to the ailment. Besides, they will help people recognize the early signs and symptoms of cancer so that the disease is nipped in the bud. The women SHG members will educate people about the key risk factors, since more than 30 per cent of cancer cases can be prevented by modifying lifestyle or avoiding the risk factors. Women SHG members will convince people about the need for regular screening and check-ups.
This is an excellent initiative considering that breast and cervical cancers are rapidly rising among women. They are among the most common cancers in the country. Oral and lung cancers, which are preventable, are also high among both men and women in urban as well as rural areas.
Many women face the danger of developing stage III or IV breast cancer primarily due to ignorance and social stigma, leading to surgery and extensive treatment. Early detection is essential for better management and treatment of the disease. If detected early, chances of recovery are better.
Now a strategy will be prepared in consultation with the Mission Shakti department and sent to the government for approval by the end of this month. NGOs will also be engaged for cancer care service delivery. The service will start once it gets the nod of the government. The State government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 577 crore over next five years under its ambitious Odisha Cancer Care Programme that aims at expanding cancer care facilities and making them available across the state. Women SHG makers will ensure that women in both urban and rural areas take advantage of these facilities.
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