“We women are used to so much harassment, from subtle disrespect to major fights, that we would rather settle in a less harassing environment even if it is not conducive to our development” said trainer Deepa Pawar, as the women agreed.
On Saturday November 7, Anubhuti held an interactive and informative session on Women’s Health. Deepa focused not only on physical /biological health but also on mental and sexual health, along with its interdependence. The women participants were eager to learn about various aspects of women health. Pawar, in her talk emphasised on various social scenarios of childhood trauma, family issues, emotional stress etc, and how they collectively affect a woman’s well-being.
During the session, the women were able to understand why little things at home trigger their anger and emotions. Many women agreed that they have no personal space to express their emotions, or no person to open up to. The women were intrigued to find that even the simplest of everyday activities like food habits, quality of sleep, daily home environment, interaction with partner and children, has a major influence on our thought process and subconscious behavior. We need to view and address such sharings on priority, as they show how women’s Mental Health is being affected on a daily basis. Let us accept that mental health is a daily matter, especially for women and youth from vulnerable backgrounds. The women were motivated to pay attention to their health, as well as their children’s behaviour, especially as they face heightened challenges during the pandemic.
While attending the session, the women thought about their lives and realized that they have a few health issues, to which they could never pay attention. The speaker also mentioned that children and youngsters need special attention, especially now during the changed educational environment (online lectures). Deepa Pawar, in her conclusion emphasized on the importance of maintaining good relationships, be it with family members or friends as this will provide a safe space for communication. She suggested the women, to be attentive towards their behavior patterns so as to identify severe issues in time.
This session turned out to be very fruitful for all women as issues that women usually took lightly or would even laugh at, were now viewed seriously, motivating four women to approach Anubhuti and take appointments for counselling.