Solutions Festival | Community Action Project Presentation on Women’s Health
At the Solutions Festival, participants of School for Social Transformation (SST) 8.0 continued to present community-driven ideas rooted in lived realities. The next presentation was by Rashmi V., who introduced her Community Action Project titled “Promoting Physical Fitness for Rural Women (35+).”
About the Project
Rashmi’s project emerges from the rural landscape of Kasargod, where women above the age of 35 shoulder the majority of household responsibilities. In these communities, health and self-care are often neglected due to lack of time, limited mobility, and absence of safe, women-friendly spaces for physical activity.
After the age of 35, women experience significant hormonal and physical changes that increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, joint pain, fatigue, and mental stress. Yet, physical activity remains a low priority, not because of unwillingness, but because of structural and social barriers. Over time, this neglect affects not only individual well-being but also the health of families and the wider community.
The Proposed Solution
The project proposes organising regular physical fitness activities for rural women above 35, using existing community spaces such as community halls, school grounds, and open areas. Rashmi outlined a model that focuses on health assessment and safety measures, simple and accessible physical fitness activities, awareness sessions on physical health, mental well-being, and nutrition, and strong support through collaboration with Kudumbashree units and Panchayats.
The initiative is planned in progressive phases, beginning with community meetings and awareness programmes, followed by regular group sessions, leadership development among local women, and gradual expansion to nearby wards and villages to ensure long-term sustainability.
Why It Matters
This presentation highlighted that women’s health is often treated as secondary in rural life. Rashmi’s project reframes physical fitness as a right, not a luxury. By creating safe and supportive spaces for women to move, learn, and care for themselves, the initiative challenges norms that place women’s well-being last.
It reminds us that when women are healthy, families are stronger and communities thrive.
A Step Forward
As part of the Solutions Festival, this presentation stood as a commitment to placing women’s health at the centre of community life. By making physical activity accessible, collective, and sustainable, the project lays the foundation for empowered women, healthier families, and resilient rural communities, where care for the self becomes a shared value.