Written by Srujani Mohinta

This Independence Day, as India celebrates its freedom, countless women across the country are quietly fighting for their own. Historically, women have been excluded from urban spaces, and the dichotomy of their space as “private” was made clear to them from the very beginning. However, their battle is not limited to public spaces but also extends to their communities, homes, and minds. Through acts of courage and quiet perseverance, they are rewriting their destinies even when the odds are against them.

At the heart of these stories of resilience and change is Samyak NGO’s Sadhika Program. While society has long reinforced the idea that women, especially those from lower-income backgrounds, are destined only to be caregivers, the program challenges this by providing training that empowers them to earn, lead, and inspire. It helps participants unlearn years of patriarchal norms and self-doubt. The Sadhika Program works at the intersection of health and livelihoods, training women and LGBTQ+ members from urban low-income settings to become leaders and create sustainable livelihood opportunities within their own communities.

Women from these communities are rarely seen as active participants in urban health networks, even though they are often the first to notice illness in their families, the ones who nurse sick relatives, and the ones who hold communities together during crises.

Dipika’s life was once a script written by society: marriage, domestic life, and limited opportunities. After her mother’s passing, her father worked tirelessly selling fish, but a different future seemed out of reach. That is, until she decided to rewrite her own story. She started tailoring from home, and when a friend introduced her to Sadhika’s health worker training, she took a leap of faith. She walked in with her toddler on one hip and years of doubt on the other, but she left with a renewed sense of purpose. She truly felt she had never been in a space like this before, a space where her voice mattered, where she could learn and grow. “I had never visited anyone else’s house before, and now I was learning how to help people in their own homes,” she says.

Dipika from Mumbai

Today, she works alongside ASHA workers, provides care to those who cannot afford it, and continues tailoring to support her family. For Dipika, independence is not just about earning; it’s about giving her children the opportunities she never had. She concludes her journey by saying, “I want my children to know they can have anything,”. 

For Usha, the road to independence began after tragedy. Moving to Pune for a stable life, she lost her husband in an accident, leaving her alone with two young children. She refused to give in to despair and joined Sadhika. Within 12 days of training, she earned Rs 2,700,  not just an amount, but a symbol of self-reliance. Today, she is a trusted health worker, offering care with compassion and showing her children that true strength lies in persistence.

In the quiet lanes of Mohanlalganj, Reeta’s story stands out. A BA graduate who once dreamed of becoming a lawyer, family circumstances made her set her ambitions aside. Determined to give her three daughters the education she missed, she ran a sewing coaching center and joined Sadhika to expand her skills. Now earning around Rs 3,000 a month, she also guides other women toward self-reliance. She has enrolled in an English-speaking course, proving that learning never stops and that she will grow alongside her daughters.

Dipika, Usha, and Reeta’s journeys are different, but what binds them is independence. When women are given the opportunity to lead, they don’t just change their lives; they become catalysts for an entire community’s transformation. Even today, when women are still battling the lack of access to space, power, and resources, these women are a true example that all they need is a platform to change their own lives and the lives of many around them. They remind us that a woman can truly do it all. When women are given the chance, they do not just support systems; they reshape them.