"Protecting The Protectors": Keeping Haryana's Women COVID Warriors Safe

These women, mostly from rural India, have been working relentlessly with the government, going door-to-door to create awareness. Being at the frontline, these women are also the most vulnerable.

Hisar:

Several women workers are at the forefront in the battle against the highly contagious novel coronavirus. Most of them are multipurpose healthcare workers, accredited social health activists (ASHA), Anganwadi workers and sanitation workers.

These women, mostly from rural India, have been working relentlessly with the government, going door-to-door to create awareness. Being at the frontline, these women are also the most vulnerable.

Shivang Tayal, who runs a Hisar-based initiative in Haryana to protect these corona warriors - "Rakshak Ki Raksha" (Protecting The Protectors) - has been leading the effort to protect these women workers by providing them with essential protective gear.

Mr Tayal, the co-founder of the campaign, said, "It focuses on addressing the most vulnerable frontline workers. These workers have been working to protect more than 900 towns and villages across Haryana. There have been reports of many of these workers contracting COVID-19 and as a result, it becomes very important for us to protect these workers."

Launched in March, the "Rakshak ki Raksha" campaign has provided more than 10,000 such safety kits to healthcare workers in Haryana and Delhi.

Each "Raksha" kit includes face shields, goggles, hand sanitisers, certified triple layer cloth masks, soaps, and gloves.

Appreciating the effort, a frontline worker said, "'In our duty in this fight, these kits are very important. By using these kits, we can educate others how one can protect themselves from this deadly virus."

Several COVID-19 warriors have been lacking basic safety gear in this war against the virus. Many charitable organizations and social workers, like Mr Shivang, have come forward to protect these protectors.