The Chief Minister of Orissa has recently praised a federation of women's self-help groups for having led the way to conserve the local turtle population, the Olive Ridley sea turtle.
- Jose Cabezas/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
- Olive Ridley turtles have been recognized as an endangered species by the Indian Government.
"Conservation of olive ridley turtles is critical to the livelihood security of Orissa's coastal communities," said Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Orissa, in a statement released by the United Nations Development Program last week.
But how exactly does protecting turtles help these economically-marginalized women? The women, members of Samudram Women's Federation, realized that protecting this species is key for the preservation of the coastal ecosystem, on which their livelihood depends.
This is because turtles feed on jellyfish which are harmful to the fish population, said Mangaraj Panda, a coordinator at Samudram. "Conservation of turtles helps increase the population of fish. This helps the fishermen and fisherwomen increase their income as fish is their bread and butter," he said. Mr. Panda told India Real Time that their work has increased the status of women within their family and made them part of their broader community's decision process.
The women have been working to protect the turtles’ nesting sites on coastal areas since [...]
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