Society for People Action in Rural Service and Health

We in SPARSH Gadchiroli, are working since decade on health services, rights and other social issues in district. While working on health issues of tribal women we came across an inhuman practice of ‘Gaokor’. This practice is not only inhuman but also disrespecting to the women and threat to their life in many ways.

According to the custom of Madiya and Gond tribals, women had to stay in a  hut on the boundary of the village as her touch is considered to be impure during  this period. These huts are known as `Gaokor’. SPARSH came across around 127 `Gaokors’ during a study carried out in five tribal Bahul Villages. These `Gaokors’ are in a pathetic condition. Most have a single window for light  and no doors. Almost all `Gaokors’ are on the border of the village and more  often at the edge of a dense forest. The surroundings are astoundingly unclean. Even the most basic necessities which are required to lead a life are not found in the `Gaokors’.

To prevent this blatant human right violation of tribal women of our district we have made a complaint to National Human Rights Commission in 2013. Since then NHRC have sought information from local administration and have also issued directions, but all of this was not taken seriously at the level of  administration. We are constantly pursuing this matter at the level of NHRC and also at state and district Administration level.