The 13th Indian Social Work Conference offered many powerful insights, but the session that stayed with me the most was the plenary on “Reimagining Development through Gender-Sensitive Ecosocial Work Practice.” I want to begin by acknowledging Dr. R. Nalini, Professor of Social Work at Pondicherry University, whose paper “Gender Suffering and Structural Inequality: An Ecosocial Analysis of Women in Substance-Affected Families” brought depth, clarity, and compassion to the discourse. Her narrative resonated strongly with the lived realities of women, especially in Bihar, where recent electoral outcomes revealed a clear gender divide in voting patterns—an expression of women’s urgent demand for development, dignity, and freedom from alcohol-related harm.
Learning from Dr. Rajesh Tandon: Embracing the Unknown
My first session of the conference, delivered by Dr. Rajesh Tandon, Founder of PRIA, set a powerful tone. His message was simple yet profound:
as social workers, we often know too little about what is actually happening around us.
For me as a practicing Social worker, this reinforced the importance of embracing the unknown. Authentic narratives emerge not only from research that confirms what we already know, but from discovery—stepping beyond familiar frameworks to listen to voices that surprise or amuse us. The recent accounts of women in Bihar are a vivid example: their lived experience broke through political and academic assumptions, giving rise to an authentic, people-led narrative of change.
Continuing the Conversation: Reflections with Dr. Nalini
After the plenary, my brief discussion with Dr. Nalini revisited a key question:
How should we communicate concepts like “harmful use of alcohol” and “no safe level”?
Participants had varied experiences, but the discussion highlighted both opportunities and challenges in using the “No Safe Level” framing—especially when we consider the everyday realities of women in substance-affected families.
Key Understanding: Risk Is Not the Same as Harm
A crucial takeaway from the discussion is this:
“No safe level” does not mean harm occurs immediately—it means that every use increases the probability of harm.
Just as not wearing a seatbelt increases the risk of death in an accident (even though it may not happen every time), alcohol increases the risk of cancer, cognitive decline, road crashes, and other harms—even at low levels.
Communicating this distinction—probability versus inevitability—strengthens both public understanding and policy advocacy.
Why This Matters for Gender, Ecosocial Work, and Policy in Bihar
Dr. Nalini’s ecosocial analysis offered a powerful reminder:
women living in substance-affected families do not speak in theoretical terms. They speak from pain, survival, and clarity.
The women in Bihar have already expressed their position unmistakably:
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They understand “harmful use of alcohol” not as a clinical term but as a lived reality.
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They know that there is no safe limit for the harm alcohol brings to their homes, livelihoods, and safety.
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Their electoral choices reflect a demand for policies that protect families and restore dignity.
In this context, Dr. Nalini’s contribution stands out as both empathetic and evidence-informed. The mismatch in the plenary came not from her work, but from the framing introduced by the moderator, which momentarily shifted the conversation away from the structural and gendered dimensions that her research so clearly illuminated.
Conclusion: Toward a More Grounded, Gender-Sensitive Public Health Narrative
This plenary reminded me that ecosocial work requires us to listen deeply—
to science, to lived experience, and to the unknown.
It calls us to bridge public health language (“no safe level”) with gendered realities on the ground, especially in places like Bihar, where women continue to lead the struggle for an alcohol-free, dignified life.
As we reimagine development through gender-sensitive lenses, Dr. Nalini’s work stands as a guiding example of how scholarship, empathy, and structural awareness can come together to shape a more just and compassionate future.
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