Women-Led Animal Care in Bihar: The Pashu Sakhi Success Story
Rural Bihar is witnessing a quiet but meaningful change in animal healthcare. Trained women, known as Pashu Sakhis, are now handling primary care for livestock, including vaccinations, deworming medicines and nutrition guidance. Their work is also giving a stronger footing to the rural economy.
There are 8,992 trained Pashu Sakhis providing services at present. Their presence has brought better animal health and fresh confidence among livestock owners in villages.
Livestock as a Pillar of Rural Life
In rural regions, animal husbandry is one of the main sources of livelihood. With trained Pashu Sakhis available locally, livestock owners can now get prompt first aid and useful advice. This reduces the risk of diseases, limits losses in animal wealth and helps make livestock rearing more rewarding. At the same time, the initiative is creating work opportunities for women and contributing to economic stability in rural households.
The Story from Vaishali
Sangeeta Kumari, a resident of Vaishali, is among those leading this change. She says she is fortunate to be able to look after animals now. Whenever a livestock owner phones her, she visits the spot. She also helps with medicines as far as she can.
According to her, livestock owners did not initially rely on women for this work. Due to a lack of information, calves frequently died shortly after being born. To solve this, she suggested that villagers give deworming medicine to their animals. People were hesitant at first, but she continued to explain the benefits to them until they came around. Over time, she built their trust. When she went back to the village after a few days, she noticed a significant improvement in the health of the animals. She thanked the Chief Minister, saying it was his initiative that gave her the chance to serve animals.
What the Data Reveals
Gaya has the largest number of Pashu Sakhis, with 540 working there. Muzaffarpur has 443, Katihar 432, Nawada and Purnia 430 each, Nalanda 424, Rohtas 423, Patna 387, Sitamarhi 377 and Paschim Champaran 372.
The Pashu Sakhi model shows that when rural women get the right training, government backing and opportunities, they can play an equal part in protecting livestock and raising family incomes. These village doctor didis are becoming a symbol of women's empowerment and a new identity for rural Bihar.