Dhanteras is a festival for buying gold, but a campaign is urging women to invest in iron
Dhanteras, also known as Dhanatrayodashi or Dhanvantari Trayodashi, is a festival that is celebrated before Chhoti Diwali. It is considered auspicious to buy some form of precious metal like gold or silver on the occasion of Dhanteras. People also consider it lucky to purchase new kitchen utensils on Dhanteras, which will fall on October 25 this year. However, Project Streedhan is an initiative that is urging women to invest in something other than gold on Dhanteras - they want women to invest in iron.
According to data presented by Project Streedhan, one out of two women in India is anemic. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia - a condition in which lack of healthy red blood cells leads to weakness and exhaustion. In order to raise awareness about the condition, Project Streedhan is asking women to invest in iron instead of gold this Dhanteras.
The campaign uses the hashtag #InvestInIron to urge women to eat foods rich in iron. A music video to raise awareness about anemia has been viewed over 1.5 million times since it was shared by Project Streedhan on Facebook four days ago. It has also found a lot of support, with people dropping comments like "Fantastic video" and "Taking care of ourselves is a must in today's busy life."
Watch the video below:
Project Streedhan has found vocal support not just from thousands of netizens but also celebrities like actress Vidya Balan and author Anuja Chauhan.
"1 out of 2 women suffer from Anemia In India....and I myself have been THAT ONE OUT OF TWO WOMEN for years," wrote Vidya Balan on Instagram, lending her support to the initiative. "This Dhanteras...let's not just invest in gold but also invest in our iron," she said, asking her followers to eat iron-rich foods and get tested.
"This year put some iron rich food into you before you put some gold on you!" wrote Anuja Chauhan, adding that her favourite source of iron is 'gur' or jaggery.
Let us know what you think of Project Streedhan using the comments section.
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