From the ancient time in India, the post of village Sarpanch was secured for men. The first image that we can remember of a Sarpanch is of an elderly man with a very serious look and a big, healthy mustache stick to his mouth. But the time is now changing in rural India. Now we can see some saree clad beauties in the chair of Sarpanch. These ladies gained their post fighting against all odds.
On the eve of the International Women’s Day, Let’s have a look at the ladies and their achievements as Women Sarpanch in Rural India.
Chaavi Rajawat
Times of India has heralded her as the woman that is changing the face of rural Rajasthan. With innovative projects, she has brought better water, solar power, paved roads, toilets and a bank to her ancestral village named Soda. Not letting the bureaucracy come in her way, she has single-handedly enabled many projects in her village. She has also addressed a poverty conference at the United Nations in New York, US. The glamorous jeans-clad MBA sarpanch is an inspiration to many and is the face of the young and modern India yearning for change.
Arati Devi
Arati Devi, 28, a lady sarpanch in a village of the Orissa has now been acknowledged being a leader in the international mirror -USA i.e International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP).She was the youngest sarpanch in the continent. As a was delighted when the US consulate general in Hyderabad told her that she was the only Indian selected for the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) on state and local governments for current and emerging leaders sponsored by the State Department.
Meena Behen
Meena Behen is the Sarpanch and this also in a small village in the Vyara district in Gujrat. She is the first ever female Sarpanch of a village where it is not permissible for a woman to speak or go outside of the house in front of men. Fighting this situation Meena gained the post of Sarpanch and did a remarkable work by improving the accessibility of the village from the main cities. Their next project is to build a Government hospital inside their village.
Sushma Bhadu
Sushma Bhadu is the female Sarpanch of three villages of Haryana. She is famous for unveiling here Ghunghat in front of other men. Nowadays, she is busy improving the literacy and sex ration rate of her village and have done a remarkable job in that field.
Radha Devi
Radha Devi is the Sarpanch of a remote village in Rajasthan. The village was suffering from low literacy rate of the children. Radha Devi came forward here and inspired the parents to send their children back to school and her act, in turn, increase the literacy rate of the village.
Vandana Bahadur
Vandana Bahadur Maida of Khankhandva village, Madhya Pradesh is the first female Sarpanch of her village. She is popular for fighting her way to raise the awareness level of her villagers about sanitation, health and education. However, the things are not as easy as I am writing here. She has to deal with many hard situations on her way.
Awesome India Salutes all the ladies who make active contribution in the field of medical, technology, science and politics and hope more participation and empowerment of woman in near Future.
Happy Women’s Day
