Few women invisible leaders remembered and recognized on Women’s Day

Samarthan organized a programme with the newly elected women representative of Sehore on Women’s day occasion. Some of the women who demonstrated exceptional leadership in promotion of sanitation were rewarded. It will be interesting to know them: Dhapu Bai belongs to scheduled caste social category. She won election as Sarpanch of Bijori Panchayat in the last tenure. She fought to protect the rights of the women, socially deprived citizens from the upper caste, feudal, rich and influential persons. Realizing that easy and safe water access is an important need of the women, she worked hard to ensure that the piped water supply system gets operational in her village. The water supply system is managed by the women as operators and managers. She converted her Panchayat as open defecation free Panchayat. Shushma is an adolescent girl of Dondi Panchayat of Icchawar block. She belongs to a very poor family. Her father passed away and she lives with her mother. She realized the need for a toilet at home for her dignity and safety. She started digging pit for the construction of toilet. Her family joined later for contributing labor. Material support was provided by the Panchayat. Her toilet was ready in no time. It was motivating for many other families. The Dondi Panchayat became open defecation free in a couple of months. Pappi Lodhi of Jahangirpura village pledged her ornaments to get loan for construction of toilet in her house. Later, she motivated 20 other families for construction of toilets in her village. Along with her, Vimla Lodhi, the Vice President of village Panchayat encouraged the self- help group members to take loan of Rs. 8000 each from the group saving of Rs. 65000 . We salute to these women for making sanitation a cause of their life and motivating many to adopt safe sanitary practices.