Check out 16 Return-To-Work Programs In India For Ambitious Women Like You!
Defying opposition from her relatives and community members, Vandana Bahadur Maida contested Panchayat elections to become the first woman Sarpanch of her village.
Vandana Bahadur Maida, a mother of three and once a devoted home-maker, like most women in her village, is today busy making significant decisions for her community as the head of the village council where she surpassed her husband who was once a panch (member of the council) to become the Sarpanch.
Initially when she decided to contest the elections, the community was against it as they believed that a woman is not capable of running administrative affairs. They also questioned how could she hold a position higher than her husband. However, according to Vandana her family’s support and her husband’s experience in politics at the panchayat level has helped her to reach where she is today, performing her role actively as the village sarpanch.
Vandana had to leave her education when she was in Class Eight. She learnt about the provisions of various government schemes through capacity building trainings organised by UN Women and fostered her interest in social development. As the village sarpanch, she is responsible for creating awareness in her community regarding sanitation, proper hygiene and healthcare, education and participation in the gram sabha meetings.
Vandana admits that being a woman she did face obstacles on her way to becoming the sarpanch. She herself was not confident that a woman could become the sarpanch and her community members could not imagine a woman holding the post of the head of the village council. With the support of her husband she decided to go ahead and contest the elections. She explained her developmental plans to the community and eventually won with a good margin.
It is indeed commendable that in a rural society of India, where women usually do not go out to work and are restricted to household chores and working at the farm, a woman is looking after the administrative affairs as an elected representative of her community. This instance is an attempt at breaking the shackles of patriarchy. The people of Khankhandvi village despite of having reservations about a woman taking the highest post in the Panchayat, had faith in Vandana’s competency and voted her to power.
As an efficient village sarpanch, Vandana is setting an example for other women around her, empowering them. She advises girls and women to be confident and follow their hearts. “The members of this patriarchal society will definitely oppose your every action. They will criticise you, make fun of your choices, but in the end it is you who are going to fulfil your destiny. Once you achieve success, everyone will start appreciating your efforts.” she says.
Cover image via Hindustan Times
read more...
Women's Web is an open platform that publishes a diversity of views, individual posts do not necessarily represent the platform's views and opinions at all times.
Stay updated with our Weekly Newsletter or Daily Summary - or both!
UP Boards Topper Prachi Nigam was trolled on social media for her facial hair; our obsession with appearance is harsh on young minds.
Prachi Nigam’s photo has been doing the rounds on social media for the right reasons. Well, scratch that- I wish the above statement were true. This 15-year-old girl should ideally be revelling in her spectacular achievement of scoring a whopping 98.05% and topping her tenth-grade boards. But oddly enough, along with her marks, it’s something else that garners more attention – her facial hair.
While the trolls are driving themselves giddy by mocking this girl who hasn’t even completed her school yet, the ones who are taking her side are going one step ahead – they are sharing her photoshopped pictures, sans the facial hair, looking nothing less than a celebrity with captions saying – “Prachi Nigam, ten years later”.
Doctors have already diagnosed her with PCOD in their comments, based on photographic evidence. While we have names for people shamed for their weight – body shaming, for their skin colour- racism, for their age- age shaming, for being a female- sexism, this category of shaming where one faces criticism for their appearance has no name. With that, it also has zero shame attached to it.
Please enter your email address