Empowering women now comes out with a new frame of saying as Prime Minister Narendra Modi handed over his social media account to ladies who are well known for their contribution in diverse fields from a crafts exponent in Kashmir, a motivational speaker from Chennai, a former sarpanch in Maharashtra and a mushroom farmer in Bihar. These are the professions of the seven women who got the opportunity to take Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s social media accounts, on International Women’s Day.
Mr Modi came out six days before the women’s day with a post in which he wrote down that he was “thinking of giving up” the accounts on March 8, 2020.
As part of his #SheInspiresUs campaign on ‘Nari Shakti’ (Women’s Empowerment), he commenced the day by giving up his social media accounts to seven women.
Let’s know these seven women and the work they have done in their lives.
1. Veena Devi-The Dhouri Panchayat Sarpanch
Supported by her farmer husband, Krishnakant Singh, for a training session for mushroom cultivation from Sabour Agriculture University in Bhagalpur, Veena Devi came out as a more confident and independent lady after the training session in 2013. She took the training for all as a challenge and fulfilled it during her course of Sarpanch in Dhouri panchayat between 2011 and 2016.
Veena Devi has been training mushroom farmers of different places like Tarapur, Kharagpur, Dharhara and Asarganj. She is well known among people as an agent of change.
जहां चाह वहां राह… इच्छाशक्ति से सब कुछ हासिल किया जा सकता है।
मेरी वास्तविक पहचान पलंग के नीचे एक किलो मशरूम की खेती से शुरू हुई थी।
लेकिन इस खेती ने मुझे न केवल आत्मनिर्भर बनाया, बल्कि मेरे आत्मविश्वास को बढ़ाकर एक नया जीवन दिया।
वीणा देवी, मुंगेर #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/MkfyZ8mnZp
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2020
2. Sneha Mohandas-The FoodBank-India Founder
Started her foodbank-India initiative in 2015, Sneha got popularity for her work when the flood-hit Chennai in the same year; because of her firm relief work during the flood-hit Chennai time. Without an office, vehicle or any investor support, she with her volunteers did a splendid job and had been doing the same for the last four years.
The foodbank-India initiative’s motive is to promote cooking an extra meal every day to giving it to the needy ones. Starting from a small journey, today she coordinates with 500 volunteers from across the country who are part of 18 chapters of her initiative.
Thank you @narendramodi ji for giving this wonderful opportunity. I feel extremely privileged & honoured in using your accounts. It is highly motivating for me & my volunteers to carry forward our Moto to fight against hunger. Jai Hind🇮🇳 #HungerFreeNation #HappyWomensDay2020
— Sneha Mohandoss🦋 (@snehamohandoss) March 8, 2020
3. Vijaya Pawar- Promoting Traditional Art and Culture of the Gor Banjara Community
Pawar set up the organisation Harappani Gorbanjara Mahila Kala Vikas Mandal in 2004 with her husband, Dr Shriram Pawar. Her native is Ambejogai in Maharashtra’s Beed.
Vijaya is the president of Harappan Gorbanjara Mahila Kala Vikas Mandal; the organisation works to preserve and promote the traditional art and culture of the Gor Banjara community of Maharashtra.
You have heard about handicrafts from different parts of India. My fellow Indians, I present to you handicrafts of the Banjara community in rural Maharashtra. I have been working on this for the last 2 decades and have been assisted by a thousand more women- Vijaya Pawar pic.twitter.com/A3X47245E3
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2020
4. Kalpana Ramesh – The Water Warrior
When after eight years she came back to India from Boston with her husband, Kalpana had no idea that her small initiative will make her known as a “water warrior”. She initiated by doing water harvesting and making an ecologically sustainable home in her area in Hyderabad.
With her hard work and immense dedication, in a period of four-and-a-half years, no one in the community ran for taking waters from the tankers. Thus her work is also known as no more water in tankers.
https://twitter.com/kalpana_designs/status/1236931596604674048
5. Malvika Iyer – The Disability Rights Activist
In 2002, when she was 13 years old and living near an ammunition factory in Bikaner, a fire occurred in the factory and explosion material got spread all over the area. After six months, she found an unexploded grenade in her yard and picked it up unknowingly. The grenade exploded, and both her hands got blown off in it.
After all this physical and mental trauma Malavika Iyer didn’t lose any hope, and her family came out as a strength of pillar for her. Instead of making her feel that she is a victim, they give them the strength to deal with life more vehemently. With all these efforts and strength; she is now a Global Shaper with the World Economic Forum, a disability rights activist and a motivational speaker.
Acceptance is the greatest reward we can give to ourselves. We can’t control our lives but we surely can control our attitude towards life. At the end of the day, it is how we survive our challenges that matters most.
Know more about me and my work- @MalvikaIyer #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/T3RrBea7T9
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2020
6. Kalavati – The Lady Mason
The Lady Mason who trained people in various areas like Punjab and Barabanki as to how to build toilets as she started her journey as a mason in the same work zone. She got married in her teenage, and at the same age period, she began to work as a mason to build community toilets in Kanpur’s slums.
After her marriage when she saw the poor health conditions of people especially women in her village because of the absence of toilets, she got associated with an NGO Shramik Bharti and worked on building toilets in Kanpur’s slums.
मैं जिस जगह पे रहती थी, वहां हर तरफ गंदगी ही गंदगी थी। लेकिन दृढ़ विश्वास था कि स्वच्छता के जरिए हम इस स्थिति को बदल सकते हैं।
लोगों को समझाने का फैसला किया। शौचालय बनाने के लिए घूम-घूमकर एक-एक पैसा इकट्ठा किया।
आखिरकार सफलता हाथ लगी।
कलावती देवी, कानपुर #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/t9b6deXt4g
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2020
7. Arifa Jan – Nari Shakti Puraskar Winner
After completing her studies in 2012, Arifa started her firm on her idea of the revival of Namdah. She opened a firm named as Incredible Kashmir Crafts, and through that platform, she started working on Namdah as she always wanted to do that.
For her contribution in the revival of Kashmir craft Namdah, she was awarded by Nari Shakti Puraskar 2019.
I always dreamt of reviving the traditional crafts of Kashmir because this is a means to empower local women.
I saw the condition of women artisans and so I began working to revise Namda craft.
I am Arifa from Kashmir and here is my life journey. #SheInspiresUs pic.twitter.com/hT7p7p5mhg
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 8, 2020
