Super Rural Women

“She felt that she was worthless
She felt that she was timid.
She felt as if she had no rights.
When she raised her voice,
She was silenced.
Then came the day,
When it all changed.
She felt that she was valuable,
She felt that she was bold.
She felt that she had rights.
And when she raised her voice
she silenced everyone.
Yes, she was a rural woman.”

~ Palak Gaurav

Today is the day we celebrate the brave and valuable ‘Rural Women’ of the world. 15th October is celebrated, as the ‘ International Day of rural women’. It recognizes the huge role that rural mothers, daughters and grandmothers play in producing food, and building agricultural and rural development worldwide.

Some Amazing ‘Super Rural Women’

#1 Jamuna Tudu “Lady Tarzan” –

Jamuna Tudu was born on 19 December 1980 in Rairangpur of, Mayurbhanj, Odisha, India. She received Padma Shri – 2019, Women Transforming India – 2017, Godfrey Phillips National Bravery Awards – 2014and Women Transforming India – 2017.

She is the girl who decided to make a change, at the age of eighteen, she decided to take up bows and arrows to combat and track the timber Mafiosi and report them to cops. She formed the “Van Suraksha Samiti” (forest protection committee) along with five other women to prevent illegal felling of trees near her village.

#2 Chandro Tomar “Shooter Dadi” (Shooter Grandmother)

Chandro Tomar was an Indian octogenarian sharpshooter from the village of Johri in the Bagpat district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. After learning how to shoot in 1999 when she was in her 60s, she has attained national fame as an accomplished shooter, having won more than 30 national championships. Her daughter and granddaughter joined the shooting team, and she encouraged other families to allow their daughters to join.

From 1999 on she has competed in and won over 25 state and larger championships throughout India. She won a gold medal at the Veteran Shooting Championship conducted in Chennai.

#3 Prema Gopalan

Latur was hit by an earthquake in 1993, destroying the area. Prema, along with a few other motivated people, enlisted women from 1,300 villages to lead the rehabilitation project. By 1998, these women had rebuilt the houses and the project was complete. though, as Prema prepared to leave, the village women came together and decided to lead change in their communities.

This is how Prema started Swayam Shikshan Prayog (SSP). SSP has helped to turn around the rural economy of Maharashtra by putting women in charge of the state.

#4 Jaswanti Ben

Jaswanti Ben always wanted to do something that would make women self-reliant. For this purpose, she along with her six friends started making papad. To start this, she borrowed Rs 80. Soon, her hard work paid off and the papad made by her emerged as a brand all over the country. Today, we know it by the name of ‘Lijjat Papad’. The brand currently has more than 60 branches and employs about 45 thousand women.

#5 Gulabo Sapera

In many parts of Rajasthan, killing a daughter was practised as soon as the daughter was born for centuries. Due to these orthodox customs of the society, Gulabo Sapera was buried alive by her family members after she was born. Gulabo’s aunt dug her out of the ground and gave her new life. Gulabo later introduced the Kalbeliya dance of her snake charmer society in the country and abroad. Gulabo was honoured with the Padma Shri Award in the year 2016 for her work in the field of art and culture.

All these examples show how rural women have and will continue to change the world. They also tell that being un-educated or un-qualified doesn’t stop anyone from doing something great!