Women are leading by examples and have begun a cleanliness revolution in their villages and towns. They are the frontrunners of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, so much so that efforts of many women have helped their villages attain ‘Open Defecation Free’ (ODF) status.
These women are constantly working towards the improvement of cleanliness in their areas. Here are some extraordinary stories of women that will inspire you to take up the national cause.
Kunwar Bai, Chhattisgarh
Any mention of Swachh Bharat is incomplete without talking about 106-year-old Kunwar Bai Yadav from Chhattisgarh. He has been felicitated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the mascot for Swachh Bharat Abhiyan. Kunwar Bai Yadav belongs from Dhamtari village. She sold seven of her goats to raise the money to build a toilet at her house. In 2016, the district was declared the first in the state to be ODF.
Manju Maurya, UP
Determined to bring progress to her village and community, Manju stood for the elections and won. Being a Pradhan in a patriarchal society was tough. She faced humiliation and resistance at every turn. Nevertheless, she was determined to work hard and improve sanitation conditions. She also formed a group and started motivating members of the community to build toilets. She provided considerable support to the poor in this regard.
Sumitra Devi, Bihar
Sumitra Devi is from Sakra in Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. The family of nine did not have any access to a toilet and would walk to the fields behind their house to answer nature’s call. She decided to construct a toilet and it was not easy. Her in-laws were against the idea as they couldn’t understand the health risks of open defecation. After discussing these issues during a community meeting with Aga Khan Rural Support Programme field staff they suggested that my family consider constructing a toilet at the back of our garden. They also told me that we could get a government subsidy which would help us cover the cost of constructing the toilet. With this information I went back to my family and told them this time how we could go about getting a toilet.
Phoolkumari Devi, Jharkhand
Phoolkumari Devi from Latehar district of Jharkhand grew up in a home that had no toilet. When the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin campaign was launched in her gram panchayat, Phoolkumari took part in triggering and awareness building exercises. She understood that a toilet would alleviate sufferings of women to a large extent. She decided that her family would get a toilet.
Subhadra Devi, Jharkhand
Subhadra hails from Devdhara village of Dhanbad district in Jharkhand. Since her husband is visually impaired to some extent, she found it quite difficult to walk long distances. Also, her village and the surroundings were being extensively mined. When the Swachh Bharat Mission Gramin campaign was launched in Dhanbad, priority was given to construction of toilets. The couple decided to construct a toilet for their home. When her toilet was constructed, people from nearby areas came to use the toilet, while they waited for the Mukhiya to construct their toilets.
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