Women are now participating in the development of the village instead of living in isolation. The main objective of the Narmada Mahila Sangh is to provide better opportunities for livelihood, prevent violence against women, empowering rights and to ensure political participation of women.
This was said by the Office Bearers of the Narmada Mahila Sangh during the lecture on the topic ‘Unheard Voices of Women Leaders of Narmada Mahila Sangh, Betul’ during the Lecture Series ‘Asardaar Parivartan-Tikau Parinam’ held at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Good Governance and Policy Analysis.
Member of the Narmada Mahila Sangh, Mamta Bai has also addressed the trainee IAS officers 3 times at Lal Bahadur Shastri Academy of Administration, Mussoorie. She said that if atrocity is done with any woman of the self-help group, she struggle to get her justice. I am always ready to live and die for the women of the village. She told that to protect women from violence, she compelled many persons to quit liquor. Mamta Bai said that my brother has only studied, but I am educated in true sense.
Sandhya Bai said that ‘I used to prepare records in the self-help group’. The women of the group made me the village sarpanch and now together with the women, we prepare development plans and implement them for the development of the village. She told that I have become so familiar with the works that engineers ask us before making plans.
Kala Bai informed that the group, along with the MNREGA scheme, got the check dams and ponds built in the village. This increased the water level of the village. She told that work was started from 15 villages and today its area has widened.
Ramkali Bai said that she got the map of the entire village made first and after earmarking the appropriate place in the village, Khet-Talaab and boundaries were constructed. This has increased the availability of water in the fields.
Rashmi Bai said that the Sangh is like her family. All the women meet once a week. They are advised to fight for their rights. Help is provided to the women in getting ration cards and social security pension.
Narmada Mahila Sangha has more than 22 thousand women members. One thousand 750 women self-help groups have been formed in 300 villages of Betul district.